William Mark Northcutt

William Mark Northcutt

1951-2018

William Mark Northcutt was born September 20, 1951 in Chickasha, Oklahoma to Winston and Lydia Northcutt. From a young age, Mark shared his dad’s passion for music. When Cement lost their band program in 1963, Mark’s dad was instrumental in establishing an extra-curricular band, originally known as the “Dukes of Dixieland” and later the “Humdingers”. Mark was their drummer and they played before both local and national audiences. After graduating high school, Mark attended the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma where he earned a Bachelor of Sciences in Management in 1972.

Mark married his best friend and love of his life, Kay Sewell, also of Cement, in December 1974. The second happiest day of his life was in February 1990 when he and Kay welcomed their daughter, Emily Lauren Northcutt. There was never a more devoted husband and father. The three of them resided in Oklahoma City until November 1996, when they built their new home and moved to Edmond, Oklahoma.

From an early age, Mark’s dream was to be in the television industry. Shortly after graduating from college he had an opportunity to work at then WKY Television in Oklahoma City, where he began in the film editing department. He soon got his “big break” as a professional television cameraman. He hit the ground running and never stopped. He was a proud employee at News Channel 4 in Oklahoma City through several station ownerships, where he worked full-time until May 2007. While there he found great satisfaction in working in various capacities as production operator/studio supervisor and lighting director on live and recorded television production projects, as well as commercial, promotional and public service projects. Through the years he also worked as a freelance production cameraman doing all forms of sports, music, commercial, promotional and industrial productions. His work was presented on all major broadcast and cable networks for local, state, regional, national and international programming. His travels took him to over 120 cities in 33 states in the US, Canada and Mexico. Throughout his long career, he also had the opportunity to participate in several Emmy Award-winning productions. Locally, he enjoyed working game camera for the New Orleans Hornets when they were relocated to Oklahoma City and continued working game camera for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He always said what a joy and blessing it was to have a career that he loved. He was truly passionate about his job.

Mark was called home to be with the Lord on June 12, 2018, at the age of 66. He was preceded in death by his parents, father-in-law and mother-in-law. He is survived by his wife, Kay, his daughter, Emily, and bulldog, Nigel, all of the home; brother-in-law, Darryl Sewell and his wife, Delane, of Holliday, Texas; niece, Ashley Stirling and her husband, Mark of Auckland, New Zealand; nephew, Gunnar Sewell and his wife, Sabra, and their daughter, Elora, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and numerous members of his TV family and friends.

A celebration of Mark’s life will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, June 16^th, 2018 at Matthews Funeral Home, 601 S. Kelly in Edmond, Oklahoma. A come-and-go reception will immediately follow the service. In lieu of flowers, Kay and Emily request that donations be made in Mark’s name to the Lee Laughlin Independent Freelancers Trust, Inc., 1303 South Delaware Place, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-3485.