The Passing of a Giant — Mark Houston

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Mark David Houston, died suddenly on February 19, 2010. He was 63.

Mark was born in Iowa on October 14, 1946. One of four boys, Mark spent his childhood years working on his family’s farm in Corydon, Iowa. Mark’s accomplishments include: U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran, BA – University of South Dakota, Director of Admissions – La Hacienda Treatment Center, Hunt, Texas, CEO – Burning Tree, Kaufman, Texas In July of 2006, Mark founded the Mark Houston Recovery Center (MHR) outside of Austin, Texas in order to provide a safe and secure environment in which he could lead adult men out of the debilitating grip of drug and alcohol addiction, and into lives of permanent sobriety and abundance.

In October of 2009, Mark opened a similar facility for women outside of Austin. Mark’s vision spread throughout recovery circles worldwide. He was called upon to speak and do workshops on the 12 Steps throughout the United States and Europe. In 2004, Mark co-authored a book called “A Twelve Step Journey to Self-Transformation” which is a recant of his personal experiences in working the 12 Steps with a man named Floyd. Mark continued to work directly with alcoholics and addicts, as well as their families, on an individual basis both in his community and at MHR until his death. Mark will be well remembered for devoting his life to ending the suffering of alcoholics, addicts, and their families.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Charles Houston and Iola Marlus Johnson Houston. He is survived by his son, Chad Winters; aunt, Lavonne Skiye; brother Earl Torger Houston and wife Jane; brother Richard Lowell Houston and wife Pamela; brother, Nels John Houston; and cousin, Grant Jordan and wife Martha. In lieu of flowers, kindly donate to your local intergroup chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous.

There will be a memorial service for Mark Houston on Sunday, February 28, 2010, from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Austin Music Hall, 208 Nueces St., Austin, TX 78701.

Post Script: The Southern Ontario Cocaine Anonymous Convention was fortunate to have Mark Houston speak at their 2009 Convention. Here are two outstanding messages of hope and recovery delivered by Mark Houston.

Mark H. (Texas) 10, 11 & 12 Launching Pad to the 4th Dimension

Mark H. (Texas) Keynote Speaker

 

35 thoughts on “The Passing of a Giant — Mark Houston”

  1. Mark & I shared the same sobriety date, just different years. Mine was October 19, 1987, his October 19, 1982… i am from Austin Texas & Mark used to tell me time & time again, “Shannon, you do what’s in the Big Book & everything else in your life is Gods deal!” Ex. the house i live in, the job i have, etc, etc, etc… He was so right! After 23 years sober. It was a few months after Mark died, i took my life & my will back! Said later! to my sponsor & walked away from AA… I experience 14 years of a darkness & hell i knew not existed! Then in January of 2024 an old friend in the program found me & saved my life! I am almost 1 year sober, and i will continue to practice, practice & practice working the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous for the rest of my life! Life is large & profoundly magical! You ring in my ears Mark. Thank you! P.S. I am curious as to how the very large sign i made out of metal for the “Joe Hawk Hall” is holding up? XOS

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  4. My name is Mark and I’m an alcoholic. I just wanted to personally thank Mark Houston. I found more than I ever knew AA had to offer by being led by God to find his tapes. To the day I still call Mark my Spirit Sponsor. I try to give back what was so freely given to me by sharing the message of how to recover that our Book and Mark so expertly presented. I am not popular and some meetings I am the only one with a Big Book and Recovery has never been as exciting as it is right now. The message of Mark is the purity contained in the first 164, the authenticity recipie. I cannot thank Mark and AA enough so I keep coming back to give back what was so freely given to me. Show up and you’ll see miracles, stick around and you become the miracle. That’s how Mark did it, that’s how Mark does it. By the grace of God, one day at a time.

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  6. it’s 2023. 13 years after his passing, he’s still inspiring people. his speaks helped me through relapse, helped me see my delusions, changed the way i work the steps and helped start a passionate fire in my heart for the program.
    Thank you for your inspiration Mark, I hope your teachings live forever, inspire millions to come and keep your memory alive.

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  7. Mark, I sit here in stillness of grace as I thank you for you. I thank you for your experience and knowledge that others are still carrying .

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  8. I’m 16 + years sober and discovered Mark’s tapes just recently. Wonderful and powerful speaker and what a privilege to be able to listen to his strong message. May his dear soul rest in peace – to live on in the hearts of those left behind is not to die. xxx

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  9. I listened to one of his videos, and it was rather long. It challenged thinking in many ways, which I appreciate that. However, his overall message did not resonate with me too much, and that is not to say it wasn’t or ISN’T, still valuable. Just wasn’t for me, didn’t reach me where I live. Nevertheless, he must be a giant among men re. his personal journey and how he reached out to others and affected positive change.

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  11. Thank you Mark for sharing everything. And thank you all that made it possible for me to listen to everything here in Finland.

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  12. I want to thank all the tapers who recorded the words of Mark Houston so that we, who have found a deeper recovery, could benefit from his wisdom and deep spirituality. Thank you tapers.

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  13. I stumbled onto Marks tapes on YouTube this year while in a treatment place in Scottsdale Az. I was 2 weeks in and getting more lost listening to some people in treatment that were there because they had no place to go but they had big opinions on why aa doesn’t work. After the 2 week what they called the blackout period I was given my phone back a couple hours a day. One evening I was fumbling through YouTube when I fell upon his last tapes. I listened to his approx. 10 hour seminar on going through the 12 steps of aa the old school (right) way. I still listen to him over and over. Like I said Amazing and I am truly grateful I stumbled upon his readings. Now when I walk into the rooms of as I am not lost or confused and I can get what I need to be there for. My hopeless state of mind and body through the decease of alcoholism/addiction. Mark you are truly living on!!! “Thank You GOD”!!!

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  14. Does anyone have the hand out sheets that Mark H. used to hand out at his workshops? I would love to get hold of a set for myself and my sponsees. Thank you, Ray Jeffers

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  15. Just listed to a tape of Mark again..we r blessed we can still hear the message from him..he was very important to me in early sobriety for me. I’m now 17 years sober.. amazing but know I can go right back if I don’t do the work..Mark was en think is a great motivator for me to keep my sanity. Love from Amsterdam the Netherlands. Monica

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  16. Today is the belly button birthday of Mark Houston. 10/14/19. Mark would have been 73 today. I was listening to his last talk and then realized that today was his birthday. Love you Mark. Rest in Peace.

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  17. Hello, I am an Al-Anon member and have listening to Mark on You Tube. I would like to tell you how much his tapes are helping me. Thank you!

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  19. I’m 4 years into recovery in the uk, and can honestly say that after 3 years of living in torture sober, discovering Mark’s speaker tapes and you tube recordings, my recovery has transformed. His experience and understanding have been priceless to me, saved me from myself, and made me a useful member of aa these days. And I’ve only just scratched the surface :-)

    Truly inspirational, even long after he has passed. No doubt still helping many on another parallel plane

    Truly grateful

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  20. An amazing speaker who told it like it is. What a contrast to people today that say we can’t mention God to the newcomer. My experience is that if we lie to the newcomer we end up burying the newcomer.

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  21. Thanks for posting this. Mark was huge in my and many other’s recovery here in San Diego. Check out this link for additional relatively recent Mark recordings on the 12 steps of AA and recovery. They are inspirational and inspired by a Higher Power he called God. Thanks Mark!
    http://sandiegoawakenings.com/speakers.html

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  22. I miss Mark especially today on the anniversary of his passing. Mark was my last sponsor, but in a way he was my mentor from the beginning as he helped me greatly with information he emailed me on the importance of Steps 10 and 11. Yes Mark was a Giant in AA he encouraged and helped others to continue to see where other spiritual teachers were right.

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    1. I’m just now listening to Mark H’s shares on youtube and feel privileged to get to experience his wisdom even years later.

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      1. Hi Mark, dropping you an email now, wow Marks hand all over this . Must be God job as the odds of me coming here to see your reply without any notifications are ridiculous!

        Reply

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