Wendy and I were colleagues in a large company. We met at corporate training and got along like a house on fire. Later, though we were states away from each other, we kept in contact afterwards, sharing progress reports, as we had both taken over offices that were in trouble financially. We both did very well, rising to the top ten of many offices across the country. She was fun, had a light heart and a good mind, and we appreciated one another. I punched her up when she was having a bad day and vice versa. I was lucky to have a comrade in a very competative company. When we won performace awards, no one cheered louder for us than each other, and to hell with corporate banquet manners.
Less than two years later, there came a time when I had very serious reasons to believe our company was doing some very serious financial shenanigans, reasons which can't be gone into here, but which were borne out in the years to come through TV and journalistic investigations. In a nutshell, I knew what was coming in from our efforts and what was being paid out and things were way off, hugely off. Wendy was the person I spoke with to share my concerns and review the numbers. I'd hoped she'd find I'd made a mistake, but she didn't. She was very worried too and understood what I said. When I took my concerns to management, hoping to be shown I was wrong, I was soon after let go. I do not know if Wendy ever acted on our shared concerns, but as you'll see below she was a woman of conscience and she probably had a good and long think.
In June of 2011, on the anniversary of Wendy's passing, a gent who (besides her husband) was probably Wendy's closest friend contacted me because of having seen this memorial. Father Bill Quinlivan, a priest who also sings, writes and records music contacted me to tell about their friendship, and about Wendy's last moments with us. He wrote:
The day Wendy passed away, she was on an airplane, sitting next to her friend, Karen. She has just attended morning Mass and gone to confession, and said to friends "I'm just going to be docile to the Holy Spirit!" At the airport, she told one friend who was flying on a separate plane to New York before meeting up in Rome, "See you in paradise!" However, on the flight, she suddenly turned to Karen and asked her "Do you see the angels?? They're beautiful.... flying all around us..." then laid her head on Karen's shoulder and died. My song in her memory says "Lord, won't you give me a glimpse of Wendy's Angels?"
Father Bill kindly shared that song with me to be added to Wendy's memorial:
WENDY'S ANGELS
by Fr. Bill Quinlivan
REFRAIN:
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse..of Wendy's Angels?
I want to see the colors she spoke of...
on the day you took her home...
With a prayerful sigh....I can see her hands lifted high...
Carried on a 'wing and a prayer'.... by Wendy's Angels!
Lord, you gave us more than a missionary,
more than a poor man's friend...
More than a tragic statistic...
who met an un-timely end
She was more than a gifted servant,
more than a Mercy touch
How she loved to embrace
your transfiguring grace
That would open her heart in Trust!!!
She was more than a wife and mother,
shared with a world in need...
more than a fragile daughter....
but strong-in-a-storm....
and quick to intercede...
She was more like a flash of light'ning
praying for us into the night
May we never forget
the consolation she'd get
that "what is hidden will come into the light!"
Lord you gave us more than a Voice of Mercy
More than a song...
A powerful instrument
of your compassion
A glad tambourine when our faces were long....
You gave her more than a heart for healing,
consoling the young and the old...
May time never erase
the scent of your grace
ev'ry time her story's told.....
FINAL REFRAIN:
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse of Wendy's Angels?
I wanna see the colors she spoke of…
On the day you took her home…
With a prayerful sigh...
I can see her hands lifted high
Carried on a wing and a prayer.
She was carried on a wing and a prayer,
Yea, she was carried on a wing and a prayer
By "Wendy's Angels."
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse
Of Wendy's Angels?
[© Fr. Bill Quinlivan, All rights reserved. Permission granted for use here.]
Here's a song Wendy had a hand in writing:
All I Ever Wanted
By Wendy Marks, w/new lyrics by Fr. Bill and Heather Schieder
Lord, take my heart, my innocence and laughter
Everything I am... I offer now to you.
Lord, take my life, I give it to you freely
That I may know your calling... in everything I do.
(Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to be close to you.
Lord, take my heart, shattered all to pieces
I stumble through my day,
There's nothing more than I can do.
Jesus, heal my soul, it's battle-scarred and wounded.
So hold me in your arms, Lord
Because my only hope is you.
(Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to be close to you.
Lord, I need you now. I'll never take for granted
Your grace that brings me joy,
It makes me love to live for you!
Lord, you know my heart, so send me on a mission
To praise you in all ways
So I can sing my song for you.
(Final Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to live and die for you
O let me live and die for you,
Forever be close to you!
[© Fr. Bill Quinlivan, All rights reserved. Permission granted for use here.]
_____________________________________
The Buffalo News - Sunday, June 18, 2000
Wendy Rose Marks, 39, of Buffalo, a missionary, died Tuesday (June 13, 2000) in Jamaica Hospital in Queens.
Born Wendy Rose Ostrander in Auburn, Mrs. Marks grew up and attended school in Marcellus. She graduated from Marcellus Central High School in 1978 and received a bachelor of science degree in science and sociology from Fredonia State College in 1982.
She and her husband, Leonard, moved to Buffalo from Long Island in 1989. Mrs. Marks worked for a Buffalo telemarketing company when she arrived in Buffalo.
In 1994, she became a St. Luke's Mission of Mercy missionary. A gifted vocalist, she was the leader and a featured singer with the Voices of Mercy, a contemporary musical ensemble based at St. Luke's. She was an advocate for single mothers and their children and also counseled the heartbroken and homeless. She reached out to teenagers throughout the Buffalo Diocese.
Mrs. Marks was on an airplane en route to the international Eucharist Congress in Italy when she went into cardiac arrest. The trip was a gift from friends and colleagues in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.
In addition to her husband of 17 years, she is survived by two sons, William and Peter; her parents, James and Margaret McNally of Marcellus; a sister, Lindy Drapikowski, and a brother, Joel McNally , both of Marcellus.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 7 p.m. Monday in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, 1300 Sycamore St. Burial will be in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Marcellus.
_____________________________________
WENDY O. MARKS
Wendy Ostrander Marks, 39, of Buffalo, formerly of Marcellus (NY), died Tuesday while traveling.
She lived many years in Marcellus before moving to Long Island in 1983 and to Buffalo in 1990. She was a graduate of Marcellus Central High School and the State University College at Fredonia. She worked many years as an office manager in Buffalo, and at Tripli A Quant Deck Electronics, Long Island. She was a missionary at St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, Buffalo, where she was director of evangelization, a confirmation teacher and a Eucharistic minister. She was a member of the Charismake Board of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, the Central City Vicariate, the Retrovaille Team and the Voices of Mercy.
Survivors: Her husband, Leonard M.; two sons, William D. and Peter M., both at home; her parents, Margaret and James McNally of Marcellus; a sister, Lindy M. Drapikowski of Howlett Hill; a brother, Joel A. McNally of Onondaga Hill; her maternal grandmother, Gladys Clarke of Skaneateles; her paternal grandmother, Lucille McNally of Syracuse.
Services: 7 p.m. today in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, 1300 Sycamore St., Buffalo, and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in St. Francis Xavier Church, Marcellus. Burial, St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Calling hours, 4 to 6 p.m. today in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy and 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Ryan Funeral Home, 44 E. Main St., Marcellus.
Contributions: Wendy Marks Children's Fund, in care of Key Bank, Box 193, Marcellus 13108.
Less than two years later, there came a time when I had very serious reasons to believe our company was doing some very serious financial shenanigans, reasons which can't be gone into here, but which were borne out in the years to come through TV and journalistic investigations. In a nutshell, I knew what was coming in from our efforts and what was being paid out and things were way off, hugely off. Wendy was the person I spoke with to share my concerns and review the numbers. I'd hoped she'd find I'd made a mistake, but she didn't. She was very worried too and understood what I said. When I took my concerns to management, hoping to be shown I was wrong, I was soon after let go. I do not know if Wendy ever acted on our shared concerns, but as you'll see below she was a woman of conscience and she probably had a good and long think.
In June of 2011, on the anniversary of Wendy's passing, a gent who (besides her husband) was probably Wendy's closest friend contacted me because of having seen this memorial. Father Bill Quinlivan, a priest who also sings, writes and records music contacted me to tell about their friendship, and about Wendy's last moments with us. He wrote:
The day Wendy passed away, she was on an airplane, sitting next to her friend, Karen. She has just attended morning Mass and gone to confession, and said to friends "I'm just going to be docile to the Holy Spirit!" At the airport, she told one friend who was flying on a separate plane to New York before meeting up in Rome, "See you in paradise!" However, on the flight, she suddenly turned to Karen and asked her "Do you see the angels?? They're beautiful.... flying all around us..." then laid her head on Karen's shoulder and died. My song in her memory says "Lord, won't you give me a glimpse of Wendy's Angels?"
Father Bill kindly shared that song with me to be added to Wendy's memorial:
WENDY'S ANGELS
by Fr. Bill Quinlivan
REFRAIN:
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse..of Wendy's Angels?
I want to see the colors she spoke of...
on the day you took her home...
With a prayerful sigh....I can see her hands lifted high...
Carried on a 'wing and a prayer'.... by Wendy's Angels!
Lord, you gave us more than a missionary,
more than a poor man's friend...
More than a tragic statistic...
who met an un-timely end
She was more than a gifted servant,
more than a Mercy touch
How she loved to embrace
your transfiguring grace
That would open her heart in Trust!!!
She was more than a wife and mother,
shared with a world in need...
more than a fragile daughter....
but strong-in-a-storm....
and quick to intercede...
She was more like a flash of light'ning
praying for us into the night
May we never forget
the consolation she'd get
that "what is hidden will come into the light!"
Lord you gave us more than a Voice of Mercy
More than a song...
A powerful instrument
of your compassion
A glad tambourine when our faces were long....
You gave her more than a heart for healing,
consoling the young and the old...
May time never erase
the scent of your grace
ev'ry time her story's told.....
FINAL REFRAIN:
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse of Wendy's Angels?
I wanna see the colors she spoke of…
On the day you took her home…
With a prayerful sigh...
I can see her hands lifted high
Carried on a wing and a prayer.
She was carried on a wing and a prayer,
Yea, she was carried on a wing and a prayer
By "Wendy's Angels."
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse
Of Wendy's Angels?
[© Fr. Bill Quinlivan, All rights reserved. Permission granted for use here.]
Here's a song Wendy had a hand in writing:
All I Ever Wanted
By Wendy Marks, w/new lyrics by Fr. Bill and Heather Schieder
Lord, take my heart, my innocence and laughter
Everything I am... I offer now to you.
Lord, take my life, I give it to you freely
That I may know your calling... in everything I do.
(Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to be close to you.
Lord, take my heart, shattered all to pieces
I stumble through my day,
There's nothing more than I can do.
Jesus, heal my soul, it's battle-scarred and wounded.
So hold me in your arms, Lord
Because my only hope is you.
(Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to be close to you.
Lord, I need you now. I'll never take for granted
Your grace that brings me joy,
It makes me love to live for you!
Lord, you know my heart, so send me on a mission
To praise you in all ways
So I can sing my song for you.
(Final Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to live and die for you
O let me live and die for you,
Forever be close to you!
[© Fr. Bill Quinlivan, All rights reserved. Permission granted for use here.]
_____________________________________
The Buffalo News - Sunday, June 18, 2000
Wendy Rose Marks, 39, of Buffalo, a missionary, died Tuesday (June 13, 2000) in Jamaica Hospital in Queens.
Born Wendy Rose Ostrander in Auburn, Mrs. Marks grew up and attended school in Marcellus. She graduated from Marcellus Central High School in 1978 and received a bachelor of science degree in science and sociology from Fredonia State College in 1982.
She and her husband, Leonard, moved to Buffalo from Long Island in 1989. Mrs. Marks worked for a Buffalo telemarketing company when she arrived in Buffalo.
In 1994, she became a St. Luke's Mission of Mercy missionary. A gifted vocalist, she was the leader and a featured singer with the Voices of Mercy, a contemporary musical ensemble based at St. Luke's. She was an advocate for single mothers and their children and also counseled the heartbroken and homeless. She reached out to teenagers throughout the Buffalo Diocese.
Mrs. Marks was on an airplane en route to the international Eucharist Congress in Italy when she went into cardiac arrest. The trip was a gift from friends and colleagues in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.
In addition to her husband of 17 years, she is survived by two sons, William and Peter; her parents, James and Margaret McNally of Marcellus; a sister, Lindy Drapikowski, and a brother, Joel McNally , both of Marcellus.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 7 p.m. Monday in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, 1300 Sycamore St. Burial will be in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Marcellus.
_____________________________________
WENDY O. MARKS
Wendy Ostrander Marks, 39, of Buffalo, formerly of Marcellus (NY), died Tuesday while traveling.
She lived many years in Marcellus before moving to Long Island in 1983 and to Buffalo in 1990. She was a graduate of Marcellus Central High School and the State University College at Fredonia. She worked many years as an office manager in Buffalo, and at Tripli A Quant Deck Electronics, Long Island. She was a missionary at St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, Buffalo, where she was director of evangelization, a confirmation teacher and a Eucharistic minister. She was a member of the Charismake Board of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, the Central City Vicariate, the Retrovaille Team and the Voices of Mercy.
Survivors: Her husband, Leonard M.; two sons, William D. and Peter M., both at home; her parents, Margaret and James McNally of Marcellus; a sister, Lindy M. Drapikowski of Howlett Hill; a brother, Joel A. McNally of Onondaga Hill; her maternal grandmother, Gladys Clarke of Skaneateles; her paternal grandmother, Lucille McNally of Syracuse.
Services: 7 p.m. today in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, 1300 Sycamore St., Buffalo, and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in St. Francis Xavier Church, Marcellus. Burial, St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Calling hours, 4 to 6 p.m. today in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy and 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Ryan Funeral Home, 44 E. Main St., Marcellus.
Contributions: Wendy Marks Children's Fund, in care of Key Bank, Box 193, Marcellus 13108.
Wendy and I were colleagues in a large company. We met at corporate training and got along like a house on fire. Later, though we were states away from each other, we kept in contact afterwards, sharing progress reports, as we had both taken over offices that were in trouble financially. We both did very well, rising to the top ten of many offices across the country. She was fun, had a light heart and a good mind, and we appreciated one another. I punched her up when she was having a bad day and vice versa. I was lucky to have a comrade in a very competative company. When we won performace awards, no one cheered louder for us than each other, and to hell with corporate banquet manners.
Less than two years later, there came a time when I had very serious reasons to believe our company was doing some very serious financial shenanigans, reasons which can't be gone into here, but which were borne out in the years to come through TV and journalistic investigations. In a nutshell, I knew what was coming in from our efforts and what was being paid out and things were way off, hugely off. Wendy was the person I spoke with to share my concerns and review the numbers. I'd hoped she'd find I'd made a mistake, but she didn't. She was very worried too and understood what I said. When I took my concerns to management, hoping to be shown I was wrong, I was soon after let go. I do not know if Wendy ever acted on our shared concerns, but as you'll see below she was a woman of conscience and she probably had a good and long think.
In June of 2011, on the anniversary of Wendy's passing, a gent who (besides her husband) was probably Wendy's closest friend contacted me because of having seen this memorial. Father Bill Quinlivan, a priest who also sings, writes and records music contacted me to tell about their friendship, and about Wendy's last moments with us. He wrote:
The day Wendy passed away, she was on an airplane, sitting next to her friend, Karen. She has just attended morning Mass and gone to confession, and said to friends "I'm just going to be docile to the Holy Spirit!" At the airport, she told one friend who was flying on a separate plane to New York before meeting up in Rome, "See you in paradise!" However, on the flight, she suddenly turned to Karen and asked her "Do you see the angels?? They're beautiful.... flying all around us..." then laid her head on Karen's shoulder and died. My song in her memory says "Lord, won't you give me a glimpse of Wendy's Angels?"
Father Bill kindly shared that song with me to be added to Wendy's memorial:
WENDY'S ANGELS
by Fr. Bill Quinlivan
REFRAIN:
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse..of Wendy's Angels?
I want to see the colors she spoke of...
on the day you took her home...
With a prayerful sigh....I can see her hands lifted high...
Carried on a 'wing and a prayer'.... by Wendy's Angels!
Lord, you gave us more than a missionary,
more than a poor man's friend...
More than a tragic statistic...
who met an un-timely end
She was more than a gifted servant,
more than a Mercy touch
How she loved to embrace
your transfiguring grace
That would open her heart in Trust!!!
She was more than a wife and mother,
shared with a world in need...
more than a fragile daughter....
but strong-in-a-storm....
and quick to intercede...
She was more like a flash of light'ning
praying for us into the night
May we never forget
the consolation she'd get
that "what is hidden will come into the light!"
Lord you gave us more than a Voice of Mercy
More than a song...
A powerful instrument
of your compassion
A glad tambourine when our faces were long....
You gave her more than a heart for healing,
consoling the young and the old...
May time never erase
the scent of your grace
ev'ry time her story's told.....
FINAL REFRAIN:
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse of Wendy's Angels?
I wanna see the colors she spoke of…
On the day you took her home…
With a prayerful sigh...
I can see her hands lifted high
Carried on a wing and a prayer.
She was carried on a wing and a prayer,
Yea, she was carried on a wing and a prayer
By "Wendy's Angels."
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse
Of Wendy's Angels?
[© Fr. Bill Quinlivan, All rights reserved. Permission granted for use here.]
Here's a song Wendy had a hand in writing:
All I Ever Wanted
By Wendy Marks, w/new lyrics by Fr. Bill and Heather Schieder
Lord, take my heart, my innocence and laughter
Everything I am... I offer now to you.
Lord, take my life, I give it to you freely
That I may know your calling... in everything I do.
(Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to be close to you.
Lord, take my heart, shattered all to pieces
I stumble through my day,
There's nothing more than I can do.
Jesus, heal my soul, it's battle-scarred and wounded.
So hold me in your arms, Lord
Because my only hope is you.
(Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to be close to you.
Lord, I need you now. I'll never take for granted
Your grace that brings me joy,
It makes me love to live for you!
Lord, you know my heart, so send me on a mission
To praise you in all ways
So I can sing my song for you.
(Final Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to live and die for you
O let me live and die for you,
Forever be close to you!
[© Fr. Bill Quinlivan, All rights reserved. Permission granted for use here.]
_____________________________________
The Buffalo News - Sunday, June 18, 2000
Wendy Rose Marks, 39, of Buffalo, a missionary, died Tuesday (June 13, 2000) in Jamaica Hospital in Queens.
Born Wendy Rose Ostrander in Auburn, Mrs. Marks grew up and attended school in Marcellus. She graduated from Marcellus Central High School in 1978 and received a bachelor of science degree in science and sociology from Fredonia State College in 1982.
She and her husband, Leonard, moved to Buffalo from Long Island in 1989. Mrs. Marks worked for a Buffalo telemarketing company when she arrived in Buffalo.
In 1994, she became a St. Luke's Mission of Mercy missionary. A gifted vocalist, she was the leader and a featured singer with the Voices of Mercy, a contemporary musical ensemble based at St. Luke's. She was an advocate for single mothers and their children and also counseled the heartbroken and homeless. She reached out to teenagers throughout the Buffalo Diocese.
Mrs. Marks was on an airplane en route to the international Eucharist Congress in Italy when she went into cardiac arrest. The trip was a gift from friends and colleagues in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.
In addition to her husband of 17 years, she is survived by two sons, William and Peter; her parents, James and Margaret McNally of Marcellus; a sister, Lindy Drapikowski, and a brother, Joel McNally , both of Marcellus.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 7 p.m. Monday in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, 1300 Sycamore St. Burial will be in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Marcellus.
_____________________________________
WENDY O. MARKS
Wendy Ostrander Marks, 39, of Buffalo, formerly of Marcellus (NY), died Tuesday while traveling.
She lived many years in Marcellus before moving to Long Island in 1983 and to Buffalo in 1990. She was a graduate of Marcellus Central High School and the State University College at Fredonia. She worked many years as an office manager in Buffalo, and at Tripli A Quant Deck Electronics, Long Island. She was a missionary at St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, Buffalo, where she was director of evangelization, a confirmation teacher and a Eucharistic minister. She was a member of the Charismake Board of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, the Central City Vicariate, the Retrovaille Team and the Voices of Mercy.
Survivors: Her husband, Leonard M.; two sons, William D. and Peter M., both at home; her parents, Margaret and James McNally of Marcellus; a sister, Lindy M. Drapikowski of Howlett Hill; a brother, Joel A. McNally of Onondaga Hill; her maternal grandmother, Gladys Clarke of Skaneateles; her paternal grandmother, Lucille McNally of Syracuse.
Services: 7 p.m. today in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, 1300 Sycamore St., Buffalo, and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in St. Francis Xavier Church, Marcellus. Burial, St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Calling hours, 4 to 6 p.m. today in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy and 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Ryan Funeral Home, 44 E. Main St., Marcellus.
Contributions: Wendy Marks Children's Fund, in care of Key Bank, Box 193, Marcellus 13108.
Less than two years later, there came a time when I had very serious reasons to believe our company was doing some very serious financial shenanigans, reasons which can't be gone into here, but which were borne out in the years to come through TV and journalistic investigations. In a nutshell, I knew what was coming in from our efforts and what was being paid out and things were way off, hugely off. Wendy was the person I spoke with to share my concerns and review the numbers. I'd hoped she'd find I'd made a mistake, but she didn't. She was very worried too and understood what I said. When I took my concerns to management, hoping to be shown I was wrong, I was soon after let go. I do not know if Wendy ever acted on our shared concerns, but as you'll see below she was a woman of conscience and she probably had a good and long think.
In June of 2011, on the anniversary of Wendy's passing, a gent who (besides her husband) was probably Wendy's closest friend contacted me because of having seen this memorial. Father Bill Quinlivan, a priest who also sings, writes and records music contacted me to tell about their friendship, and about Wendy's last moments with us. He wrote:
The day Wendy passed away, she was on an airplane, sitting next to her friend, Karen. She has just attended morning Mass and gone to confession, and said to friends "I'm just going to be docile to the Holy Spirit!" At the airport, she told one friend who was flying on a separate plane to New York before meeting up in Rome, "See you in paradise!" However, on the flight, she suddenly turned to Karen and asked her "Do you see the angels?? They're beautiful.... flying all around us..." then laid her head on Karen's shoulder and died. My song in her memory says "Lord, won't you give me a glimpse of Wendy's Angels?"
Father Bill kindly shared that song with me to be added to Wendy's memorial:
WENDY'S ANGELS
by Fr. Bill Quinlivan
REFRAIN:
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse..of Wendy's Angels?
I want to see the colors she spoke of...
on the day you took her home...
With a prayerful sigh....I can see her hands lifted high...
Carried on a 'wing and a prayer'.... by Wendy's Angels!
Lord, you gave us more than a missionary,
more than a poor man's friend...
More than a tragic statistic...
who met an un-timely end
She was more than a gifted servant,
more than a Mercy touch
How she loved to embrace
your transfiguring grace
That would open her heart in Trust!!!
She was more than a wife and mother,
shared with a world in need...
more than a fragile daughter....
but strong-in-a-storm....
and quick to intercede...
She was more like a flash of light'ning
praying for us into the night
May we never forget
the consolation she'd get
that "what is hidden will come into the light!"
Lord you gave us more than a Voice of Mercy
More than a song...
A powerful instrument
of your compassion
A glad tambourine when our faces were long....
You gave her more than a heart for healing,
consoling the young and the old...
May time never erase
the scent of your grace
ev'ry time her story's told.....
FINAL REFRAIN:
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse of Wendy's Angels?
I wanna see the colors she spoke of…
On the day you took her home…
With a prayerful sigh...
I can see her hands lifted high
Carried on a wing and a prayer.
She was carried on a wing and a prayer,
Yea, she was carried on a wing and a prayer
By "Wendy's Angels."
Lord, won't you give me a glimpse
Of Wendy's Angels?
[© Fr. Bill Quinlivan, All rights reserved. Permission granted for use here.]
Here's a song Wendy had a hand in writing:
All I Ever Wanted
By Wendy Marks, w/new lyrics by Fr. Bill and Heather Schieder
Lord, take my heart, my innocence and laughter
Everything I am... I offer now to you.
Lord, take my life, I give it to you freely
That I may know your calling... in everything I do.
(Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to be close to you.
Lord, take my heart, shattered all to pieces
I stumble through my day,
There's nothing more than I can do.
Jesus, heal my soul, it's battle-scarred and wounded.
So hold me in your arms, Lord
Because my only hope is you.
(Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to be close to you.
Lord, I need you now. I'll never take for granted
Your grace that brings me joy,
It makes me love to live for you!
Lord, you know my heart, so send me on a mission
To praise you in all ways
So I can sing my song for you.
(Final Refrain)
All I ever wanted, was to serve you Lord
All I ever needed was to live and die for you
O let me live and die for you,
Forever be close to you!
[© Fr. Bill Quinlivan, All rights reserved. Permission granted for use here.]
_____________________________________
The Buffalo News - Sunday, June 18, 2000
Wendy Rose Marks, 39, of Buffalo, a missionary, died Tuesday (June 13, 2000) in Jamaica Hospital in Queens.
Born Wendy Rose Ostrander in Auburn, Mrs. Marks grew up and attended school in Marcellus. She graduated from Marcellus Central High School in 1978 and received a bachelor of science degree in science and sociology from Fredonia State College in 1982.
She and her husband, Leonard, moved to Buffalo from Long Island in 1989. Mrs. Marks worked for a Buffalo telemarketing company when she arrived in Buffalo.
In 1994, she became a St. Luke's Mission of Mercy missionary. A gifted vocalist, she was the leader and a featured singer with the Voices of Mercy, a contemporary musical ensemble based at St. Luke's. She was an advocate for single mothers and their children and also counseled the heartbroken and homeless. She reached out to teenagers throughout the Buffalo Diocese.
Mrs. Marks was on an airplane en route to the international Eucharist Congress in Italy when she went into cardiac arrest. The trip was a gift from friends and colleagues in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.
In addition to her husband of 17 years, she is survived by two sons, William and Peter; her parents, James and Margaret McNally of Marcellus; a sister, Lindy Drapikowski, and a brother, Joel McNally , both of Marcellus.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 7 p.m. Monday in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, 1300 Sycamore St. Burial will be in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Marcellus.
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WENDY O. MARKS
Wendy Ostrander Marks, 39, of Buffalo, formerly of Marcellus (NY), died Tuesday while traveling.
She lived many years in Marcellus before moving to Long Island in 1983 and to Buffalo in 1990. She was a graduate of Marcellus Central High School and the State University College at Fredonia. She worked many years as an office manager in Buffalo, and at Tripli A Quant Deck Electronics, Long Island. She was a missionary at St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, Buffalo, where she was director of evangelization, a confirmation teacher and a Eucharistic minister. She was a member of the Charismake Board of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, the Central City Vicariate, the Retrovaille Team and the Voices of Mercy.
Survivors: Her husband, Leonard M.; two sons, William D. and Peter M., both at home; her parents, Margaret and James McNally of Marcellus; a sister, Lindy M. Drapikowski of Howlett Hill; a brother, Joel A. McNally of Onondaga Hill; her maternal grandmother, Gladys Clarke of Skaneateles; her paternal grandmother, Lucille McNally of Syracuse.
Services: 7 p.m. today in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, 1300 Sycamore St., Buffalo, and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in St. Francis Xavier Church, Marcellus. Burial, St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Calling hours, 4 to 6 p.m. today in St. Luke's Mission of Mercy and 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Ryan Funeral Home, 44 E. Main St., Marcellus.
Contributions: Wendy Marks Children's Fund, in care of Key Bank, Box 193, Marcellus 13108.
