THE LIFE OF MARK ARSTALL - March 9th 1956 - March 20th 2019 - A Natural Undertaking

THE LIFE OF MARK ARSTALL

    March 9th 1956 – March 20th 2019

Mark’s Early Life

•   Mark Edwin Arstall was born
    in Urmston on the 9th March
    1956
•   He was the third son of Eddie
    and Joan and younger
    brother to Peter and Paul

Mark’s Childhood
           •   Mark’s whole family was musical
               and he was no exception- he
               started violin aged 4 & piano at 5
           •   He was a serious & academic
               boy who used to wake his father
               up at 6am to play chess
           •   He performed exceptionally in
               entrance exams to win a place at
               Manchester Grammar School
           •   He also loved public transport,
               especially buses on which he did
               his homework!

Loughborough University
•   In 1974 Mark started studying Transport Management & Planning at
    Loughborough University of Technology
•   He also continued with his love of music performing on piano for a
    production of Sweeney Todd as well as at church services
•   Whilst at Loughborough he met his future wife Jane, who was a year
    below and studying Psychology
•   Coincidentally the two met on a Methodist Society student radio
    programme, their son Tim now works for BBC Radio!

Marriage
•   Reluctant to part ways after
    Mark graduated the two
    decided to tie the knot 6
    weeks before he left.
•   Mark married Jane at Trinity
    Methodist Church in 1977, her
    final year at university
•   In 1978 their first child Ruth
    was born and they spent their
    early years as newlyweds
    living in Loughborough

Move to Birmingham
•   The family moved to Birmingham in 1980
    as Mark trained to be a Maths teacher
•   It was at this time they started attending
    Cambridge Rd Methodist Church,
    where the family have been going ever
    since
•   During this time Mark also recaptured
    his first love of music, becoming the
    organist at Cambridge Road

The 1980s
            •   Despite his young age, Mark
                became a reliable & responsible
                father
            •   With Jane & Ruth he enjoyed
                many holidays as a young family
            •   As Ruth got older her musical
                talent began to flourish, as Mark’s
                had before and the two grew
                closer as a result of this and their
                shared love for astronomy
            •   In 1988 Mark also achieved a 1st in
                Maths from the Open University

The 1990s
        •   As time passed Mark drifted away from
            teaching and trained as a computer
            programmer within the civil service
        •   He thrived in this role until his unit was
            privatised. Although Mark had the
            chance to stay on he chose to resign on
            principle.
        •   However good news wasn’t far away as
            Mark and Jane’s son Tim was born in
            1995
        •   Mark embraced his role as father and
            worked part-time looking after Tim,
            spending many happy days together

The 2000s
•   As the new millennium dawned Mark felt
    he needed a new challenge and
    moved to Berkswell C of E as Music
    Director
•   In 2002 he finally began to pursue his
    dream of becoming a full time musician,
    a feat which he achieved and
    continued until the end of his life
•   He launched the Low Key Music School
    at Cambridge Road on a Saturday (the
    name reflecting his approach) as well as
    teaching pupils at Hall Green Church
    and Our Lady of Lourdes School

The 2000s ctnd.
         •   Mark ran the group Musicians in Harmony,
             accompanied the Fellowship Singers of Shirley,
             was involved in Hall Green Choral Society &
             gave recitals for many years at Hall Green
             and elsewhere.
         •   In 2015 he moved from Berkswell to
             Handsworth St Marys
         •   Sadly in February 2017 he was diagnosed with
             oesophageal cancer, he bravely faced up to
             his illness and continued teaching right up to
             December 2018, singing in Hall Green Choral
             society one week after discharge from
             hospital
         •   On the morning of March 20th 2019 he
             peacefully passed away at home surrounded
             by his family