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Late yesterday afternoon, I received some sad news that will touch many others in the outdoor industry. Mark Whitlock, owner of Mark's Outdoor Sports in Vestavia Hills, Alabama has died following a protracted battle with cancer.

For manufacturers like Liberty, Costa del Mar, G Loomis and countless others, it's not just word that one of their largest independent dealers in America has passed.

Mark was a friend to many of us in the industry.

Honestly, if it weren't for Mark and the patient tutelage he supplied me over the past ten years, there wouldn't have been an Outdoor Wire. He and his staff were my go-to source for technical information, hands-on help and a chance to see what was selling. And he used a blend of helpful suggestions and merciless critiques to keep me on my toes.

For nearly twenty-seven years, Mark kept his finger on the pulse of hunters, shooters anglers. He also grew his store to be one of the major independent retailers in America. Honored more times than he'd admit, industry insiders regularly made visits to Mark to see what he thought, what he was selling, and what he thought he could sell.

Three years ago while shooting studio segments for "Guns and Gear" the owner of a major gun company was in town. We wrapped up early and I asked him what he wanted to do. "Well," he said, "I've heard so much about Mark's Outdoor Sports, you think we could go there?"

When I took the owner of the gun company to Marks, he didn't seem impressed- until he went inside. He quietly walked around making mental notes as to what was placed where, whose guns were getting prime placement and what customers we checking out.

About that time, I got another of those waves from Mark. "Hey," he said, "what's the owner of (the gun company) doing in here- with you?" Seems I wasn't going to have the opportunity to introduce two good friends to each other. They'd already met.

It wasn't a chore to go. Mark's is the place I'd playfully nicknamed the "Men's Mall" several years before. If your significant other loved the outdoors, you could bet he (or she) had been to Marks. Once, Mark waved at me across the store. When I wandered over, he looked at me, gave me a sly grin and said "you wife said to remind you you were supposed to be at Publix." Yep, when she couldn't get me on the phone, she called Mark's. She knew it had notoriously poor cell reception, so she guessed she knew where I'd be if I wasn't reachable.

Mark also organized a fishing tournament. Like everything else he did, it wasn't just a fishing tournament. The Mark's Lay Lake Open has been recognized- several times- as being among the very best bass tournaments in the country. That's including FLW, B.A.S.S. and the myriad of other tournaments as well.

Mark never missed the opportunity to kid me for not being there. Now, I have another thing I didn't do that I regret.

Seems everyone in the professional bass world had been there.

Kevin VanDam, Mike Iaconelli, Mark Menendez and others top shelf pros I met for the first time at the in-store event that preceded his annual tournament. I also met the best call makers, turkey hunters and outdoor manufacturers over fried shrimp and hush puppies at his annual "Turkey Day". Last year, more than 1,100 people showed up.

But it's the things that Mark did - quietly- that I'll remember best. Many times I saw him quietly give expensive products to church raffles, fundraisers and charities. Every time, he gave me the same admonition: "don't you write about this. I'm not doing it for attention."

In 2010, Mark was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. At that same time, I was going through aggressive treatments for my own illness. At that point, we made a personal connection.

It's the connection that meant we didn't ask each other how we were doing. We already knew the answer: we both felt like crap. Mark contended the difference was simple: "you look like crap." Did I mention he could be merciless when needling you?

Several times since then, Mark showed that stubborn side that had so infuriated me in the past. He absolutely refused to give in, get down or make a big deal out of his illness.

Over the past year or so, he'd gone through extremely aggressive treatments. I knew how hard it was for him -and his family. As recently as last week, he'd gone home from another extended hospital stay in hopes he could build his strength enough to start another round of treatments that seemed, at times, to be worse than the disease.

Yesterday afternoon, my friend - and former Fishing Wire editor -Alan Clemons, called and left me a phone message. "It's Alan," he said, "I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but Mike Bolton just called me. Mark Whitlock...."

If you've ever had a call like that, you know the sinking sensation that I felt.

My loss is nothing compared to the loss his family's feeling, but I know many of you reading this column today will have that same sinking sensation.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but many of us lost a great friend yesterday.

We're all diminished by the loss.

--Jim Shepherd