Farm and family are the two things that drove Mark Hickmott to work hard and play hard during his full, rich, yet short, life.
‘He would sleep two or three hours a night and be perfectly content with that kind of life just to make sure we could all be happy and survive as a family,? said son Devon Hickmott, who noted his father worked 20 hours a day between his job at the gravel pit and his passion farming hay.
Even Hickmott’s final resting place in the North Oxford Cemetery is a fitting tribute to that which he loved so dearly, so unconditionally.
The 45-year-old lifelong Oxford resident is now buried in two acres of land he once farmed, two acres his mother had donated to the township cemetery.
‘Mark, he lived the farm, it was in his soul,? said Debbie, his wife of 22 magical years. The couple met in the third grade at Leonard Elementary and graduated together from Oxford High School in 1979.
In a tragic accident Oct. 10, Hickmott drowned when the floating dredging machine he was operating in an American Aggregates gravel pit just south of Oakwood Rd, west of M-24, capsized in approximately 115-120 feet of water.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration.
A funeral procession that included 25 tractors and approximately 165 vehicles lined Oxford Road Saturday as the community said goodbye to a man who touched many lives while wearing his Carhartts.
‘I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,? said Debbie, of her husband’s funeral which was attended by somewhere between 600 and 650 people. ‘You could feel it. There was an air of love and joy.?
Hickmott was a man who befriended many with his generous spirit and open mind.
‘I don’t think my dad had any enemies at all,? Devon said. ‘Every person he met he made it a point to become a friend, no matter who they were, no matter what others thought of them.?
‘He never judged a soul,? Debbie noted. ‘You could feel it when you met him that Mark was a genuine, sincere, hard-working man he was. He was so respected.?
While most people call each other neighbor, Mark Hickmott lived the word.
‘Mark was there at everyone’s beck and call without even a thought that it wasn’t convenient for him,? Debbie said. ‘If somebody called here after he put in 20-some hours of work, Mark was there. Tractor or truck stuck in the mud, cow’s having a calf, whatever it was, he was there.?
‘He would give and never ask for anything back,? Devon said.
‘He had a heart of gold and basically would give the shirt off his back to you,? said longtime friend Brad Horton. ‘He would do anything for anybody.?
Although his body worked 10 hours a day in a gravel pit, Hickmott’s heart was always in the field, cutting and baling hay on some 300 acres, most of which he rented, but he worked it as though it was all his. ‘He loved the smell of dirt, the feel of dirt, being on his tractor,? Debbie said.
‘The most special times of his life were when he was out here on our farm,? Devon said.
Even after he and his brother Paul Hickmott dissolved the dairy farm they grew up on and inherited from their father, Hickmott bought back much of equipment after it had been sold at auction. ‘It was in his blood and he could not get away from it as hard as he tried,? Devon observed.
‘My husband was known as what they used to call the gentleman farmer,? Debbie said with pride in her voice.
The image most people remember when they think of Hickmott is him riding down the road on his tractor, wearing his Carhartts, smiling and waving to all he passed.
As hard as he worked, Hickmott always made time for his wife and family, whether it was dinner-for-two at restaurant to ‘reconnect? as a couple or a big family trip up north to do some motorcycling.
‘We were so close and so loving,? Debbie said. ‘I’m so blessed that I now have those memories.?
Paul recalled how close his sons, Ryan and Jason, were to their ‘Uncle Mark? and what an ‘immense role he played in their lives.?
‘He was to more school activities for my children than I was,? he said. ‘I never resented it, I was glad he was there.?
‘He would have been a great grandfather,? Paul added.
Although he possessed the body of an adult, Hickmott’s spirit was a playful one.
On Devil’s Night, he loved to let his inner child out by shooting off rockets and chasing his nephews off the roof. While most fathers would have probably been upset if their kids blew up some old propane tanks for fun, Hickmott was excited ? after all, he suggested it.
‘He was a kid until the day he died,? said Paul with a grin.
Hickmott is survived by wife Debbie and sons Devon and Justin. He was the brother of Linda Hickmott and Paul (Paula) Hickmott; son-in-law of Vera and the late James; brother-in-law of Larry (Phyllis), Lonnie (Cathy), Jim (Beth), Jeff Frost. Hickmott was the uncle of Jennifer, David, Jeff, Lisa, Jonathan, Sarah, Theresa, Carrie, Rebekah, Amy, Daniel, Stacy, Jason, Kelli, and Ryan. And great uncle of Katie and Jacob. Hickmott was the son of Beryle and the late Ralph.
Funeral service was Saturday, October 14 at the Modetz Funeral Home in Orion. Interment was at North Oxford Cemetery. Memorials to the family in care of Debbie for a future memorial are appreciated.