Obituary

Born in Port Angeles, WA to Bill and Donna Hubner, Mark and his family moved to Ferndale in 1953 with the opening of the Mobil Oil Refinery. Joining multitudes of other young families, the Seamount neighborhood was chock full of kids where lifelong friendships formed. He picked up a guitar in fourth grade and never put it down again. High school was a combination of growing his passion for rock n roll, not making the baseball team, and growing his curly hair that along with his lean body, earned him his nickname, Scrub.

The summer of ’69 saw Scrub head to California with his band, the Hen House Door, hoping to be the next Buffalo Springfield but alas, he was drawn back home to pursue a promising relationship with his future wife, Vicki (Vaughn) Hubner, and became an education major at Western Washington State College.

Scrub’s teaching career started in Coulee Dam, WA and continued with Bellingham School District teaching at Fairhaven Middle School, Bellingham, Sehome and Squalicum High Schools for the next 30 years. Retirement from Bellingham wasn’t retirement from teaching as he taught a year in Laughlin, Nevada and then Nooksack Valley Schools and finally, a 5-year stint at Bellingham Technical College. In addition, he coached tennis and cross country while also advising the knowledge bowl team at BHS, winning the state title the year BHS re-opened after it’s remodel. Scrub found his calling in teaching, connecting with students of all interests as he integrated his love of music, books, writing, trivia, games, and sports into the classroom.

No one who knows Mark can dispute what made him “Scrub”. With his guitar, he grew up singing the songs he heard from his brother’s record of the month club and then moved on to the songs that defined the rock n roll era of his high school years. Earning the nickname of The Human Jukebox, Scrub entertained literally countless people over the years who became loyal fans. Rarely could anyone find something that he couldn’t play and sing when requesting songs within the Top 40 from 1955-1975.

Singing with his daughter Meg, joining the trivia teams with his son Tim, and traveling, hiking, and birdwatching with his wife Vicki were at the top of the list of favorite things until his granddaughter Frankie came along. She captured his heart and gave him a whole new reason to sing and play games. Frankie will be teaching her little sister Lou the songs Bobbi sang to her.

Scrub is survived by his wife Vicki, his children Meg (Travis Cooley), Tim (Michelle Hubner), grandchildren Frankie and Lou, brother Jon Hubner, brother-in-law Jeff Vaughn and his wife Linda, and numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews all of whom he loved very, very much.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday August 13^th starting at 3pm at the Fisherman’s Pavilion, 2599 S. Harbor Loop Dr, at Zuanich Point.

In leu if flowers, please make any donations to the Whatcom Hospice House at 2806 Douglas Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225. They are truly an invaluable resource for our community.