Mark G. Lundeen

New York City, NY-

In memory of Mark's love of life and playful personality, a celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, November 4th from 12:30 – 3:30 at 107 West Restaurant, 2787 Broadway, New York, NY 10025.  

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made at the following:

Southern Poverty Law Center- In memory of Mark’s lifetime commitment to social Justice
Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program - In memory of the care and support they gave Mark and his family during his illness. 212-659-8500

The Bank Street Family Center- In memory of Mark’s love of young children and the care the Family Center provided his daughters and 4 grandchildren.

Bank Street College of Education,  Development and External Relations Office,  P.O. Box 250865,  New York, NY 10025

Checks payable to Bank Street College. (Put Mark Lundeen Family Center Annual Fund in the memo section)

Mark Gillette Lundeen, age 77, passed away on October 22, 2018 after a six year struggle to recover from a traumatic brain injury. He leaves behind his wife of 47 years, Eleanor Brown Lundeen, his daughter Joy Lundeen Ellebbane and her husband Youssef Ellebbane, his daughter Amy Lundeen and her husband Butch Phelps, four grandchildren, Zak, Noura, Max, and Milo, and his brother Lynn Arthur Lundeen and sister-in-law Grace Angelillo Lundeen, his two nephews, Brendan and Daron and their families. He also leaves two home health aides who worked with him for five years on recovery: Sandy Reyes and her daughter Sandra Reyes.

He was born in Viroqua, Wisconsin in 1941 just before the outbreak of WWII and resided in New York City. He also had a home in Shandaken, NY. His childhood was spent in Madison, Wisconsin and Ripon, Wisconsin with his brother, Lynn Arthur and sister, Kathleen. His mom was a nurse and homemaker, and his dad was a superintendent of buildings and grounds at Ripon College. His family attended the Methodist Church whose liturgy focuses upon social justice. His family, the people of the era, and the church set the social justice atmosphere that influenced Mark’s life.

In 1959 Mark entered Carleton College on a work-study scholarship. He worked in the dining hall for his four years there, never having much time to socialize. He did however seek information about what was happening in the world. Upon graduation he moved to New York where he entered Union Theological Seminary to pursue the study of philosophy. Union provided Mark with important opportunities to contribute to the social justice efforts of the nation, including Freedom Summer. Later Mark worked for an early Head Start program in Mississippi, where he also took pictures of slum areas to document the conditions of many black neighborhoods. While his time in the South was tension-filled and he often felt threatened, Mark never experienced direct violence. His efforts were not dramatic, but rather reflected how he thought everyday social justice should be.

In the 70s Mark married Eleanor Brown, a nurse like his mother, and they had two children, Joy and Amy. During the children’s childhood years Mark focused on learning about children and women’s rights. He completed a master’s degree in early childhood education at Bank Street College of Education. He worked at programs for families and children including the Floating Hospital, Bank Street Children’s School, the Bank Street Follow-Through Program and the 92nd Street Y Fathers Program. Throughout his life he took great joy in the deep learning that takes place in early childhood through play.

In the 1980s Mark expanded his skills to counseling, eventually completing a Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at Teachers’ College, Columbia University. After graduation he worked for a group practice and later opened a independent practice with a focus on supporting children and families. He worked until December of 2012 when he sustained a severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

In the march for social justice he never considered himself to be a leader, he saw himself as a foot soldier. He had a way of relating to others that he brought from childhood. He was always playful in his interactions with others and intuitively connected to each person. His family is so proud of him for all that he was and all that he leaves us with, which is ever so much.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the E. B. Gormley Funeral Home 87 Main St. Phoenicia.  Private burial will be in the family plot at the Shandaken Rural Cemetery Rt. 28 Shandaken.    You may share a special memory with the family on Mark's Tribute Wall at gormleyfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mark G. Lundeen, please visit our floral store.