 Timeline |
|
|
|
| |
| Day of adoption |
|
|
|
 |
Right after Marc was born he was adopted by the Proulx family.
Marc was born with a heart defect and it had to be repaired when he was just a baby. Carmen made sure to see he had the best care and took him to UCLA where the best doctors would be taking care of him. Her persistence in making sure that Marc got the best care gave us Marc for the next 39 years. We love her for allowing all of us to be a part of his life.
Marc had some pretty vivid childhood memories of some very interesting stories of his adventures. He was a handful now I cant imagine what Carmen went through when he was full of energy and onryness...
Thanks to Alain and Daylene 4 getting us a baby picture of him.....
he is so adorable !!!
|
|
| |
| When Marc was a kid |
|
|
|
|
Marc asked me once what was my favorite childhood memory...
so I had to ask him what his was...
he said one of the best times he had was when he had dog i believe it was a german shepard but the dog lived at the campground his parents owned. And how he use to be able to go and see him on the weekends. But the funniest part of his story was how he use to have to outsmart the dog because every time he would arrive after being gone all week long the dog would be excited to see him and inevitably he would get out of the car and the dog would come running up excited to see him and everytime marc would land on his butt cause he would knock him over. So Marc thought about it and discovered a way to outsmart the dog. When he would get to the campgrounds he would get out of the car and run as fast as he could to the nearest tree just so he could stand against it when the dog would come running Marc could avoid being knocked on his butt! And the smile he had on his face telling me the story was just the cutest grin. Like he was actually back in time. He said he spent hours playing with that dog...I wished I had remembered his name... maybe alain can tell me his name sometime..?? Alain??? |
|
| |
| Marc’s first learning to ride a bicycle |
|
|
|
|
It was on a Sunday afternoon when Marc was about eight or nine years old. At that time Marc had to ware a leg brace at night to help with a birth defect. He had a bicycle with training wheels. I took him out in a large parking lot to help him ride and noticed that the training wheels were set so low that he was riding a 4 wheel bicycle. He would go along and fall every time he turned. I tried to raise the wheels and finely took them off altogether. At this point I would run along beside him while he pedaled around the parking lot. About the second or third time around the parking lot, I let him go. He went around the lot once more thinking I was holding him up. Finally I stopped and let him continue by himself till he had to turn. At this point he noticed that I was several feet away and realized that he was riding by himself. He fell ones or twice and then got back on and rode around the parking lot by himself. He was so happy, he ran into the house to get his Mother to show her. From that day on he rode that bicycle every where we would let him. This Story was written by Ken Drake, His Step Father Love and best wishes |
|
| |
| His Childhood |
|
|
|
|
Alain.....Marc's older brother was Marc's idol. Marc wanted to follow in his footsteps as long as he could remember.
Alain went to Art School and so Marc wanted to go.
Marc had a piece that Alain did of a penciled drawn deer. He loved that piece and proudly told everyone how it was done by Alain.
I think it is awesome for someone to have someone to look up to.
Marc definitely looked up to his big little brother!
This last year Marc asked me to go with him to see his brother. I think Marc knew then that he was not doing well and it suddenly was very important for him to go and see Alain and said he needed to go soon. He drove all the way up and we spent the weekend watching Movies and checking out stars and the moon with the telescope we brought up. It was too cold outside for Marc to be out there too long but he had to see the moon at least one more time. And he got to.
Pizza, movies and his big brother was all it was but to Marc it meant the world to him. Thank You Alain for being the awesome big bro he had in his life and for letting me spending the weekend with you two.
I will never forget it. and I can see why marc thinks you are the coolest.
|
|
| |
| "The BIG Reunion, as told by Aunt Sharon" |
|
|
|
|
OK, here's the scoop! On Sept. 11, 1990, I received a phone call from a young man who said he was calling long distance from California. He introduced himself as Tim, said he was born on January 29, 1963, and that he thought I might be his birth mother. My response was, "I think you are right!" There was a long silence, and then he said, "Wow, I had a long speech prepared, but now I can't remember a word of it!" I just laughed and said that I had prepared a speech 27 years ago just in case this day ever came, and I couldn't remember mine either. So we just talked for about 15 minutes because I had to leave for work. I asked if I could call him when I got home from work at 1AM. He agreed, and gave me his phone number. I was on cloud 9 all evening at work, but didn't tell any of my co-workers about the phone call, because no one knew I had given up a baby for adoption. I did call Jeanne from work to tell her about the call from Tim. She was very happy for me. Throughout the years, Jeanne and I had frequently talked about the fact we both hoped our boys would one day search for and find us. Even though we knew their names, we both agreed that we would never search for them. We felt it would be wrong to disrupt their lives, especially because there was a chance they may not know they were adopted. I couldn't wait to get home from work that night so I could call Tim. He was waiting by the phone, and answered on the first ring. We talked, and talked, and talked, for over 3 hours that night!!! There was so much to catch up on after 27 years! We found we had so much in common that it felt like we had known one another forever! For the next several weeks, we had long phone conversations about every other night.
On the second or third night that we talked, Tim asked "Is it true that I have a cousin somewhere in California, who was given up for adoption when I was about 2 yrs old?" I said that was correct, but wondered how he knew about that. He said his Dad told him a long time ago that when Tim was 2, and his sister was 4, Dr. Wills (who delivered both babies) called to see if they would like to adopt a third baby. The doctor explained that this baby was a cousin of Tim's because the birth mothers were sisters. After much thought, Tim's parents decided they already had their hands full with 2 toddlers, but they referred Dr. Wills to some friends of theirs who knew another couple who wanted to adopt a baby. Tim's Dad told him that that couple did adopt the baby, and he met them along with the baby, Marc, when he was about 6 months old. He never saw them again because one, or both, of the families moved from the area. Tim always wondered where his cousin was, what he looked like, and whether they were anything alike. Tim asked what I knew about him, and wondered if it would be OK for him to look for him. I said his name is Marc Rene Proulx, and he was born on June 28, 1965. Since Jeanne was so happy that Tim found me, I told Tim to go ahead and look for Marc. What a mistake that was!
When I told Jeanne, she was very upset with me, because she felt that would be intruding into Marc's life. She felt that if Marc wanted to find her, all he had to do was pick up the phone and call Directory Assistance. So I had to call Tim and tell him that if he should find Marc, he could not give him Jeanne's phone number. If Marc was interested, he could call Directory Assistance, as Jeanne was listed in the phone book. Tim's wife, DiAnn, did most of the leg work in searching for me, as well as searching for Marc. By Thanksgiving 1990, she had found Carmen and Ken, Marc's parents. DiAnn and Tim phoned Carmen, introduced themselves, and asked if they could meet Marc. Carmen was very gratious and said she would talk to Marc and see if he would like to meet them. Marc agreed and a meeting was set up at Carmen and Ken's house on December 1, 1990. I don't know much about that first meeting between the "two lost cousins", but judging from the photos taken that day, everyone had a wonderful time! A few days later, I received copies of the photos in the mail and was shocked to see that Marc looked exactly like our brother, Ron!! Not just a family resemblance, but exactly like him!! I was dying to show the photos to Jeanne, but I couldn't until after Marc called her because she was still irritated that Tim searched for Marc. As it turned out, Marc called Jeanne a week after his meeting with Tim. She was thrilled to hear from him! For the next 6 weeks, the phone lines were HOT as we all got better acquainted. Then on January 21, 1991, Jeanne and I, along with our Mom, flew out to California to meet Tim, Marc, and their families. The rest is history!!
|
|
| |
| Marc reunited with his Mom and his family grows... |
|
|
|
|
The first time Marc laid eyes on a biological relative was Dec. 1, 1990. He met his cousin, Tim-------and his wife DiAnn and 2 daughters, Nadia and Laura. He called me for the first time a week or so later. I can't remember the exact date. Then on January 21, 1991, we had our "reunion" at the Redondo Beach Pier. I met him at the pier. Sharon and Tim had their first meeting the same day at my aunt and uncles house. I preferred to meet Marc alone. About an hour or two later, Sharon, Tim and DiAnn met up with us at the pier. We had lunch at El Torito's (probably spelled wrong) and then we all spent the rest of the day catching up on the past 25 years. Actually, we spent the next 10 days catching up! He also met his Grandmother at that time too. Then the end of June 1991 Marc made his first trip to Michigan. At that time he met his Uncle Ron and his wife Fran and their kids (his cousins) Brad and Colleen. He also met Sharon's other 2 kids (his cousins) Don and Christy. I was able to have a birthday party for him for the first time. I invited all of my friends. I figured it was my turn. I had been to all of their kids birthdays thru the years! He came again in the summer of 1992. I wished he could have come more. He really liked it here. But I doubt he would have liked it for very long in the winter. |
|
| |
| Somewhere between now then |
|
|
|
|
Im not really sure at what age Marc tried his first Dr.Pepper but if anyone can help me on this one it would be great to fill it in....Anyone that knew Marc knew he loved his Dr. Pepper. I even wonder if he wasnt born with one in hand.....
Marc didnt really plan on collecting Dr. Pepper memorabilia but he somehow managed to get alot of it. From signs to stickers, to Old Bottles.
I can bet right now that Dr.Pepper seen a huge drop in sales on their westcoast distribution centers.
I always thought it would have been funny to buy stock for him for a gift one day.
A 12 pak a day was not normal by any means but it was one of those things he had to enjoy!
|
|
| |
| Andrea meets Marc |
|
|
|
|
 |
Funny how you meet someone and dont really know how much that person would be a part of your life.
I was a checker at the local Lucky Stores in Lomita.
Marc would always pick my line to go through when he checked out with his groceries. He would have a 6 pack of Dr. Pepper and a pack of Cigarrettes. He earned the name Dr. Pepper Dude from me after a few months of that! ha ha...but I never knew his name until I met him through his best friend Scott. Scott was a mutual friend through a high school friend from a few years back. The day I actually learned his name Scott was working on my Bug. Marc dropped by during that time and I said I know you! your the Dr. Pepper dude! He recognized me as well and it wasnt till later on I learned that Marc only chose my line because he said I had the biggest Breasts in the store. (God I love him for that! haha...) from that point on we were friends and that was back in....hmmm i cant remember exactly god im getting old!....well after alot of hangin out at Scotts, Marc's or my place I had a party one night and Marc seen Sandra......well all of a sudden Marc was around alot more and I cant repeat what he said when he seen her but I think we all can figure out he liked her alot....Sandra being my best friend kinda made it easier to really get to know Marc. They were great together and I thought she may have tamed his wild ways. Well... I dont think any female could tame him. As time went on and people came and went....Me and Marc were there for each other when everyone else was off doing their own thing. We became the best of friends. I owe him for protecting me when I felt scared, for taking me in when I had no where to go and for trying to teach me how to be loved.
We took care of each other over the past two years and Marc apologized to me for not getting to experience the Marc that was healthier...I think he seemed to have forgotten I have been there all along when he was sick and when he wasnt. I wouldn't want to change any of it because that is why we became such good friends.
I miss him. And not a day will go by that I won't think about him. Not a day will go by that I wished for just one more hug. And he will always be inside of my heart forever. And that is how Andrea met Marc. :-) |
|
| |
| Marc Meets Sandra |
|
|
|
|
 How can I describe the day Marc saw Sandra?...... Hmmm OK imagine the cartoon the one with I think the cat in it...and you hear that sexy background music as the sexy female cat casually strolls by....you know the one where the minute he sees her his eyes pop out of his head his ears smoke and and his heart is pounding out of his chest....that would best describe the moment. And all he could say to me is who is she? And then as he whispered in my ear and funny thing was what he said finally did come true. He knew he could win her heart. I think he wanted it that bad enough that he said to himself....if there is one thing I want its her and I will have her. They fell in lust and in love. I didnt really see it until one night we were all going out to a news years eve party at a bar. From across the room I was just watching them. They didn't know it but I was watching him looking up into her eyes and she was looking down into his they were eating ice cream together she dropped some on the front of her chest and it started to slide down he jumped up and licked it off of her before it got to her clothes. But what tripped me out the most was the way they were looking at each other. I could see nothing else but love in their eyes. It was so romantic it almost made me throw up! LOL.... just teazin sandra..... No really that moment they didnt seem like anyone else was around but them. I admired that about them. They were definitely into each other. And I know he never got over losing her too. He told me that more than once. |
|
| |
| sometime a year or so ago approx...2003 |
|
|
|
|
Creative beyond your average person.
That is one of the things others would consider it as thinking outside of the box. Marc! that was him and a perfect description at that.
I was whining one day about how i had no romance in my life. Got all depressed and went in to take a bubble bath.
When I came out of the bath about an hour later.....
Marc brought some romance to me.....not in flowers or a walk on the beach.
Marc being the goofballl he was immidiately went to work. grabbed huge pieces of poster board and then began to write on them. This is how the read...
A Panoramic Ocean View
A Large Granite Rock
A Palm Tree bending at the center hanging down.
A crab crawling across the black sands...
And he had a video in the vcr playing ????
no not what you think ha ha......
It was a video of a burning fireplace. Simulated to look like one for real.
What do you say to something like this?
He is so different and no one in the world could live up to His creativity.
Im forever altered just a little bit by his enormous heart.
He was right only the good die young.
drea |
|
| |
| The last time the persoids meteor shower was here! |
|
|
|
|
I thought I would share this little story with all of you….. The first year I lived with Marc I told him that this year was a good year to see the Persoid meteor shower. I convinced him to take me up to the cliffs in Palos Verdes, California so I could show him. I drove up because he wasn’t familiar with that part and the roads were very winding. When we got there…we are standing outside in like freezing cold weather for us Californians anyway…. It was like 60 something degrees out and he was telling me how cold weather made him have to pee… I was laughing at him and said gawd couldn’t you go before we left? So he walks behind the truck and I am standing there looking up on the back end of the truck and I didn’t notice cause my head was up that I was in his path….lol… I stepped forward and went hmmm the ground is wet right here…. Then it hit me I was like OMG Marc I yelled couldn’t you pee at the right angle….!…..Its running downhill and just then a meteor shot past into the ocean and it was sooooooooo blue….we both seen it and he was so excited he forgot to button his pants and he was jumping up and down and got so excited and kept saying how cool that was and he walks around the truck and right when a car was passing and its pitch black up there at the same time his pants fell down…..yep you guessed it…. All the way down… I started busting up laughing so hard I almost peed my pants seeing him with his tighty whiteys with someone’s bright lights on him in the middle of the wee hours of the morning…He was so embarrassed I could almost see the glow on his face….that was so fun that night we must have seen like 15 to 20 meteors….but Marc couldn’t handle the cold too long and we had to go….The next day we were out looking for a belt for him ! ahahahaha…. |
|
| |
| Sometime in January 2001 |
|
|
|
|
I can't believe I found it in all this mess!
This picture was the first picture Marc did in his
computer graphx class. I remember him showing it to
me and I loved it....so he handed it to me. I told him NO
u have to keep it! He said no since u like it so much U
keep it. im giving it to u....and i cant believe I knew right
where it was! Like he said it wasn't much but it was still
the first of many great pieces he would do....isnt it cool?
|
|
| |
| JUST BEING THERE |
|
|
|
|
Even with his health Marc still didnt let it get in the way of gettin me back up to Oregon one evening in Early October. As much as he hated driving there he was willing to for me. Only we wouldnt make the trip in time. I really was hoping my mom could meet marc. she never had. but since he was a big part of my life for so long i felt it was time. Unfortunately that drive would end with nothing but disappointment. The nigth before my mother passed away. Marc was there for it all. He was even the only person that wore a tie to her funeral. even my dad didnt! but he did it out of respect. u gotta love him for that..... |
|
| |
| February 2004 Ken...Carmen...and Carlsbad |
|
|
|
|
In February Ken and Carmen came back to California for a vacation in Carlsbad. They were staying at a lovely condo right on the beach. Marc asked me if I would go down to stay with him and his parents for a weekend. It was absolutely beautiful. The window was a beautiful view of the Beach and the Ocean. That weekend I got to experience what its like to live with such persistent parents..ha ha...Marc found it funny that I would go out with Carmen at 8 am in the morning for a brisk walk on the beach. We walked and talked about Marc's health and job searchs. I am really glad that we went to visit them that weekend. I think Marc got to spend some quality time with his mom when we took a evening walk during the sunset. Marc did really well so long as we walked slowly. I was happy to see Marc enjoying spending some time with her. Marc was concerned about Carmens health due to the recent deaths of his uncle. I wished now I would have gotten a photo of Marc and his mom that day. I trailed behind watching him with his arm around her and her explaining to him how to be successful. It brings tears to my eyes now because he really did love her for all the things she did for him. And he regretted alot of his behavior when he was a teenager growing up. I think Marc did alot of growing up that day. On our way back home from the stay I asked Marc if he would mind going back the day they were going to head back to Arkansas. At first he wasnt sure they would be there but when he found that they were there we drove up to say goodbye. On the way back from that trip Marc thanked me for making him go back once more to spend one last day with them. That would be the last time Marc would spend precious time with them. The next time he saw Carmen was when he was in the hospital and his heart condition was diagnosed.
I will never forget what a great time we had. And Alain came down as well the following evening. We all got to enjoy the weekend and the beach.
Thanks Ken and Carmen for inviting me to join the family on that awesome weekend.
|
|
| |
| February 2004 |
|
|
|
|
Marc's illness really started to affect his life by this time. He was graduating and was looking forward to actually getting paid for his work. But suddenly things changed and he had to drop his last class because he was going to be in and out of the doctors. He was diagnosed with CAD sometime in May from there his health was really starting to frustrate him. In November we were told he needed a new heart. He would only live 2 1/2 months from his final diagnosis.
He never got to see his 40th birthday.
Heart disease is a killer amoung people of all ages.
He always said live every day as if it were your last, because someday you will be right.
tell your loved ones how much you love them. And dont rely on doing it tommorow it just may never come.
|
|
| |
| January 16, 2005 |
|
|
|
|
Sunday evening Marc passed away from a broken heart...He left family and friends with a lifetime of great memories of who he was. He will B missed by many.....
R I P
Marc........
L8 |
|
| |
| For everyday that passes |
|
|
|
|
for everyday that passes
i think we all just hide the tears
better than we did the day before.
its not getting easier and the pain doesnt go away.
death doesnt hurt the one we lost it huts the ones that stay!
still miss u now more than before!
|
|
| |
| If you have any material to add to this section, please contact the
website manager.
If you are the website manager, you can enter edit mode to change the timeline
by clicking here. |
| Bring the memories home by publishing your online memorial as a genuine hardcover keepsake |
Add to favorites 
