William “Mark” Leazure

On May 23, 1961, during the first quarter of the moon, bits of stardust clung together and began to fall toward the earth in the form of a little boy. From that moment, the boy instinctively knew he would always be subject to the Earth’s gravitational forces; surely if he didn’t act immediately, he would vaporize upon entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. Suddenly time mattered; he began to gather all the “space junk” to form a heat shield for protection. He landed at High Camp on Mount Denali. He was thirsty.

He found an abandoned campsite and collected lumps of charcoal, still untarnished. He crawled to a stream but sensed it might be polluted. Using his diaper, he formed a cone, placed the charcoal inside first, handfuls of gravel next, then layers of grass on top. Twisting it into a funnel, he was able to drink clean, filtered water from the bottom. Hmmm…there had to be a better way.

He stepped back 36 inches from the water source and began digging a hole with a hardwood branch. He knew he had to dig at least two feet to reach the underground source, knowing the deeper he went, the cleaner the water would be. He dug furiously until suddenly he popped up in Little Rock, Arkansas!

Or, maybe not. You just never knew with Mark and his fantastical stories. He had 23,477 days to go…. He wanted everyone to know, or at least consider a few things he learned the hard way:

(1) Don’t try to save a few cents and buy the Bar X brand of hotdog wieners –

just splurge and get a Costco hotdog and drink for $1.50;

(2) Maybe it’s better to run away from a burning plane than run toward it;

(3) Most importantly, if you find yourself anxious, stressed, or feel “the weight of the world on your shoulders,” start reading the Bible. Check the past prophesies if you want; at 100%, that’s better than any odds you’ll get in Vegas. The remaining +/- 250 or so are already in progress.

Then take that leap of faith and believe, truly believe. Follow the instructions and get your irrevocable one-way ticket to the Kingdom of God. The Great Physician will answer all of your prayers, perform miracles in your life daily, and heal you.

My beautiful husband Mark was a catcher of whales and spinner of tales;

He had the largest of hearts, he was the sum of all parts.

A master of jokes, the source of all pokes.

The best of all friends, til’ his time with us ends.

The oldest of souls, yet he never grew old.

I tell you all, the most loyal, funny, and brave man broke free from this world and is with his Heavenly Father, and I am honored and blessed to have been his girl. Save me a seat, honey.

William “Mark” Leazure, age 64, passed away on Monday September 1, 2025. He was a proud service member of the United States Navy, as a Corpsman. A true public servant, immediately following the Navy, served as an EMT and transitioned to teach other first responders how to save lives. Family and friends would call him with “symptoms”, and he would offer his advice, which was always spot on. Just don’t ever call him for fashion or cooking advice, you’d soon look like a nerd on the Leazure diet.

Mark is survived by his loving wife, Kim Leazure; daughters, Nicole Leazure and Natalie Leazure Hull; grandchildren, Kaylyn, Kylie, Kenley, and Landon; brother, Michael Leazure; and numerous four- legged children who are grieving him terribly right now: his best friend in the world Henry, (Mark & Henry were attached at the hip and Henry cries all night for his Papa), Pepper Kate, Lucy Goose, Freckles, Harley, Marley, Angel, Billie, Cookie, (all rescues) and recently two rescued baby kittens: Miracle and Sunshine.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Jerry A. Leazure and Mrs. Martha Murphree Shafarman; and his brother, Tony Leazure.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to help Shelby County Humane Society, 381 McDow Road, Columbiana, AL 35051 or visit www.shelbyhumane.org to donate online. You can also look around and donate to specific programs and they have an Amazon Wishlist, as well.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 10:30 AM at Charter Funeral Home in Calera, Alabama, followed by a service around 11:15 AM (2521 Highway 31, Calera, AL 35040). Burial services will be held Thursday, September 11, 2025, in Southern Heritage Cemetery at 2 p.m.

Charter Funeral Home directing services.