Mark G. Toulouse

Mark Gene Toulouse was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on February 1, 1952. In life he was a distinguished historian, theologian, and a professional poker player, and he spent his life devoted to family as a loving husband, father, and PaPa. In the last decade of his life, he demonstrated his commitment as a loving husband through his daily, steadfast, and meticulous care of his wife, Jeffica, who is living with acute, end-stage Alzheimer's, diagnosed in 2013.

Mark died on March 2, 2025, at the age of 73 in Dallas, Texas, following a cardiac event during a hand of poker.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Orville Jack Toulouse and Joan Van-Deventer Toulouse; his brother, Stephen "Steve" Toulouse; and his nephew, Stephen "Jamie" Toulouse. He is survived by his devoted wife of 48 years, Jeffica Lynn Toulouse; his eldest Joshua Toulouse; his daughter Marcie Hunt, her husband Kevin, and their children Kylee and Gavin; his daughter Cara Wallace, her husband William, and their children Liam, Topher, Xander, and Calen. He is also survived by his late-in-life partner, Ann McDonald; his siblings, Rand Toulouse and his wife Charlene, and Joni Cleveland and her husband Dick; his sister-in-law Pam Toulouse; and an extended network of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, and dear friends.

Mark's academic journey was one of great accomplishment. He earned his PhD in the History of Christianity from the University of Chicago in 1984, studying under his life-long mentor Martin E. Marty, who preceded him in death by five days. An ordained minister for over 50 years, the majority of which was spent in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). An expert on Religion and Public Life, he was honored as the Alumnus of the Year by the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2018. He was widely regarded as a leading historian and theologian in the Disciples denomination. His career included teaching at Illinois Benedictine College from 1980-84 and Phillips Theological Seminary from 1984-86. Mark was named Emeritus Professor of American Religious History at Brite Divinity School, where he taught from 1986 to 2008 and served as Dean and Executive Vice-President from 1999-2002. He finished his career serving as Professor of History of Christianity and Principal at Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto until his retirement in 2017. While Principal at Emmanual, Mark introduced new academic programs, including the PhD degree, the MA degree, and the Certificate of Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy, all offered alongside the University of Toronto. He also led the creation of Muslim and Buddhist Studies programs. Mark was especially proud to be a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.

A prolific scholar, Mark authored or edited ten books, including Joined in Discipleship: The Shaping of Contemporary Disciples Identity, Makers of Christian Theology in America, and The Altars Where We Worship: The Religious Significance of Popular Culture. Even in his final days, he was actively engaged in theological discussions and ecumenical work, participating in the Disciples-ELCA Bilateral Dialogue in Chicago just days before his passing.

Not only was he a historian in his professional life, but he also served as the family historian tracing our ancestry back centuries. He also maintained thorough, dated files of the life of his parents, his and his sibling's childhood, his own family life, and the lives of his children and grandchildren, spending countless hours scanning those earliest photographs and films to digital files.

Mark also had a deep love for sports, which he enthusiastically passed on to his family. He loved getting to as many (MANY) of the sporting events of Josh, Marcie, and Cara when they were younger-some of which he coached-and more recently, going to as many of his grandchildren's sporting events as he could. He loved to attend and talk about TCU and professional sporting events with his family. His influence reached beyond a love of sports, considering that Cara and Josh followed in his professional footsteps-Josh as an Ordained Disciples Minister and Cara as a PhD and academic.

Mark had a competitive spirit. He showed it particularly in games with the grandchildren where he always played to win and in the daily Wordle posts, where he would make sure everyone recognized when he got the word faster than anyone else. His competitive spirit really got a chance to shine in his passion for poker. After retiring in 2017, he devoted more time to the game and achieved a lifelong dream by winning a World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit ring in November 2023. Said best by Mark himself, "Poker gave me a way to discover who I was again...With poker, and the community around it, I was working full time again, enjoying the playfulness, the competition, the community of newfound friends from a vast array of professions, backgrounds, ethnicities, and nationalities."

A visitation will be held at the W. Oliver and Nell A. Harrison Building at Brite Divinity School (2925 Princeton St., Fort Worth) on Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. The funeral service will take place at South Hills Christian Church (3200 Bilglade Rd., Fort Worth) on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., followed by a small reception. A recording of the service will be available for streaming by 7:00 p.m. that evening on South Hills Christian Church's YouTube channel. (http://www.youtube.com/@southhillschristianchurchf9022)

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mark's honor to the following organizations:

• Alzheimer's Association- https://www.alz.org/northcentraltexas

• University of Toronto, Emmanuel College, Mark G. Toulouse Fund for Global and Scholarly Engagement- https://my.alumni.utoronto.ca/s/731/start.aspx?sid=731&gid=50&pgid=12069&cid=20549&ecid=20549

• University of Toronto, Emmanuel College, Mark G. and Jeffica L. Toulouse Award in Interreligious Studies

• Disciples of Christ Historical Society- https://discipleshistory.org/

Mark's legacy of scholarship, faith, and love for his family and friends will be cherished for generations to come. His wisdom, humor, and competitive spirit will be dearly missed.