William Iary Marks

William Iary Marks was known as Mr. Christmas in Allen Park.  He was well known and loved for his Christmas Display that he started at his home in Allen Park in 1973.  He started out with one little church and some carolers that grew into a huge display with thousands of lights – from Santa – a candy kitchen and a church in which people got married.  Thousands of people would visit the display from Thanksgiving Day until January 3 ^rd each year.   The Allen Park Police would turn their Dasher Street into a one way street to control the flow of traffic.  Some days, you would have to park blocks away.  Bill and Donna and Santa (Herman), would pass out boxes of candy to the seniors that would come by bus.  In some years, toys were given out.  Bill and Donna touched the hearts of so many people. Bill and Donna were getting up there in age and setting up the display was beginning to be a lot of work for them.  They started putting up the display in August so that they could open on Thanksgiving Day. Their display remained open through 2006 when Bill’s brother Herman passed away from a long illness.

William is one of eleven children.  He had eight brothers and 2 sisters.  His younger brother Kenneth is his only surviving sibling and lives in Arizona.  He has been married to Donna West for 65 years and together they have four children; Leah Dunstan from Tennessee, Robin Bourdlais from Newberry, MI; Donna who passed away in 1993 and William (Kristal) Marks of Allen Park.  He also has 4 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren and with one on the way, soon to be 9.

Bill was a steel hauler for 17 years before becoming self-employed in his painting and wall washing business until he retired in 2000.  He loved country music and polkas.   He became ill in August 2014 with emphysema and COPD and was hospitalized off and on for 5 months.  He fought every day to get better but finally gave up his fight at 1:25pm on December 16 with his loving family by his side.

Visitation will be 3-8pm Friday, December 19, 2014.