Calvin Marcus “Mark” McCullers Jr., a 46-year-old Southern Methodist University police officer, passed away July 5 after being swept into floodwaters while working a private security job in Highland Park.

Mark was born Nov. 24, 1970 in the coastal city of Pascagoula, MS. After graduating from Bainbridge High School in Bainbridge, GA, Mark fulfilled his childhood dream and joined the United States Marine Corps in 1990.

After years of serving as an accomplished military police officer, he finished his time in the Marine Corps in 1998 and took a personal protection job for Perot Systems in Dallas where he led the way in the implementation of new security programs.

He met his wife, Tiffany, in 2009 and the two married on Feb. 2, 2012, bringing their six children together into what Mark called their “modern Brady Bunch” family.

After leaving Perot Systems in 2012, the devoted husband and father worked in personal protection for various high-profile Dallas clients such as Mark Cuban and the George Bush Library.

In each position he held, Mark was always quick to distinguished himself as a leader and left behind significant contributions by restructuring training programs and establishing new security plans.

In February 2015, he accomplished his goal of becoming a Southern Methodist University police officer.

Although he didn’t get to serve as a police officer for long, he made his mark as one of the top in the force and earned commendations of service for his work in protecting his city and the students of SMU.

Mark was the full embodiment of passion and dedication – he took pride in the badge he put on his chest each morning and he was known for accomplishing every goal he set for himself.

He was a man of steady faith and discipline, a lover of routine and a lifelong Marine. He never left the house without shined shoes, a perfectly trimmed high and tight cut or without telling his wife how much he loved her.

He is survived by his wife Tiffany McCullers, sister Denise Medina, son Cameron McCullers and his wife Natasha McCullers, son Bennett McCullers, daughter Cassandra McCullers, daughter Autumn Garrett, son Brycen Ortega, and daughter Chaney Ortega.

He is preceded in death by his mother Betty McCullers, father Calvin McCullers, and sister Lavelle Wade.

Mark will be laid to rest Monday Aug.29th at 10 a.m. at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.