Mark J. Felton

"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I
will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

John 4:14

Water is the essence of life, and for Mark Felton it was a metaphor of his spiritual, family and professional lives.

As a dedicated Catholic Christian, Mark acknowledged water as a symbol of salvation and knowledge of the Triune God, including Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As a lifelong follower of Jesus Christ, Mark and his wife, Sue, shared and nurtured their children’s faith. He led by example and embodied the characteristics of a holy man: discipline, faithfulness, humility, love, peace and tolerance.

His dedication to hard work and discipline began at 15 years old, sweeping, warehouses at Culligan franchises owned by his father, Don. His father insisted that Mark learn the business literally from the ground up.

Mark rose to lead Culligan franchises in Northern and Central California for more than 40 years. He served the industry as a Subject Matter Expert for the California State Contractor’s license exam. He was Past President of the Pacific Water Quality Association (PWQA) and received its highest honor, the Hall of Fame Award. Mark chaired the Water Quality Association’s (WQA) Member Services and Code of Ethics committees and served on the Convention and Strategic Planning committees. A previous member of the WQA Board of Directors, he was honored with the WQA Award of Merit, the Regents Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mark was born in Los Angeles to Donald and Julie Felton. He grew up in Encino, where he attended Crespi Carmelite High School. He was active in Honor Society, debate and swim team. He attended USC, where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order and earned a degree in Finance and Management. Upon graduation from USC, Mark made the decision to join the family business which he saw as a vocation. He often proclaimed, “A higher quality of water is a higher quality of life.”

Mark met Susan Boody through mutual friends in Bakersfield in 1988 while she was visiting from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For Sue it was love at first sight. Soon after, Mark made a trip to Bethlehem where, as he later shared, he knew she was his soulmate. After several months of long-distance phone calls, Sue moved to Bakersfield, and they were married in 1990. Sue and their children, Adam, Luke, Lea, were the center of his life. The family enjoyed traveling to Luke and Lea’s club and collegiate games, as well as enjoying wonderful family vacations. Mark and Adam visited 13 presidential libraries together, and particularly enjoyed the Reagan and Bush 43 libraries.

Mark is predeceased by his father Don. He is survived by his mother, Julie, wife, Sue, children, Adam, Luke and Lea, Lea’s fiancé Gordon Ziesing, sisters Sheila (Ron Silver), Cindy-Ann and Sherri (Dean Adelizzi).

A celebration of Mark’s life will take place on Saturday, July 13, at 11a.m., at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, 5057 Cottage Way, Carmichael, CA. Blue attire is requested.

Donations in Mark’s memory can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or United Cerebral Palsy of Sacramento and Northern California.