2023 West Volusia Veteran Free Roof Winner

For the third year in a row, Beery Roofing & Redesign LLC gave away a free roof to a local veteran. The contest ran Oct 1 – 31. All of the qualified nominees’ names were placed in a Beery Roofing & Redesign hat on Veterans Day. The winner’s name was drawn and announced at Rotaract’s fourth annual Veterans Day Cornhole Tournament. The winner for the 2023 Veterans Day FREE roof contest is U.S. Army veteran Howard Mark. Howard’s wife Diane nominated him last year and again this year.

Howard and Diane Mark were married in 1965 in the town of Cornish, New Hampshire, and shortly after, in 1966, Howard joined the U.S. Army. He graduated from basic training, where he soon achieved Private E2. Howard was then stationed in New York at the Air Defense System, which is no longer active. Howard worked in a hidden base in nuclear defense for the State of New York and quickly became a Private First Class E3. Howard and Diane welcomed their first son Earl in 1967.

By the end of 1967, the Vietnam War was requiring forces over in Germany. Howard, Diane and Earl were moved over to Bitburg, Germany. Howard earned his E4 Specialist rank and continued to work at a missile base, focused on nuclear missiles. While there, Spc. Mark received three different orders to go to Vietnam; however each time he was ultimately kept in Germany because his skills were needed there. During the Marks family’s 13-month stay in Germany, their second son, Ray, was born. In January 1969, Spc. Mark and family were sent back to Fort Dix for him to be honorably discharged.

Once discharged, Howard and Diane moved back to New Hampshire and went on to have two more children, Scott and Karen. Howard ran an auto garage for five years. He continued to race cars, as this love started when he was 15. In 1977, the Mark family vacationed in Daytona Beach and fell in love with the area, and the speedway. So, in 1978, the family moved down to Daytona Beach. Howard opened D&H Enterprises, an auto repair shop in north DeLand. He kept up with his racing hobby. He was able to race three times in different Winston Cup Cars. He raced with many famous drivers like Bill Elliot and Dale Earnhardt.

In 2002, the Marks purchased land in north DeLand. They built their home with their own hands. Beery Roofing & Redesign LLC will be the first company to do any work on his home beside him and his wife. Today the Marks are retired and enjoy a quiet life with their three donkeys. They also have 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Two of their grandsons have entered the U.S. Army Reserves and the U.S. Navy Reserves.

Beery Roofing & Redesign will be providing FREE permitting and FREE labor for this roof. Justin Gravell, owner of Phelps Aluminum will be providing FREE gutters to this lucky family. ABC Supply of Daytona Beach is supplying all the FREE materials. The Marks’ new roof is scheduled for Nov. 27, 2023.