Mark Canavan

Mark Gregory Canavan passed on February 19, 2025, at UNM Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico surrounded by his wife and children following a long battle with cancer treatment-related ailments.

Mark was the youngest brother of Chris and Neil, and born in New Hempstead, New York on May 30, 1962, to Gregory Lincoln Canavan and Jean Johnston Canavan. The family lived in New York until 1965 when they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In his youth, Mark was restless, extremely bright, and had an aptitude somewhere in the gifted range for getting in trouble. He had a particular bias for the sort of "fun" activities that could result in serious bodily harm or run-ins with the law. A particular fire he set comes to mind. As does getting himself shot at (but just the once). Yet, somehow, he survived.

After high school, Mark studied music and physics at Bard College at Simon's Rock and the University of New Mexico. However, his restlessness persisted, and he dabbled in a variety of career paths including exploring the music industry with his guitar, working in the oil fields of Montana, modeling, sales, and eventually learning to stay out of trouble; thereby earning the survival skills that would serve him for the rest of his life.

After some trial and error, Mark wrangled his restlessness by directing his sharp intellect and adjusted his aptitudes to follow his father's footsteps into the finance industry in 1989. Without any formal academic training in the industry, he arguably mastered the world of institutional investing across multiple asset classes including real estate, infrastructure, timber, agriculture, environmental restoration, energy, and pioneered water investments. The bulk of his career was spent at the New Mexico Education Retirement Board, where he delivered immense value to the pension system for nearly two decades, before retiring as a Director of the Real Return Group in August 2024. After retirement, he was excited to take his skillset to Innoven Energy as the VP of Business Development. As described by colleagues, Mark had an uncanny ability to discern good deals from bad and was admired for his unrelenting conviction to fight for what he believed was right, even when confronted by a dissenting, prevailing opinion. As put by one colleague, "He had a legendary BS detector, a tool he used quite successfully on me more than once," and all BS aside, he could be pretty damn funny.

Eventually, Mark's finance career took him to the World Trade Center in New York City. During his time in New York, he met his devoted wife, Asli Kiran - in a dental emergency. He had an abscess, she was a dentist. He was charming, she was cute. What the hell - Mark was never one for propriety. They began dating and shortly before 9/11, he moved back to New Mexico to be closer to his daughter, Natalie. Soon after, Asli followed him to the Land of Enchantment where they married, bought a house, planted approximately 30 rose bushes, and welcomed their daughter, Melissa.

As a father, Mark loved fiercely. Regardless of the endeavors his girls embarked on, he was their number one supporter, immersing himself in their interests to give him a better basis to understand whatever topic was at hand. His support was unwavering, never conditional or judgmental. He shared his love of travel, nature, gardening, baking, and comedy (and the list goes on) with his family, encouraging his daughters to live life to the fullest, both personally and professionally.

Mark will be remembered as a devoted husband, loving father, and genuine friend and is deeply missed.

Mark is preceded in death by his parents, Gregory and Jean, and brother, Chris. Mark is survived by his loving wife, Asli, their daughter, Melissa, daughter Natalie, and husband Jantzen of Fort Worth, TX. He is also survived by his brother Neil, wife Dani, and stepchild, Phoenix of Brooklyn, NY, sister-in-law Mary, of Las Cruces, NM, and her children Allie and Ian of Seattle, WA, and cousin Gregory and his children Heather and John of Albuquerque, NM. As for the house with all the rose bushes - those survive as well.

A celebration of life will be held for Mark on Saturday, March 15th, 2025, at 9:00 am at French Funerals and Cremations - Wyoming.