In Memory, Mark Tulloss ’87

On a beautiful August evening this summer, the family and friends of Mark Tulloss ’87 came to Buxton to celebrate his life and memory. Stories about his gastronomical adventures as well as his love for fashion—especially shoes—were shared on the patio of the Main House. Hearing so many people talk with deep emotions about his zest for life and the impact he made on so many people was truly an inspiring experience.

Jon Fisher ’87 reminisced about his time at Buxton with Mark: “Before I met Mark, I had never been on a subway, never eaten sushi, never been to a concert. He introduced me to my own hometown of New York City.” Their friendship was lifelong, and the connection extended to Mark’s family. “What made the biggest impression on me… was Mark’s fearlessness and inexhaustible energy. … There was always a new place to go and new people to meet. Mark rushed out to meet the world and announce that he was there.”

His daughter, Lily ’19, spoke about the trips she would take with her father: “He had just gotten his first car, a new Jeep he named ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,’ when he took me on a trip to the RAK [Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah], the northernmost emirate of the UAE. I was sitting in the back and we were driving on a newly constructed road up a mountain, when part of the road collapsed in a landslide under the car, leaving us teetering on the side of a cliff. He was able to stabilize the car enough with rocks to drive it back onto solid road. What I also remember is that my dad bribed me not to tell anyone by taking me to the store to buy a pair of pink Louis Vuitton shoes.”

Later in the evening during the celebration of Mark’s life, the group made their way to a spot by The Shed, a small classroom building near the Work Program area. A new tree has been planted there as a symbol of the connection Mark always had with Buxton. Between two stone benches is a plaque that bears a quote from The Sheltering Sky, by Paul Bowles, a book that made a profound impact on Mark while he was a student here.

Next time you are on campus, take a moment to rest there and reflect on adventure, life-long learning, and “[h]ow fragile we are under the sheltering sky. Behind the sheltering sky is a vast universe, and we’re just so small.”

by Deanna Dement Myers

“WHAT MADE THE BIGGEST IMPRESSION ON ME… WAS MARK’S FEARLESSNESS AND INEXHAUSTIBLE ENERGY. … THERE WAS ALWAYS A NEW PLACE TO GO AND NEW PEOPLE TO MEET. MARK RUSHED OUT TO MEET THE WORLD AND ANNOUNCE THAT HE WAS THERE.”