Mark Gregory Molzon, 68, passed away Aug. 31, 2024, at Riverview Medical Center.
Mark was born July 30, 1956, in Red Bank and would tell you that the best people were born in July.
He enjoyed a happy childhood in Lincroft and attended St. Leo the Great School. He graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in 1974 and briefly attended St. Michael’s College in Vermont before beginning his working career in the shipping industry in Chicago. He spent nearly a decade in Chicago working for ACL, Hapag-Lloyd, and Proteus. Eventually, Mark left the shipping industry to return home to work for his family business, Molzon Landscape Nursery.
For many years, Mark led the Christmas tree operations at the garden center and once even managed to secure a visit from Santa Claus and his reindeer. In fact, Santa Claus was a personal friend of Mark’s and even gave Mark his telephone number. Mark always loved talking with customers and sharing his knowledge of practical gardening advice.
Rugby was Mark’s favorite sport, and he enjoyed playing for a few different clubs in Chicago, as well as the Monmouth Rugby Football Club. He crushed many an opponent on the rugby field. He was an active, long-time member of the Red Bank Elks Lodge #233 and performed a lot of charity work through them. He was the king of selling raffle tickets. He also loved music – particularly the Grateful Dead – politics, and the New York Giants.
Mark had a wonderful sense of humor and always attempted to make people smile with a joke. He had many friends, and all who were lucky to be Mark’s friends would concur that he truly was a loyal and devoted friend himself.
Mark was immensely proud of his eight nieces and nephews and 12 grand-nieces and nephews, all of whom agree with Mark’s self-proclaimed title, the “Greatest Uncle in the Entire World.” He was a kid at heart and, in fact, was proud to carry a “License to be a Kid” which was bestowed upon him by his nieces and nephews.
Mark was predeceased by his parents, Henry and Dorothea Molzon née Deisler. He is survived by his siblings, Robert Molzon and his wife Terri, Paul Molzon and his wife Jean, Faith Fernandez and her husband Richard, and Gerald Molzon and his wife Jacqueline, as well as his nieces and nephews, Alexis, Claire, Paul, Katherine, Susan, Corey, Stephen and Michael, and 12 grand-nieces and nephews.
A memorial gathering was held Sept. 5 at the Holmdel Funeral Home, Holmdel. A memorial Mass was offered Sept. 6 at St. Leo the Great Church, Lincroft.
In lieu of flowers, it was Mark’s wish that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org or Shriners Children’s Hospital at shrinerschildrens.org.
The article originally appeared in the September 19 – 25, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
