Mark Gasaway

Mark Gasaway August 7, 1954 – July 26, 2026 After a brief, serious illness, Mark Anthony Gasaway of Tucker, Georgia, entered eternal sunshine on July 26, 2026, at the age of 71. Passionate determination defined Mark’s life. He cared deeply, advocated fiercely, and was never afraid to challenge others when he believed something mattered. That Mark passed on the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act is a fitting coincidence for a man who devoted his life to expanding access and opportunity for deafblind people. Born in Tampa, Florida, on August 7, 1954, Mark was eight years old when encephalitis left him in a ten-day coma. When he awoke, he was profoundly deaf, legally blind, and faced significant balance challenges. He learned to walk again, returned to school in his hometown of Gordon, Georgia, and built a life defined not by limitations, but by determination. His favorite cap said it all: DEAF, BLIND, AND DETERMINED! Mark graduated from Wilkinson County High School in McIntyre, Georgia, in 1973. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in social work from Gallaudet University and a master's in organizational management from the University of Phoenix. After ten years at the Internal Revenue Service in Atlanta, progressive vision loss led him to a new calling: a life of volunteer leadership and advocacy on behalf of deafblind people. Whether serving on a board or representing the deafblind community before policymakers, Mark worked tirelessly to create a more accessible world. He shared his lived experience with students, professionals, and communities across the country. He co-authored landmark publications on Support Service Provider (SSP) services, co-researched national SSP surveys, and contributed to the book Deaf-Blind Reality. At the time of his passing, Mark served on the boards of the American Association of the DeafBlind, the DeafBlind Community Access Network of New Jersey, the DeafBlind League of New Jersey, and the MARTA Accessibility Committee in Atlanta. Over the years, he also served with the Georgia Association of the DeafBlind, DeafBlind Access of the South Retreat, Georgia's Independent Living Council, and the National Federation of the Blind DeafBlind Division. Those who knew Mark will remember not only what he accomplished, but who he was every day. He loved to laugh and make others laugh – quite literally – he was ILLY, a professional clown. He was a storyteller, an award-winning Georgia Toastmaster, a fierce competitor at chess, Scrabble, and Aggravation, a jokester with wordplays, and a long-distance runner who completed races throughout the Atlanta area, including multiple Peachtree Road Races. He loved good food, good friends, and working on his tan. To know Mark was to know someone who saw possibilities where others saw barriers. He believed in good people. He believed in service. He believed that everyone deserves to belong – and he spent his life trying to make that possible. Mark was preceded in death by his parents, John H. Gasaway Jr. and Mary Ann Gasaway; his sisters, Mary Joan Copeland and Joy Yvonne Miller; his former wife, Roxanne Gasaway, with whom he shared many years of his life’s journey; and his devoted hearing service dog, Chester. He is survived by his brothers, John H. Gasaway III and Charles Wayne Gasaway; many beloved relatives, dear friends, colleagues, and members of the deafblind community whose lives are richer because they knew him. Family, friends, and colleagues are invited to gather in celebration of Mark's life on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the North Atlanta Church of Christ, 5676 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338. A reception and time of fellowship will immediately follow the service. In honor of Mark's life, hug your loved ones, perform an unexpected act of kindness, help someone gain access to the world around them, and never underestimate the difference one determined individual can make. Mark's life reminds us that true vision is not measured by what we see, but by what we choose to recognize in one another. His legacy will continue in every barrier removed, every opportunity created, every act of kindness shared, and every person who is welcomed, included, and given the opportunity to belong. Well done, Mark.

Mark Gasaway

August 7, 1954 - July 26, 2026