Robert Mark Blakeburn, 71, known to all as Mark, died January 10, 2021. Mark was a long-time employee of the Cumberland Presbyterian Bookstore in Memphis, Tennessee, and was a member of Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Bartlett, Tennessee. He is brother to the Reverend Larry Blakeburn (Presbytery of East Tennessee) and son of the late Reverend Roy Blakeburn, once Stated Clerk of the Cumberland Presbyterian Denomination. His wife is Leslie Frances Blakeburn.

Mark was born to Roy and Wiletta Blakeburn November 2, 1949. He graduated from Bethel College (now university) in 1971 and received a Masters Degree in English from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) in 1980. He did his doctoral studies at the University of Mississippi.

Besides working for the Cumberland Presbyterian Resource Center, Mark was an instructor for Lane College (Jackson, Tennessee), the University of Memphis, Shelby State Community College (Memphis), and Arkansas State University Mid-South (West Memphis, Arkansas) among others. While teaching for Olive Branch High School in Mississippi, Mark was recognized as teacher of the year in 1989.

Marks articles appeared in various periodicals academic journals including the Tennessee Philological Bulletin and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. He also crafted crossword puzzles which appeared in the New York Times, Dell Champion Crossword Puzzles, Tough Puzzles, Crossword Magazine, H as in Habile, and various crossword books from Simon & Schuster. In 2007, Mark published his own crossword book, Memphis in Puzzles.

This article is incomplete. More information will be added as it becomes available.