By Staff
Edward H. Mark, 81, of Buchanan, and longtime Niles businessman, died Wednesday, April 23, 2008, at Inwood Hills Estates, South Bend, Ind., following a brief illness.
Mr. Mark was born on Sept. 23, 1926, in Newark, N.J., to Louis and Julia (Klein) Mark.
He graduated form high school in Newark and then from Newark College of Engineering. He had lived in this area since 1961.
Mr. Mark managed several manufacturing firms before founding his own business, Packard Industries, in Niles in 1966.
His business principles included excellence in engineering and quality in production, the same as the Packard automobile company, which he admired. In 1996, Ed passed Packard Industries on to the next generation.
Mr. Mark also collected Packard vehicles. At his retirement, the collection represented the entire history and variety of Packards, and was remarkable for the number of vehicles and the "showroom condition" in which they were maintained.
On April 26, 1952, in Newark he married the former Donna M. Tiemann, who survives.
Mr. Mark is also survived by their 10 children, Catherine (and Alfredo Torano) Mark of Spain, Mary Mark-Herbach of Michigan, Louis Mark of Michigan, Steve Mark of Illinois, Julia Mark of Colorado, John (and Vera) Mark of Illinois, Karen Mark of Indiana, Daniel (and Carole) Mark of Wyoming, Jacob (and Jill) Mark of Indiana and Thomas Mark of Colorado; nine grandchildren, Raquel, Francisco, Michael, Lane, Elias, Angelina, Sarah, Sophie and Samuel.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Melvin Mark.
The funeral service for Edward H. Mark will be at 11 a.m. Monday, April 28, 2008, at Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with Monsignor Eugene Sears officiating.
Committal rites will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.
His family received relatives and friends on Sunday from 2 until 4 p.m. at the funeral home.
Contributions in memory of Edward H. Mark may be made to the Mayo Clinic Simulation Center, Rochester, Minn.