Mark Feely's Obituary
Mark Douglas Feely, 58, passed away at his home in Tallahassee, Florida on June 26th 2022. Mark was born in Birmingham, Alabama on December 9th 1963 to Eddie and Myra Feely. He spent his childhood in Merritt Island, Florida prior to moving with his family to Fort Walton Beach. He attended Choctawhatchee High School from 9th-11th grade. Following his father’s high school coaching career, the family moved to Gainesville, Florida where Mark later graduated from Buchholz High School in 1982. Earning a football scholarship, Mark attended Carson Newman University until his Florida roots called him home and he transferred to Florida State University. He graduated from FSU in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education before earning his Masters in Educational Leadership Administration in 2000.
Mark, or “Coach Feely” as most knew him, was an integral part of youth athletics in the Tallahassee community. From 1985-1999, he coached football at Godby High School fulfilling roles as Head J.V. Coach, Varsity Special Teams Coordinator, Offensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach before earning the head coaching position. Under his leadership as Offensive Coordinator, the team won state in 1986 and 1987. In 2000, Mark was welcomed into the Leon High School Family. While there he served as a coach in football, golf, track and field, and weightlifting. He was also a school administrator as Dean of Students and Athletic Director before retiring at the end of the 2022 school year. Some of his greatest honors include induction into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2016) and the Leon High School Football Hall of Fame (2019). The impact Mark had on those he coached and mentored not only included students, but also the up-and-coming next generation of coaches and teachers.
Above all else, Mark was a family man. One of his greatest joys was spending time at his mother’s beach house on Anna Maria Island. With friends and family at his side, they enjoyed watching beautiful sunsets and sharing stories. He was married to wife Candace (Scawthorn) for 32 years. Together they had four children and two grandchildren.
On February 24, 2009, Mark was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, multiple myeloma, and given a prognosis of only 36 months. A fighter with a set of milestones he wanted to achieve, Mark was able to call each of his children’s names at their Leon High School graduation, walked his only daughter down the aisle at her wedding, and became a “Popi” to two beautiful grandchildren.
Mark is survived by his wife Candace, daughter Ashlynne Langford (James), sons Eric, Ryan and Drew, his grandchildren Hartley and Caul Langford, mother Myra Feely, brothers Nick Coullias (Karen) and Kent Feely, sisters Aida Coullias (Steve) and Myra Leigh Ellenburg (Keith), mother-in-law Mary Ann Scawthorn, as well as many other nieces, nephews, cousins and family members.
Mark is preceded in death by his father Hugh “Eddie” Feely, uncle Robert “Bobby” Feely, “Otra Mama” Sherwin Preston, and father-in-law Norman “Scrappy” Scawthorn.
In Mark’s honor, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Leon High School Football (550 E. Tennessee Street, Tallahassee, Florida, 32308) or Big Bend Hospice (1723 Mahan Center Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida, 32308).
Mark loved life and lived every minute to the fullest. Mark’s motto he lived by was, “People take the time to do the things that are important to them.”
Mark’s celebration of life will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday July 9th 2022 at City Church, 3215 Sessions Road, Tallahassee, Florida, 32303. Lifesong Funerals and Cremations, Tallahassee, Florida (850) 765-3190 is in charge of arrangements.
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