Not long ago, a South Piedmont student asked Union County Facilities Director Mark Cory an unusual question: “Can I call you grandpa?”
The student explained to Mark that her great-grandfather recently passed away. Like Mark, he had a long white beard, trim build, and friendly face. When the student saw Mark on campus, she was struck by the resemblance.
“I remind her of someone she loves, so of course she can call me grandpa,” Mark said.
“This is service work, whether it’s fixing a boiler or touching someone’s life. I consider it an honor.”
And that right there sums up Mark Cory. He can fix everything from a boiler to a broken water main, but more than his mechanical skills, he is known for being genuinely kind. He’ll gladly let a student call him grandpa, and every year, he dresses up like Santa Claus just to make people smile.
Let’s get to know him.
His First Big Repair Job Was His Dad’s Car
Mark grew up Indiana, the son of a high school band director and stay-at-home mom. He always had a knack for working with his hands. When he was in high school, his skills earned him a car to drive. “My dad had this old Ford Maverick, probably a ’70 or’71. He said that if I could tune it up and get it running, then I could drive it. I learned to drive in that car,” Mark said.
South Piedmont Is Only His Second Job
After high school, he went to work for a company that made plastic bands for bundling paper. The experience he got on that equipment brought him south to an opportunity with The Charlotte Observer. He spent 34 years there as a maintenance machinist, repairing and maintaining printing presses, conveyors, plate processing units, and more. “Back in the day, there were six floors of equipment,” Mark said. As the newspaper industry declined, Cory took a pension buyout and a little time off, but soon, he wanted to get back to work. Both his wife and daughter had attended South Piedmont. When he learned about the opportunity to join the maintenance team, he didn’t hesitate.
He Doesn’t Just Fix Things, He Makes the College Beautiful
When something at the College breaks, Mark gets the call. On any given day he could be fixing a bad bearing in an air handler, clearing a clogged drainpipe, or changing out electrical ballasts. In addition to fixing what’s broken, Mark also oversees the College’s building maintenance schedule. “That involves everything from recaulking stone to painting. I think of my job as helping to create a good first impression. When a student or parent comes to campus, they’re going to notice if there is chipped paint or litter on the ground. That impacts how people perceive the school.”
Every Year, He Dresses Up Like Santa Claus, Just to Make People Smile
When he was working at The Charlotte Observer, Mark was always clean-shaven with a crewcut, but later in his career, he started letting his hair grow out. One day, someone randomly called him Santa Claus. “I also had a paunch in those days,” he said, with a jolly laugh. Not long after, Mark bought a Santa Claus suit. While he could easily make thousands of dollars from Santa Claus gigs, he prefers to spread joy for free. During the holiday season, he walks around Walmart and takes long drives in costume, just to make people smile. “It’s just fun. A car will speed past me, but then next thing you know, that car is slowing down and getting next to me, and the people inside are smiling and taking pictures of Santa Claus driving,” he said.
Being Santa Claus Means Fielding Some Tough Questions
As Santa Claus, Mark often has to think on his feet to keep pace with the kids. While his beard is white, his mustache is more of a salt-and-pepper hue. One day, during one of Mark’s Santa Claus-costumed outings, a child pointed out the discrepancy between Mark’s mustache and that of the “real Santa Claus.” “He said I couldn’t be the real Santa Claus,” Mark said. “I explained that all the pictures of Santa are taken after I’ve been driving my sleigh, and my beard and mustache are covered in snow. But really, this is the color of my mustache.”
At Christmas and all Year Long, He Aims to “Sow a Little Joy”
In addition to dressing up like Santa Claus, Mark also goes all out on decorating his home each holiday season. He estimates he strings up approximately 6,000 lights, plus several inflatables, including a 12-foot candy cane. “I have three kids of my own, and we’re about to have our sixth grandchild. I know how hectic things get around the holidays,” he said. “I’ve always loved Christmas and the spirit of it all, just people being good to one another and making the world a little better.” No matter the season, Mark said he looks for opportunities to “sow a little joy,” whether that’s volunteering at his church or offering a friendly greeting to campus visitors.
His Favorite Karaoke Song Is the One He Used to Woo His Wife
Mark describes his family as being “very musical.” His dad was a band director. Mark was in the high school band and played trumpet for several years. His wife is a professional singer, as is his mother-in-law. Two of his brothers-in-law are musicians, and his kids are all involved in music. The family loves to sing karaoke. His go-to song is Merle Haggard’s “Silver Wings.” The song reminds him of his early courting days with his wife. “Before we got married, we were best friends. She was moving away, and we were out one night before she left. I asked the band to play ‘Silver Wings.’ There’s a line in the song that says, ‘They’re taking you away … and leaving me lonely.” That was my song to her at the time. As the old mountain folk would say, I was sparking on her. That’s what they’d say when you favor someone. A year and a half later, we started dating. The rest is history.”