Mark Monroe

Mark Monroe is Melinda Monroe's deceased husband and a talented ER doctor. Mark's death is the main reason Mel relocated from Los Angeles to the small town of Virgin River.

Despite having moved across the country, Mel still struggles with the loss of Mark regularly; this causes many issues in her romantic life.

Death
Little is known about the early life of Mark's marriage with Mel, other than they were happy. After five attempts at getting pregnant using numerous different medical procedures — including IVF — Mark decided that their dream of having a child would never come true, and tells Mel that he no longer wishes to pursue this.

Mel finds it difficult to come to terms with Mark's wishes, and after a brief conversation, tells him that they should take a break from their marriage with one another as they now want different things. During the drive home in the storm, Mark is shocked at Mel's remark and briefly takes his eyes off the road; a truck smashes into the side of them moments later, fatally wounding Mark.

Despite Mark being taken to hospital, he dies shortly after with Mel at his side.

Legacy
After Mark's death, Mel moves across the country to Virgin River. She struggles daily with the loss of Mark and their lost time together. She tells Jack on numerous occasions that she doesn't believe it will ever get better, but he assures her that eventually she will learn to live with his loss.

Personality
Mark Monroe is "Mel’s first love, strikingly handsome and accomplished, a surgeon in the Los Angeles ER where Mel worked".

Trivia

 * He gave Mel his grandmother's engagement ring. Stacey later asks for this back, but Mel refuses.