Rest in Peace Mark Forster

A Message from Mark Forster’s Son

It is with deep sadness that I share the news of my father, Mark Forster’s passing. He died peacefully in his sleep late on Sunday, 12th October 2025, without pain.

For nearly a year, my father had been living with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a condition that arose following two previous battles with cancer. In recent months, MDS affected his memory, making it increasingly difficult for him to manage his website.

Get Everything Done has been a central part of his life since he published his first book over twenty years ago. He took great joy in the community that grew around it and was proud to play even a small role in helping others improve their lives.

On his behalf, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to Get Everything Done - whether through conversation, support, or shared ideas. Your presence meant a great deal to him.

Matthew

Comments

[TopherJake]

I've spent a lot of time reading this site over the years. Mark's advice for productivity and life have definitely been a big help to me. He will be missed. My condolences to your family.

[Hugo Ferreira]

It is we who thank the inspiration and dedication Mark had over the years to constantly explore and engage with the community. I learned *a lot* here, since so much of his guidance resonated with me. Mark touched and influenced many, many lives with his work. He will be missed and remembered daily whenever I choose what to do next. My condolences to all his family and friends.

[Mark H.]

Thanks for relating the message. I am sad to hear the news. I am grateful to Mark Forster for his books, his forum, and his insights. I have been impressed over the years with how much attention he gave to questions about the smallest detail. I have been missing his comments for a long time, but still I was hoping that he would once again be able to answer our questions. He has been a coach and teacher for us. I will miss him.

[Will]

Matthew,

Thank you for taking the time to share this sad news.

Mark's guidance certainly helped me over the last decade. His blog and fora overflow with his intelligence and wisdom. I'll miss him.

My condolences to you and your family.

[Andreas Maurer]

This is sad news indeed, if not unexpected. My condolences to your family. Mark was a big influence on my life in the last 16 years and I'll be forever grateful for everything he shared with the world.

[Paul B From Canada]

I am very grateful to Mark Forster for his profound influence on my life through his experiments and insights. May God Grant Him Eternal Peace.

[Will]

The archive of this site can be found on the internet archive ("The Wayback Machine") by searching for the web site http://markforster.squarespace.com (NB NOT httpS). It is unreasonable to expect the family to maintain this site indefinitely.

[Andrew]

I don't think I've ever commented on here before but I've been a fan of Mark's ideas for a very long time. His willingness to try new things and experiment with time management systems was a great credit to him and a huge benefit to all of us who have followed him.

He will be greatly missed, rest in peace.

[Cricket]

So sorry for your loss. Mark was a great inspiration to me. I still recommend his methods to anyone who feels overwhelmed, especially young adults. His patience and encouragement to try new things, to stick with experiments past the initial awkward phase, and to objectively measure the results, helped me immensely.

[Ray Fowler]

So sorry to hear this news. Praying for you and your family at this time of loss. Mark was such a giving person, and he helped so many of us on this site with his unique approach to getting things done. I still use his principles every day, both in my work and personal life.

[Fr. Paul MacNeil]

Thank you so much, Matthew, for your kindness in posting this. Mark is a one-of-a-kind genius and has a profound influence on so many of us. I have missed his humour and his kindness this past year especially, he will always live in our memories. He was able to create a very unique and kind community here online as well, a model for other communities of like-minded individuals. May he rest in peace.

[Samir Shah]

Thank you, Matthew, for sharing this. My condolences to you and your family. Mark’s work had a tremendous influence on how I approach productivity and manage my to-do lists. I even have an infographic I share about my current system that includes a quote from one of his books. Just the other day I was rereading one of them, looking for another passage that spoke to me. His ideas have shaped the way I work and think, and I’m deeply grateful for the impact he had on so many of us.

[Kevin]

Mark's writing has greatly helped me in my quest to wrangle all the things. His experimentation and analysis of his ideas was a wonderful example for anyone looking to improve themselves.

I very much appreciate his prolific participation in the forums. He seemed a wonderful bloke!

[Mark Levison]

Your father was a great help to me when I was trying to find ways to be more productive without a pile of filing folders that I never used. Not only was his writing helpful, but he even had time to chat with a complete stranger half a world away. (I’m another Canadian)

[Lena Rotenberg]

Thank you so much, Matthew, for letting us know about your father's passing. Just last night I was thinking of him, and contemplating returning to the system I created over a decade ago based on his "Do it Tomorrow" book, my favorite. Mark Foster's ideas, his willingness to continually experiment, and his lovely virtual presence will be remembered by many who read his books and frequented this website.

My condolences to you and your family.

[Pramod]

Thank you for letting us know. Your father's techniques helped me a lot in getting my life in order. My condolences to you and your family.

[Richard]

As others, I haven't commented here before but I want to add my condolences to Mark's family and also my gratitude for Mark's "thinking out loud" about productivity and his keenness to help. I appreciated his willingness, even relish, in recognising weaknesses in an approach and working on improvements or trying new ideas. In a world of people claiming they can "change your life" and "smash it!", it has always been refreshing to come back to this calm, thoughtful place, and read Mark simply encouraging me to try new things and see what works for me.
Than you Mark and may you rest in peace

[Chris Cooper]

Thank you for giving us this sad news, Matthew. Best wishes to you and all Mark's family. His work has been a help to me for many years and will continue to be in the future, I know.

Chris

[avrum]

I’ve spent a lot of time on this forum talking about self-management and systems, but mostly I was curious about Mark’s thinking. Everything about him - his background in the military, coaching, family life, and religion - made him hard to pin down.

I read this news while once again mucking around with my own new “system,” thinking about what Mark would say. What he’d poke holes at... what he’d encourage.

If there’s anyone from Toronto reading this, feel free to reach me at avrum AT nadigel COM. Maybe we can grab a coffee, share some stories about Mark, and trade notes on which pen and paper we’re obsessing over this week.

Matthew, may your father’s memory be a blessing to you and your family.

[Cricket]

Is there a preferred charity and method of donating?

[Thomas Zwaka]

My heartfelt condolences to the family.

Mark was such an influential and original thinker, both widely recognized and, perhaps more importantly, quietly transformative in ways that are less visible but deeply felt by those who followed his work.

I don’t know how we will continue this quest without him, perhaps through a new circle or group to carry the spirit?

[JulieBulie]

I'm so sorry for the family's loss. Mark's books and blog about time management and productivity really helped me. I hope he felt how much he was appreciated.