W. Mark Houston 1956-2006

IRWIN, HOUSTON

Posted By: michael (email)
Date: 4/21/2006 at 13:09:17

W. “Mark” Houston, 49, 85 N. Westminster died peacefully Thursday, April 20, 2006 at his home of cancer.

Memorial Services will be held Saturday, April 29, 2006 at 2pm at St. Mark’s Methodist Church with Rev. John Caldwell officiating. Burial will be Oakland Cemetery at later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Pathways or Iowa City Hospice. Arrangements are with Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service.

Mark was born September 14, 1956 in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Walter and Peggy Irwin Houston. On August 17, 1984 he married Alison Aldrich in Raytown, Missouri.

Mark received his Bachelors degree and Masters degree in educational measurement from the University of Missouri. He had taught high school in Kabool, Missouri and had been an actuary with Blue Cross- Blue Shield. In 1984 he and his family moved to Iowa City. In 1988 he received PhD in measurement and statistics from the University of Iowa. Mark received the American Psychological Assn. Award for the most outstanding dissertation in 1989. He had been a statistician for ACT for 10 years. Because of a disability he retired in1997.

Mark was a member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, the American Psychological Assn., the Psychometric Society, the American Educational Research Assn. and the National Council on Measurement in Education. He had volunteered over 1000 hours at the UIHC Cancer Information Clinic.

Mark is survived by his wife, Alison; his son Erik; his parents, Walt and Peggy Houston of Kansas City, MO., his brother, David of Independence, MO; his grandfather, Fred Irwin of Kansas City, MO; his father-in-law, Phil Aldrich of Independence, MO.; sister-in-law, Kim and Lad Litton of Lees Summit, MO.; and brother-in-law, Steve and Tasha Aldrich of Lawrence, KS; his aunt and uncle, Shirley and Bill Anderson of Sun City, AZ.; nieces and nephews, Ashley, Elizabeth, MacKenzie, Carlie and Kody.

He was preceded in death by his brother Jeff and mother-in-law Sylvia Aldrich.

Online condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.com