Mark Zamen
Dec. 15, 1951-Jan. 3, 2010
Mountain View, California

Mark Zamen, an author and longtime Mountain View resident, died Jan. 3 after a 19-year battle with cancer. He was 58.

Zamen was born Dec. 15, 1951. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1975, he earned a bachelor's in English from San Jose State. In 1980, he earned a master's in Mass Communications from CSU Hayward. Zamen lived in Mountain View for 35 years.

Throughout his long battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Zamen enjoyed his passions of hiking, backpacking, and writing, according to family. In 2009, he published "Broken Saints," a novel about a Vietnam veteran struggling with religion, mental illness and sexual orientation.

He is survived by his wife, Jamie Zamen, and daughter, Becca Zamen. He is predeceased by his son, Tyler Zamen.

Tags: veteran, arts/media