Tributes paid to Ipswich Town fan Mark Wall after his death

Mark Wall, from Ipswich, died on May 30 having been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) several years earlier.

He was much loved by his wife Susan, his mum Gwen, his brother Simon, his brother-in-law Paul, sister-in-laws Sara and Nicky and his nieces and nephews, Leanne, Bethany, Summer, Rachel, Stephen and Luke. 

Mark Wall with staff members from St Elizabeth Hospice and family members (Image: Submitted)

One of his nieces, Leanne Last, said: “He was such a kind, generous and caring man with a sense of humour like no other. 

“He remained strong, courageous and dignified from his diagnosis right to the end. 

“Even when he was laying in the hospice bed, he was still making us all laugh. Mark Wall at Portman Road, cheering on his beloved Blues (Image: Submitted)

“Anyone who met him loved him, you couldn’t not. He was like a ray of sunshine when he entered the room and if you were ever lucky enough to have met him, you’ll know what I mean, which is why he was so popular. 

“He had a lot of time for people and he was honestly one of the kindest men I have ever known.” 

Mr Wall was a big Ipswich Town fan and was able to watch the Blues' final game of the season against Huddersfield Town which saw the side promoted to the Premier League.

He watched the game from the comfort of his home shortly before going to St Elizabeth Hospice, where he was being cared for.

Mark Wall with Town manager Kieran McKenna (Image: Submitted)

Ms Last added: “He used to love watching them play. He went with his nephews and some of his friends.” 

Mr Wall was also able to meet the staff and players at the club earlier in the season. 

He also enjoyed wrestling and was a big fan of the movie Jaws. 

Mr Wall worked at Debenhams in Ipswich for many years, which is something his family said he loved doing, meeting a lot of his friends whilst working there. He went on to work at Millets for a while, which he also enjoyed. 

Mark Wall with Town players Massimo Luongo, Luke Woolfenden, Conor Chaplin and Sam Morsy (Image: Submitted)

He also enjoyed raising money for charity, including two that helped him in recent years - St Elizabeth Hospice and Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Mr Wall was diagnosed with MND in September 2022 and it was recommended to him that he went to the community care unit at St Elizabeth Hospice. 

It is the same condition that Blues legend Marcus Stewart was diagnosed with at a similar time.

In his own words, sharing his story with the hospice, Mr Wall said: “The community care unit team helped me feel confident in myself and eased my anxieties.” 

He even said to his wife Susan how much he enjoyed and looked forward to going to the hospice. 

Mark with his wife Susan (Image: Submitted)

The hospice has a 'memory tree' containing names of patients, and it was one of Mr Wall's wishes to have a leaf on the monument engraved with his name. 

Ms Last added : “It was something he really wanted so we thought instead of people buying flowers for his funeral, we thought it would be really nice for people to donate towards his leaf, which also helps a charity he loved.” 

Not only this, but his mother Gwen has decided she would do a wing walk in Kent to raise more money for the hospice. 

She is set to take on this challenge at the end of the month, with donations still coming in, reaching over £1,000. 

Mark Wall with more members of the ITFC squad (Image: Submitted)