In Memory of Mark James Christie
(28/10/1961 - 12/01/2025)
It still feels surreal to think that someone as vibrant as Mark Christie is no longer with us. Sometimes, life brings you the most wonderful people, only to have them taken away far too soon. My thoughts are especially with his family as I continue to remember Mark and celebrate his incredible generosity and his infectious passion for learning and life.
I was so fortunate to have known Mark, even sharing the skies with him above Darwin in his Ultralight plane – an experience that led to an episode of Courageous Dialogues. It was a true privilege to connect with him both in the air and on the podcast, where we explored the realities of delivering and supporting education across the Northern Territory, from the challenges of satellite internet and cloud technology in remote areas to the inspiring ways teachers adapted and grew with technology during COVID. We also touched on crucial considerations for school security and the unique educational offerings for students in the NT's far-reaching communities.
Beyond our shared love of aviation and insightful conversations, I knew firsthand the deep importance he placed on family, especially through our shared niece and nephew. His belief in the power of education to reach every student was truly inspiring.
Mark’s memory undoubtedly lives on in the hearts of all who knew him. Mark, you are so missed.
Joe Christie's full tribute here:
My dad loves acronyms, and by far his favourite one was FAIR (Fun, Aspiration, Inspiration and Respect). Mark Christie was many different things to many different people throughout his life: an officer, a consultant, a business owner, a public servant, an educator, a photographer, a traveller, a pilot and a friend; but in everything he did, he was consistently fun, aspirational, inspirational and respectful. What he put above all of that was being a family man. Every wedding anniversary/birthday dad would take mum and I to different parts of the world, exploring new cultures, meeting new people and being curious about everything and anything we didn’t understand. He gave me the spark of adventure, a thirst for knowledge and taught me that in everything I do, I should follow in his footsteps and try to be FAIR. Yet what made him a great father is the simple act of always [being] there for me. He never missed a basketball game, he showed up to every rowing regatta, listened to every violin recital and made sure he was there to be my biggest supporter through every high and low. The true richness of a person is not the treasures they possess, but the mark they leave on the world, and I can say with confidence through the outpour of love shown by family and friends that the world was a better place because Mark Christie was in it. In the end, I can take solace in the fact that dad passed away doing what he loved. For all that knew him, he lives on in us, in the fun we have, in our aspirations to do better, in our ability to inspire others and in the respect we show each other.
