An Ohio pastor died along with his two sons in a tragic house fire after rescuing his wife and two other children from the blaze.
Mark Robinette, 55, jumped back into the burning house after realizing his two sons Gideon, 17, and Liam, 10, were still trapped.
The three never made it out and were discovered “holding each other,” Haley McGuire, the pastor’s cousin, wrote in a Facebook post.
Fire crews were dispatched to the family’s home in Pickaway County, about 20 miles from Columbus, around 12:22 a.m. Tuesday.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but investigators say there are “no indications of foul play,” according to a news release.
“Three remarkable people and without them there is a hole in the world,” said Mark’s brother-in-law Geoffery Trapini WBNS TV.
Mark Robinette died early Tuesday morning along with his two sons Liam and Gideon in a house fire in Pickaway County, Ohio. Pictured: Mark, 55, and his son Liam, 10
The father and pastor ran back into the fire after he managed to save his wife and two of their children. Pictured: Mark and his son Gideon, 17
Fire crews were dispatched to the family’s home in Pickaway County, about 20 miles from Columbus, around 12:22 a.m. Tuesday. The cause of the fire is under investigation
Trapini revealed that Mark managed to save the rest of his family by pushing them out of a window before running back into the house.
The rest of the family is currently staying in a hotel and a memorial has been organized outside the charred house, WBNS-TV reported.
‘His wife and six other children are now left without anything. They lost everything in the fire, including phones,” McGuire said in her message.
Mark and his wife Andrea raised eight children together: six biological and two adopted.
Liam is remembered as a sweet boy who was “loved by everyone,” while Gideon was preparing to go to college and dreamed of working in the ministry like his father.
Gideon also enjoyed reading the Bible, learning Spanish, working in the sound booth at his church, and poetry.
“He was a passionate truth-seeker with an infectious grin that lit up every room he entered,” his obituary said.
Liam loved animals, checkers, drawing and sending letters to his grandmother.
Mark shared a total of eight children with his wife Andrea (center). Two of the eight were adopted
Multiple GoFundMe pages have been created to raise money for the family as Mark’s wife and six other children plan to rebuild their home. In the photo: Mark with his wife Andrea
“His family was so grateful for the gift of our little man,” Liam’s obituary said.
Mark was a pastor at Foundation Church in Mt.Sterling, which he founded in 2020. He also served as director and CEO of Mission to the Americas, a fundraising platform for “solid Christian ministries” in need of help.
According to his Facebook page, he was also director and CEO of Mission To Myanmar, and previously worked as a reporter at The Daily Record and Portsmouth Daily Times.
During his time in the ministries, Mark regularly traveled on missions where he helped those in need and grew close to the many children and families he helped.
‘He was involved in a lot of things. If he saw a need, he got involved. When he saw people in need, he got involved,” Trapani said.
His family also accompanied him on his mission trips, where Trapani said they would help people who were homeless, mentally ill and involved in human trafficking groups.
Liam is remembered as a sweet boy who ‘everyone loved’
The three never made it out and were discovered “holding each other,” Haley McGuire, the pastor’s cousin, wrote in a Facebook post
Gideon was preparing to go to college and dreamed of working in the ministry like his father
Nainy Thang, the vice president of the Myanmar Evangelical Christian Alliance, posted a heartfelt tribute to Mark online, along with photos of his children hugging the pastor.
“My kids miss you so much, my big brother. We know you are in heavenly glory now,” Thang said.
A vigil was held for the father and his two sons on Tuesday evening and money was raised through two GoFundMe pages to help the family rebuild their home and their lives.
“Their house and all their belongings have been completely destroyed, and it is the middle of winter. They are left with the nightclothes they were wearing and their car and that’s it,” said Shonna Nitzel, who started the donation page for the family.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Division of State Fire Marshal’s Fire and and Explosion Investigation Bureau, the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office and the Coroner’s Office.