Mark Smith, died at his home in Long Beach, Mississippi at the age of 54 of an apparent heart attack.
Memorial Services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Meyer, IA, with inurnment in Church Cemetery at Riceville, IA. Friends may call from 4 P.M. until 8 P.M. on Monday at the Conway Funeral Home in Riceville. There will be a 7:00 p.m. Vigil Service on Monday.
Mark Albert Smith was born in Austin, Minnesota on December 16, 1953, the son of Ralph and Beverly (Low) Smith. He grew up in the McIntire area and attended school in Riceville, graduating from high school in 1973. He continued his education at Lake County College in Illinois. Following his education, he entered the Navy, making a career of it and spending just short of 20 years. He traveled to many foreign places, Guam, Okinawa, Hawaii, to name a few. He was discharged in Mississippi and decided to make this his home.
He was presently employed by Home Depot, where he would help other people by using his skills as a carpenter. Following Katrina, he helped others rebuild their homes. Mark had a zest for life and during his spare time, he enjoyed jumping out of airplanes and floating to the ground. He also enjoyed scuba diving and would do some salvage diving.
Mark is survived by his mother and father, Beverly and Ralph of McIntire, IA; his maternal grandmother, Luella Low of Clear Lake, IA; two brothers: Owen (Christy) Smith of Craig, IA and Kenny (fiancé Judy Horning) Smith of Northwood, IA; three sisters: Joan (Bill) Heinzerling of St. Charles, IL, Julie (Jerry) Siemonsma of Taylor Ridge, IL, and Rita (Dan) DeGroot of Clarinda, IA; seven nieces and nephews which he treated as if they were his own: Christopher (Allison), and Nathan Heinzerling; Elizabeth Trampel (fiancé Tim); Melody Smith; Anna, Xavier, and Meredith DeGroot.
Preceding him in death were his paternal grandfathers, his paternal grandmother, an infant brother, and niece Jessica Heinzerling and a nephew Jacob Putney.