Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

Page 3 Sigma Phi Epsilon I n recognition of his decades of service to SigEp and Florida Alpha, the AVC has voted to honor Mark Warner '76 with a special wall in the Alumni Room that will be named the Mark Warner Wall of Fame. A centerpiece of the wall will feature a resolution from the National Headquarters describing Mark's many years of service to SigEp. The wall will also display plaques and other documents honoring others who have made a significant impact on the Fraternity. Mark, who pledged SigEp in 1972, has probably held more alumni leadership positions than anyone in the history of Florida Alpha. Not just a member of the board of what was then called the Housing Corporation, Mark has served as its President, Treasurer, and Secretary. And, for several years, he edited the Gator Heart newsletter. And, since the Alumni Room was opened in 1993, Mark has been its only Chairman. But the word "Chairman" is hardly adequate to describe his involvement and dedication to "the room." Mark, along with his best friend, Jeff Wilson '76, led the campaign to raise the money for the room's design, construction, and furnishings. Their efforts helped build one of the most unique spaces in any fraternity house anywhere: a space created exclusively for alumni and their guests. Jeff recalls that he, Mark, and Gary Specie '75 originated the idea of the Alumni Room. "We needed a safe place to store our 'Dear Old Fraternity's' history and paraphernalia and to keep it away from other marauding fraternities," Jeff said. Jeff correctly points out that Mark became our "first and maybe the only" Alumni Room Chairman. "From the beginning, Mark diligently collected Alumni Room dues, bought and brought refreshments and food, and cleaned up and locked up the doors after every home game and special function, always with his wife, Suzanne, by his side," Jeff said. Mark even made sure that the children of the visiting alumni and their guests had a place to play. For over 27 years, Mark has been the guy who made sure the room would always be a very special, respected, and welcoming oasis for alumni and their friends. And, for all those years, Mark jealously guarded the room with its many trophies, mugs, paddles, and other memorabilia on display in the room. One alumnus remembers when a decision was made to allow the active brothers to use the room to recruit a very special group of freshmen. Mark warned that it was not a good idea, but permission was given with a promise from the Chapter President that there would be no food, drinking, or smoking the room. Concerned, Mark set his clock for 1 a.m. and went to the house to find that those promises had not been kept. He was not a happy camper. Mark says, "It only happened once on my watch, and I made sure it would never happen again." Day or night, 24/7, Mark made sure the room would be a place about which all could be proud. Former AVC President Bryson Ridgway '05 put it this way, "Mark was the AVC Treasurer when I first met him. I don't know if he loved being Treasurer, but it was evident that he loved Florida Alpha. And, whether he was the AVC President or Alumni Room Chairman, all that mattered to Mark was what was best for Florida Alpha. Florida Alpha is special because of brothers like Mark Warner." In December of 2019, he wasn't feeling well and realizing "something just wasn't right." Mark went to his doctor and was diagnosed with serious heart issues and underwent emergency open heart surgery—a quadruple bypass. It was only then that he decided he would retire from his decades of service to Florida Alpha. Mark stays busy as president of his company, American Stone Products, which he founded in 2010. He has had many years' experience working in the family concrete products business since "forever," Mark says. In 1976, Mark's father had a heart attack and Mark left UF to help run the family concrete products business. Even before returning to Gainesville in 1986, Mark has been actively involved in leadership roles for the Fraternity. Brother Jeff summed up Mark's service to Florida Alpha this way, "It was, and is to this day, a very special blessing for the Florida Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon brotherhood that Mark returned to the hometown of his college days. There isn't a Florida Alpha alumni brother anywhere who deserves this long overdue honor. Mark, above most, knows the true meaning of HFF." Fraternally, Al Alsobrook '60, Editor Introducing the Florida Alpha Alumni Room MARK WARNER WALL OF FAME Mark, who pledged SigEp in 1972, has probably held more alumni leadership positions than anyone in the history of Florida Alpha.

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