In life, we encounter many people along the way, whether it’s in our travels, through a relative or friend, or even in the workplace. In the workplace, our coworkers often become our extended family. That was the case for all who knew long-time ophthalmic photographer Mark Herring, who passed away Nov. 2.

“Mark was like the brother I never had,” says dear friend and Wilmer ophthalmic photographer Jackie McDonald, who worked with Herring in the retina division at Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine’s East Baltimore location. “He was Uncle Mark to my kids, and I was Aunt Jackie to his. He was such a generous person and always the first to offer help when he sensed something was wrong.”

Herring, it turns out, was more than a co-worker to many. He would show up for birthday parties, happy hours, weddings and even funerals to offer solidarity and support to his colleagues during some of life’s most momentous moments. Herring also helped friends and colleagues with projects outside the workplace, including assistance with moving. By all accounts, he was a reliable and generous person. “He would do anything for you. If he saw someone in need, he would have helped them,” says close friend and senior ophthalmic photographer David Emmert.

Herring loved the outdoors. Whether it was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle against the wind or rock fishing off the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, he enjoyed being outside. He also had a passion for watches and was an avid collector.

Herring became a member of the Wilmer family as a darkroom technician in 1987, becoming a full-time patient photographer shortly thereafter. At that time, he had already been working at The Johns Hopkins Hospital as a staff photographer in the pathology photo lab since 1985. And even though Herring worked in the pathology lab, he had already built relationships with Wilmer photography staff members, including McDonald, Emmert, and Ophthalmic Photography manager Dennis Cain. They were affectionally known as “The Fab Four,” who held a tight-knit bond and collectively contributed nearly 160 years of service to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

In 2002, Herring earned certification as a retinal angiographer (CRA) from the Ophthalmic Photographers’ Society. The CRA, which acknowledges one’s level of expertise and dedication to the field, is one of the highest certifications that you can earn in ophthalmic photography.

The process for obtaining certification is quite rigorous. Applicants must submit a portfolio of their work, have at least two years’ experience as an ophthalmic photographer, be certified to administer CPR, pass a two-hour written, multiple-choice examination and complete a two- to four-hour hands-on, practical assessment. Since the administering of the first CRA exam in 1979, only 700 or so ophthalmic photographers have earned the CRA, according to the Ophthalmic Photographers’ Society.

“Mark was a top notch and highly-skilled photographer,” says Cain. “He was always willing to help where needed, willing to work later than expected or come in earlier than his normal starting time. Mark was prompt and he worked hard.”

In addition to being a highly skilled photographer, Herring was the consummate trickster. He would often tell jokes to lighten the mood in the clinic on a busy day. McDonald recounts that when she and Herring worked together in the darkroom, he would take pride in scaring her. “He would hide inside the film dryer and jump out at the most inopportune time, scaring the life out of me,” she recalls. “It would always put a big smile on his face. His smile and laughter were infectious. Mark liked to make people happy.”

Colleagues and extended family at Wilmer will remember Mark as a generous, compassionate and caring man, who had an indelible sense of humor and a laugh that would light up a room.