Locals in the Limelight; Marcus Horak

For someone who will be 27 this month (August 28), Marcus Horak is truly an “old” soul. He is a kind, quiet, introspective guy…shy in some respects. Although imposing at 6’4” tall with a size 17 boot, he is a gentle, compassionate and caring guy. There to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it, he admittedly has an issue saying “no” to anyone. This might account for why Marcus is currently on the school board, an EMT, a Freemason, a lifetime FFA alumni member, Chamber vice president, a full-time college student and currently owns and runs his own business. When I told Marcus I was surprised he wasn’t a volunteer fireman also, he adamantly told me, “No! My brother is the fireman. With us living together and working together every day, I needed some separation. I am sure the feeling is mutual,” he laughed.

Marcus was born here in Odessa as the “first baby” up at the hospital after they had apparently taken a hiatus from deliveries in town. He grew up on the family farm outside of town where his parents Paul and Deb still reside. Asked about the traits he has inherited from his parents, he said they would be his dad’s hard work ethic and his mom’s sense of humor.

His older brother Frank lives in town and currently runs the Napa Auto Parts business alongside him. His older sister Leslie is single and lives in Spokane, working in housekeeping. As a youngster, Marcus said he was somewhat introverted when it came to friends. He spent a lot of his time building full-scale farms with his brother. When I asked him what he meant by that, he explained, “elaborate, in the dirt and gravel, Tonka trucks kind of stuff.” He still feels guilty about when his brother pierced his foot on a metal tent stake while chasing Marcus around, presumably angry about something he had done. When I asked about what type of student he was, he said that he better not talk about school because a lot of his teachers will read this article and could challenge him on his opinion of his behavior. Marcus is a deep thinker, so I am sure he must have been a daydreamer.

I have always assumed that Marcus played sports due to his size and the fact that his Dad is a football coach. “Nope,” he said, “my brother played sports. I did the club thing.” He told me he participated in various school clubs like FFA. Marcus enrolled at Big Bend Community College and then transferred to SFCC, still uncertain what he wanted to do in the future. While he was attending college, the Napa store came up for sale in Odessa. His parents thought it would be a great opportunity for them, so he and his brother purchased it together, and Marcus moved back to Odessa.

One of the things that might surprise people about Marcus is his cooking ability. I saw him whip up a delicious Thai noodle dish without a recipe. He credits his culinary skills to his grandmother, Mary Louise (Horak) Kern. “She was a fantastic cook.So is my Dad; actually everyone in my family cooks.” Of all the celebrities in the world today, Marcus said the one he would most like to meet is Gordon Ramsey.

Another familiar sight over at the Napa store is Marcus’ faithful canine companion Ludo. The name came from a Tim Burton movie called “The Labyrinth.” Ludo is a black lab, miniature pinscher and half pit bull mix. He is the sweetest dog ever. I made the mistake of always taking a treat over when I went into the store. One day, I went in to talk to Marcus and felt this presence at my feet. I looked down to see Ludo staring at me, and realized in horror that I had forgotten to bring his treat. I gave Marcus a helpless look, and he quickly grabbed a treat from under the counter and secretly handed it to me, so I could give it to Ludo. I was so relieved that a crisis had been averted. Marcus knows that death stare well. He said if he doesn’t cover Ludo up with his special blanket each night, Ludo will sit on the bed in the dark and stare him down. “Even though I can’t see him, I can feel him sitting there, staring at me.” He also added that even though he is a fairly small dog, he manages to hog most of a king size bed. Ludo is wary of strangers at first. He hangs back to assess the situation, but once he accepts you, you are a friend for life. I told Marcus jokingly that his dog has a similar personality to his owner. He laughed and said, “you know, you are absolutely right.”

I asked Marcus if he could have one superpower, what would it be? He thought for a few minutes and said it would be really cool to be a mind reader. I thought to myself, that would be a great one for any man! His favorite book? “As I Lay Dying” by William Faulkner. I googled the book, because I had never heard of it. Apparently, Faulkner wrote the novel in six weeks without changing a word of it. It was called a “tour de force.” Marcus remembers it being about a family around the turn of the century, and it was “heartbreaking,” he said. His favorite movie is “V for Vendetta”, which he says is about revolution and taking back the government.

I wanted to know about his various activities, particularly Freemasonry, school board and EMTs. He explained that the Freemasons are not a secret society, despite popular myth. Marcus is a history buff, and his grandfather was a mason. There are about 25 local members of the Blue Lodge in Odessa, only a few of whom attend meetings on a regular basis. They meet once a month and go “dark” in the summer, which means the lodge is dark. They believe that summertime is for family. Active primarily as a charitable organization, the Freemasons are involved in events like the community Thanksgiving dinner and “Bikes for Books,” which awards two bicycles each year to students who qualify for the drawing by reading books. All Shriners, must first start out as Freemasons. Since Marcus is majoring in hospital administration, he would love to someday work at a Shriner’s Hospital. You must be petitioned in to become a Freemason, but Marcus explained that people mistakenly think it is an invitation-only situation. He explained that you simply have to “ask one to be one.”

Regarding school board, Marcus said he talked his friend Travis Wagner into joining, so he felt it was only fair to do it himself about a year later. He formed special friendships with people like Karma Henry and Ed Deife. I found it interesting that Marcus takes such an interest in our school district, when he isn’t a parent. He feels like it is an advantage, making him more impartial in decision-making and thinking about how it will collectively benefit the staff and students. He cares about youth, and the future of their education. “The way I look at it, one of them is going to be a future president.”

Probably the most personal thing to Marcus, is being an EMT. “When that tone goes off, I literally get an adrenaline rush. I have to go on a call or I get physically sick.” He has told me how lucky we are to have the staff we do in Odessa. Apparently, Dr. Powell is nothing short of amazing in the ER. “I would confidently put my life in her hands,” he once told me. Speaking of lives, I reminded him of someone I know personally who credits Marcus for saving their life. He is humble about the calls he has been on and looks at it as just part of the job. For him, it is difficult to focus on the ones he saves. It is the ones that don’t make it who stay with him. After losing two good friends in car accidents, he is compelled to help prevent other families from suffering those losses. He feels he has a calling of sorts. He has felt despair, hopelessness and depression in his own life. “I am putting my own personal struggles to good use, helping someone else.” There is a saying among the ambulance crew, “nobody dies.” While on their watch, the crew refuses to give up no matter how futile it may seem. It is obvious that when someone is transported and delivered, they know they have done everything they can.

Lastly, I wanted to talk to Marcus about his Napa store. As if he doesn’t have enough on his plate, he is currently writing a satirical book about his experience owning a retail store in a small town. Contrary to popular belief, Napa is not a franchise, it is privately owned. Owners are required to pay advertising fees and a certain percentage of their product ordered must be Napa brand. The challenging part for the brothers was when they bought the building at the new location and had one month to convert a bar/kitchen/restaurant into an auto parts store. He said they couldn’t have pulled it off without the tons of help from other Napa employees and some locals who stepped up to help.

There was a collective apprehension in town because the building was a historical, brick building and people knew that Napa requires their buildings to be painted blue. Marcus and his brother had decided that they would get a town ordinance preventing it if they had to. During the construction phase, they found two old signatures inside a wall from 1915. The first names look like Edward and Luke, but the last names are hard to make out. There is also old lettering showing through on the bricks around their entrance, perhaps from a Sears store. “That sealed the deal for us,” Marcus said, “there was no way we were going to paint over history, especially Napa blue!!” The business faces the same hurdles as most other small-town, retail establishments. Mail order and large super-store chains threaten their survival. When receivables are high, sometimes they don’t even pay themselves. At some point during the interview, just for fun, I had asked Marcus if there was a question he is ever asked that he always answers with a lie. “That’s easy!” he laughed, “How’s the retail business?”