Mark Bair

Mark Hartsook Bair was born on January 18,1955 in Eureka, California to Alfred Houle and Delyte Hartsook. He was the youngest of four children. He grew up with his siblings, Bess, Steven, and Jeff, in Arcadia, California. After divorcing, his mother Delyte married Thomas Bair, who adopted all four children. The family moved to Elverta, California, where Mark learned how to become a skilled rancher on the family ranch. He earned a first place in livestock handling at the state fair. Mark was also very proud of earning his black belt in Kempo Karate. Mark graduated from Rio Linda High School in 1974, where he made life-long friendships.

Mark began his long career in law enforcement with the Sacramento County Sheriff's, before moving to Folsom Prison as a correctional officer. While at Folsom Prison he also became part of the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team (SERT). He retired from Folsom Prison after 25 years of service as an Armory Sergeant. In retirement Mark gained a new partner, an eight-month-old white German Shepherd, Bear. Together they joined search and rescue groups CARDA and SAR to assist law enforcement in recovery efforts of the lost or missing. With Mark's dog Bear's retirement, Mark joined Native Sons of the Golden West, where he got the opportunity to show off his grilling and kitchen skills serving the community of El Dorado County.

In 2017 Mark met the love of his life, Debbie Burns. A year and a half later, they married overlooking beautiful Lake Tahoe. Mark and Debbie built their dream home together in the hills of Placerville. During this time together they enjoyed trips to Carmel, Little River, Puerta Vallarta, and Tahiti. They enjoyed time together cooking, canning, gardening, and playing with the dogs, Bear and Sirena.

In the last year of his life, Mark battled mobility issues, along with other health conditions. He passed away on February 14, 2026, at home with his family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA)
via VENMO - @CalifRescueDog