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'I'm glad my children knew Mark' Teammates, family gather to remember ex-Cowboy Tuinei
Posted: Tuesday May 11, 1999 11:05 AM
ADDISON, Texas (AP) -- Mark Tuinei was a big guy with an even bigger heart who did all he could to make others around him laugh and enjoy life, several of his former Dallas Cowboys teammates said during a memorial service Saturday. Tuinei was found in a car outside his home early Thursday and could not be revived. The 39-year-old former offensive lineman retired after the 1997 season, his 15th, because of knee problems. Stories about the Tuinei doing or saying something funny on the golf course, in the locker room, on the field and during post-game parties at his house lightened the mood of the 1 1/2-hour service. But plenty of tears were shed as his warmth and generosity were recalled. "I'm glad my children knew Mark, but I feel cheated that they won't know him longer," former teammate Kevin Gogan said. "Mark sharpened all of us. He made our lives better." The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Tuinei overcame a rough upbringing in Hawaii by devoting himself to football, but he was no instant success. He made the Cowboys in 1983 as an undrafted free agent on the defensive line, then became an offensive starter in 1987 and eventually anchored a line that helped win three Super Bowls in the 1990s. He made the Pro Bowl after the 1994 and 1995 seasons. Tuinei recently had arranged to become an assistant coach at his old high school in Honolulu. His wife, Pono, was already there and he was planning to join her this weekend. The couple had no children. "Pono told us last night, `Keep him in your heart.' It can't be said any purer," fullback Daryl Johnston said. "There's a void in our lives that's not going to be filled, but we've got memories we're never going to forget. He made an impact on all of our lives." Tuinei's cause of death has yet to be determined. Collin County medical examiner William Rohr is awaiting results of toxicology tests, which could be done by Monday. Tuinei is believed to have spent his final night in Dallas partying with friends. A friend who discovered Tuinei slumped in his car early Thursday told a 911 operator that Tuinei "stopped breathing I guess it was last night." The caller identifes himself on the tape as Nicky. Cowboys backup fullback Nicky Sualua reportedly was with Tuinei the previous day. On Saturday, Sualua was among more than 30 current and former Cowboys players and coaches who attended the service at a private Christian school. Team owner Jerry Jones, quarterback Troy Aikman and running back Emmitt Smith and retired greats Harvey Martin and Drew Pearson also attended. Pictures of Tuinei with a variety of friends and former teammates were displayed in the auditorium foyer. Four framed items surrounded the casket inside the auditorium, including one of his Cowboys jerseys and a black-and-white photo of Tuinei posing in a crouch in his No. 90 Hawaii jersey. Just before the service, a red and orange lei was placed around the corner of the frame. Hawaiian flowers stood out among many of the floral arrangements covering the stage.
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