Mark Robinette, a respected and loved pastor from Ohio, died in a house fire with his two sons.
The father was able to save his wife and two other children.
Family members of the victims are paying tribute and remembering Mark and his children for all the good they brought into the world.
Mark Robinette, a pastor from Columbus, Ohio, tragically died in a house fire on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. The 55-year-old died alongside his sons Gideon, 17, and Liam, 10.

Mark was able to save his wife and two children. The brave father ran back into the home to save his two sons, who were sleeping upstairs, but they never made it out. The three family members died at about midnight in their Pickaway County home.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated by the Ohio Fire Marshal, but so far, the investigators have ruled out foul play. Community members gathered outside the burnt house and held an intimate memorial service. In the meantime, the surviving family members are staying at a hotel.

Mark and his wife, Andrea, had eight children, two of whom were adopted, including their late son Liam. Mark was also a big part of his community as a pastor at Foundation Church in Mt. Sterling, which he founded in 2000.

The pastor’s brother-in-law, Geoffrey Trapani, only had good things to say about Mark. He praised him for this humanitarian work, which he did through his organization Mission to Myanmar, which helped build orphanages around the world.

Mark tried to be involved in the community as much as he could. “He would go under bridges and talk to people. Just a remarkable but down-to-earth guy, loved the lord, and he leaves a pretty big hole,” said Trapani.

Family members of the victims who died in the tragic house fire also took to Facebook to pay tribute. One of Mark’s cousins spoke about how courageous the pastor was and how he did everything he could to save his family.

He mentioned that despite not coming out alive, Mark was found holding his sons. The cousin continued to praise the pastor for their generosity and urged people to donate to the remaining family as they needed to start their lives from the ground.

The dedication that the 55-year-old had to his community is something that has stuck with most of his family members. In another Facebook post, his niece pointed out that Marked died serving the people he loved. “He died the same way he lived- in service to those he loved. He was a man of his values and beliefs until his last moments,” his niece emphasized.

When Mark brought Liam home, he shared the good news on his social media. The father expressed how excited he was about his new addition to the family and could not wait to read him some of the classic Christmas stories.

People also had good things to say about Gideon. One of his teachers remembered him from a literature class he took at Oklahoma City University (OCU).

The lecturer expressed, “He smiled every morning, sat front and center, and exuded energy and intellect in each literature discussion. Gideon was one of those bright lights in a teacher’s day—the kind of kid that keeps you in the profession.” Gideon was reportedly on his way to college and dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps.

The Robinette family received immense support from the community. They held a Virgil on the day the three lives were lost and raised $90,000 to help Andrea and the child rebuild their lives.