Mark Thomas Galyean

Mark Thomas Galyean, age 74, entered into eternal rest at 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, after a valiant nine-hour fight for his life in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Christus Highland Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

Mark was born in Opelousas, Louisiana on November 6, 1949. This is where Mark grew up going to school and working in his family’s printing business, Marcann, Inc., a nationally recognized, super-graphics and display printing company. He is an alumnus of Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport with a degree in History. After almost 3 decades at Marcann, Inc., Mark served as a department manager with Louisiana Economic Development in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Next, he joined the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at UL Lafayette where he progressed to Louisiana SBDC Service Center Director. He then moved to the Shreveport/Bossier City area to take a Regional Director position with the Louisiana SBDC network. Following his retirement from state service in 2016, he founded Mark Galyean & Associates, LLC, a business consultancy. He also served on the Louisiana SBDC Advisory Board. Mark had a passion for helping small and medium-sized businesses prosper. He was a proud veteran, having served, with distinction, as a member of the Louisiana Air National Guard, 159th Fighter Group. On November 6, 2017, Mark married Gladys “GiGi” Courvelle in Harrison, Arkansas.

Mark was inherently inquisitive, and he had a broad knowledge of many topics. He had the uncanny ability to recall specific times and dates of significant events in history and to describe them with detailed accuracy. In his retirement, besides being a husband, the greatest joy in Mark’s life was riding his bicycle and he rode 20-25 miles a day 5-6 days a week up until the week prior to his passing. He loved traveling, and he had a lifelong passion for motorcycles, cars, and aviation. His interests also expanded to world and national events, geopolitical matters, engineering, health, medicine, trends in education and technology, reading fiction (sci-fi) and non-fiction books, graphic arts and so much more. He loved tinkering with his bicycles and cars in his workshop. 

Mark was preceded in death by his father, William Thomas Galyean, and his beloved mother, Rose Winnefred Gormley Galyean. He is survived by his wife, “GiGi”; his stepdaughter and her partner, Crystal Love Hughes and Paul August Thomas II., and his step-granddaughter, Alexandra Ruby Thomas. Their lives have been profoundly touched and forever changed for having known Mark and they will miss him immeasurably and love him for all of eternity. Mark is also survived by his two sisters whom he deeply loved, Roseanne Galyean Mitchell (Bob) and Mary Galyean; his niece Alexandra “Allie” Olivier and his nephew, Quentin Olivier. Mark’s three ginger tabby kittens, Kathyrn “Kitty Angel” Galyean, Treat, and Trick are inconsolable. 

“GiGi” is grateful for the outpouring of love, support, and patience during this difficult time. Memorial services to honor Mark’s life will be held in Bossier City, LA, and Lafayette, LA in the near future, announcement to come. 

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