Lehi People
Hampton couple, Intermountain West real estate leaders, focused on community service
One would assume the kind and affable Mark Hampton and his wife Kristie would be focused on their highly successful real estate and land development businesses. However, the Lehi power couple focuses more on faith, family, and their work as service missionaries at Primary Children’s Hospital.
Hampton has been active in real estate and land development for over 40 years. He has served as CEO and/or founder of several companies, including Wentworth, Rockworth, Rimrock, Visionary, Dignity, Dry Creek and others. Hampton has sponsored or produced over 12,000 housing units through these companies, $4.5 billion worth of vertical commercial, residential, senior housing and retail projects throughout the western United States, and invested in or founded over 80 real estate holdings and/or operation companies.
Hampton has mentored the MRED program at the University of Utah and the Construction Management program at Utah Valley University. He also sits on several corporate boards, such as Alta Bank’s Advisory Board and Operation Kids. However, Mark and Kristie Hampton feel their most valuable contribution is their time spent as service missionaries at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.
In an interview with the Lehi Free Press, the Hamptons were reluctant to discuss their businesses. They were, however, very excited to discuss their service work at the Primary Children’s Hospital. “We have seen many miracles while serving there,” said Kristie. They have spent many hours caring, loving, and creating memories. We love the parents and children we have met there,” said Kristie. Witnessing firsthand our Heavenly Father’s love for little children has been life changing.”
Clearly, the Hamptons are a devoted and loving couple. Mark Hampton recounted how he and Kristie met and married. “I was a bit of a wild child when my family moved back to Lehi after living most of my life in California. I entered Lehi High School and found hanging out with my friends, riding my motorcycle, and generally goofing around more enjoyable than schoolwork.” Hampton said he met Kristie in a seminary class. His teacher was a long-time and beloved teacher, Ferrill Hill.
On one occasion, Hill had the class gather in a circle. Hampton said he was being his usual “happy self” when Hill said, “Hampton, if you want to amount to anything in this life, you’re going to have to marry a girl like the one sitting next to you.” The girl was Kristie, and of course, Mark married her.
When they began dating, Mark and Kristie were both very young. Mark wanted to marry Kristie but didn’t feel spiritually ready for marriage in a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple.
“I approached my bishop, Stan Russon,” who Hampton referred to as a “bold bishop” and the man who “changed my life.”
“I asked him what I should do,” said Mark. Bishop Russon replied, “Go on a mission.” After a great deal of soul-searching, Mark Hampton accepted a mission call to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mission and Kristie went to college at Dixie State University. The unusual part was that the couple was already engaged.
Hampton said his mission changed his life. At that time, missionaries were allowed to choose to return home after 18 months or stay for 24. Mark decided to stay for 24 months and even extended an extra month to finish a special project. He and Kristie were married six weeks after he came home. Mark said he was now ready to be the husband Kristie deserved.
Hampton began working in the construction industry immediately. He didn’t like doing actual construction labor. In fact, his current partner, Richard White, was his first employer.
Hampton described a harrowing but humorous beginning in construction experiences. “We were building a wall when it was time to go home late afternoon on a Friday. White saw us preparing to leave and said, ‘You guys aren’t going anywhere. We have a wall to build.”
White divided the crew into two groups, and the project turned into a race. “I was assigned White’s team. I had never used a nail gun before. A header needed a few nails through the king stud, so White showed me what to do. Then White picked up the wall at the top plate to allow for the nailing as I grabbed the nail gun. I didn’t set the gun deep enough in the header material, pulled the trigger, and accidentally shot Richard in the leg. I watched him grimace in pain, hold the wall with one arm, then reach down and pull out the nail. He said, ‘Shoot it again, through clenched teeth,’ which I promptly did. The second nail shot him in the same leg again. I didn’t know whether to run, laugh or cry.”
Clearly, Hampton was better suited for construction leadership roles.
Hampton’s philosophy throughout his life has been, “Make sure everybody is better for having met you.” He also says he believes in the principle of abundance.
“Fear is the result of a scarcity attitude, and abundance is the result of love. You cannot be your best self alone. ‘We’ is always better than ‘me.’ I believe in helping people succeed. Service helps bring us an abundance mentality,” said Mark.
He shared the story of “Holman,” a young cancer patient Kristie and Mark met and became close to. “We became acquainted with Holman at Primary Children’s Hospital. All he wanted was to ‘go hunting and kill a deer when all this is over.’ We promised we could accommodate that request once Holman finished his treatments. We set the date and prepared to host his family on our property in Southern Utah.”
“Holman and his family showed up in an old flatbed truck. Five of his family and their dog were scrunched together in a rusty flatbed truck for the drive from Idaho. We had prepared a blind for Holman, and we waited together on the hunt’s opening day. Finally, a nice buck crossed in front of us, and Holman asked if he could ‘harvest that one.’ He made a wonderful shot. As we gathered around the buck to take pictures, Holman removed his hat and asked if he could ‘kneel and say a prayer first.’ His prayer was a heartfelt expression of gratitude. “Thank you for my family, for my life, and that now we will have meat for the winter,’ was his simple prayer. I was not prepared for that sincere and humble gratitude.”
Mark Hampton is a stage four Melanoma [skin cancer] survivor. Maybe that’s why He and Kristie are so passionate about their service at Primary Children’s Hospital. Mark simply said, “People matter, things don’t.” The Hamptons have spent most of their lives expressing gratitude and sharing their abundance.
Mark and Kristie feel their greatest achievement is their five children and 13 grandchildren. “These special people mean more to us than anything else we could ever accomplish,” said Mark. Their children are Marissa, Shalynn, Josie, Braiden and Collin. Each are married and are busy raising children.
He and Kristie live in American Fork, although when they bought the land for their ‘retirement’ home, they thought it was in Lehi City limits. The couple are now retired from ‘work,’ but spend most of their time serving and mentoring others.
