by The Jacksonville Bar Association President Michael Freed
I had the privilege of working for, and learning from, Mark Hulsey Jr. who, at the age of 88, left the earth on July 22 to go help God run heaven.
Mark was the patriarch of Smith Hulsey & Busey, the past president of both The Jacksonville and The Florida Bars, and an amazingly accomplished attorney, community trustee and man.
Quite simply, Mark was one of the best in a community that has produced a great deal of world-class attorneys.
I offer the following list of certain qualities that made Mark the great man that he was — qualities that we each should aspire to integrate, so that we can be a bit more like Mark:
1. Respect others. Mark was a gentleman inside and out. Even in the heat of legal battles, he showed class to his opposition. He once told me (and others I’m sure), “we should be like iron fists in silk gloves — firm and forceful but with dignity and class.”
2. Look for ways to improve things. Mark was motivated to make every organization that he served better. He served many: the military (he was among the last surviving veterans of the Normandy invasion), the Jacksonville Port Authority, the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Bar, the Episcopal Church, his law firm. He sought to, and did, make each better than he found it.
3. Make family a priority. During the peak of his career, and most of his life, no one was busier than Mark. But, as his oldest son and now Circuit Judge Mark Hulsey III remarked during his father’s memorial service, “whenever I called my father at work and asked if he was busy, he would always respond ‘never too busy for you.’”
4. Be passionate about the joys of life. Sailing, literature, poetry and swimming were just a few of life’s pleasures that Mark enjoyed and shared with others.
5. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Having lost his leg to illness only months before his daughter’s wedding, he nevertheless walked her down the aisle, remarking to guests, “I knew this would be expensive but didn’t think it would cost and arm and a leg.” And he was fond of saying, “well, at least I will have one less chance of putting my foot in my mouth.” Mark loved to laugh and to disarm others by poking fun at himself.
6. Take chances. Mark went skydiving on his 80th and 82nd birthdays! He was a risktaker. He took calculated chances and lived life fully.
7. Be honest. He was honest to a fault, as I recall, even declaring the acquisition of two cigars as he went through a U.S. Customs checkpoint on his way home from a JPA trip to Cuba.
8. Devote yourself to parenting. He succeeded with his wife in instilling character in his children. He was successful, but he insisted that his children make their own way as an adult.
9. Be a true friend. Mark had many lifelong friends and many others that he met, and kept, along the way. Your problems and concerns were his. He would always be there for you in your time of need.
10. Be faithful. Mark was faithful to God and to his church with his time, his talent and his treasure. I have no doubt that he is reaping his eternal rewards.
We miss you, Mark. Thank you for your legacy and for your example.