Greg Markey

       Greg Markey, 69, from Porter, died today after a cardiac event and a fall on Saturday Feb 7.  Greg had a joy for life that is rarely seen.  Whether he was jumping out of the car to take a photograph of a passing train or enjoying a good meal, he almost always had a smile on his face.  He and his best friend and life partner of 25 years, Kathy Abretske, had many adventures.  They chased the Big Boy steam locomotive to Utah as well as Illinois and Wisconsin.  They got up in the middle of the night to photograph the CPKC holiday train.  They volunteered as Golf Marshals  for many tournaments including the US Open in Oakmont and BMW events in various locations.  They traveled whenever they could and enjoyed baseball games around the country as well as just finding joy in a drive. A favorite activity some years ago was to follow his son while he toured the country as a drummer for the drum and bugle corps.  Greg collected model trains and enjoyed attending train conventions.  Sadly, his almost crippling arthritis had slowed him down in recent years, but he kept going as best he could.  He and Kathy were planning to chase Big Boy on her 2026 cross country journey.  His photography skills were phenomenal whether he was photographing a jet fighter, a hawk or a locomotive. 

       Before retirement, he worked as a Project manager for the US Navy and traveled all over the US as well as Okinawa.  These trips widened his friend circle and let him explore new areas.  He was a proud Purdue graduate who always supported their sports teams even when they had a bad year.  He had a phenomenal memory of the region’s history.  He was a volunteer for the Indiana Dunes National Park and enjoyed teaching visitors about our wonderful park.

       Greg was born in 1956 to Frank and Diane Markey.  He leaves his beloved  son Christian Markey, Christian’s girlfriend,  C W Ryan Tam,  Kathy Abretske, Daniel Abretske, Dan’s wife Amanda Chenery, his sister Diane Morrow, her daughters, many cousins  and many wonderful friends.  All of us who knew him were definitely enriched by the experience.  It is very sad that he left us too soon.  A celebration of life will be held in June.

Professional arrangements are entrusted to White-Love Funeral Home, Chesterton, IN.  Please share your wonderful memories with the family at: www.whitelovefuneralhome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Greg Markey, please visit our floral store.