Mark Smith

Taylor Elementary, Abilene
Lincoln Jr. High, Abilene
Abilene High
Abilene Christian University

Started driving semi's while trying to finish university. Twenty-five years of driving came to a screeching halt (literally) in 1998.

I took an entry level job with BCBSNM in 1998 and have been with them ever since and will be until it's either no longer fun or my badge doesn't work. ;-)

I started umpiring baseball when my youngest started playing Little League then moved up to umpiring high school baseball in 2000. Along the way, called games from Little League up to their senior years in HS for Alex Bregman & Mitch Garver. With grandkids starting to come along, I've decided that 2019 is my victory lap. Going forward, I'll mentor and evaluate but no more on-field umpiring.

Took a 2 month retirement roadtrip thru the midwest and up into New England. Highlights were Steamtown Nat'l Monument in Scranton, PA; Baseball HOF in Cooperstown, NY; Acadia Nat'l Park in Maine; Boston (all of it really but especially Fenway & walking the Freedom Trail); DC (literally, everything we saw but especially Arlington Nat'l Cemetery, Korea/Vietnam Memorials, Lincoln Memorial, & Holocaust Museum); Great Smoky Mtn Nat'l Park.

Started playing golf at 71 in May 2023. Lot of catching up to do.

The silk worms in Mr. Newton's 6th grade class at Taylor Elementary

Marching band at Lincoln Jr High (Is that even a thing now?)

Ms. Myer's English Lit - I can still recite the two opening lines of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in the Olde English.