Mark Boykin

Born in Lawton, OK, on August 26, 1957, Mark grew up in El Paso, graduated from Coronado High School and attended North Texas State University and UTEP. Never afraid to take chances, he lived life to the fullest and died peacefully at his home on February 28th, 2023. 

Known for his sharp business acumen and networking, he became a local icon in the restaurant and bar industry. Mark embodied the notion that hard work pays off — he began his professional career bussing tables and eventually worked all the way up through management and eventually ownership of the El Paso City Limits, the Rib Hut, the Pershing Inn and Mark’s Cantina. 

Mark touched so many lives and those who knew him will always remember him for his charisma, swagger, and the fun he brought with his boyish smile and prankster personality….no one was immune from his jokes or tall tales. He did not care about material wealth and his love for family and friends was unconditional. 

Mark was forever an optimist and not one to hold a grudge. He often quoted the band Kansas:

I close my eyes

Only for a moment, and the moment's gone

All my dreams

Pass before my eyes, a curiosity

Dust in the wind

All they are is dust in the wind

It is no surprise one of his favorite songs was Free Bird by Lynard Skynard:

But if I stay here with you, girl

Things just couldn't be the same

'Cause I'm as free as a bird now

And this bird you cannot change

He is survived by his parents Bill Boykin, Sr., and Martha Parton; his soul-mate Robin James; his siblings Susan Gonzalez, Lisa Davis, Elizabeth Fels, and Tony Parton; and numerous nephews and nieces. He is preceded in death by his brother Billy Boykin, Jr. 

A Memorial Service will be held from 2:30pm-3:30pm on Saturday, March 04, 2023 at Sunset Funeral Home-West.

Services are entrusted to Sunset Funeral Home-West, 480 N. Resler Dr.