Mark A. Smith

Mark A. Smith, age 66, fought a heroic and courageous four-year battle with cancer before leaving us Dec. 16, 2024.

He was born June 8, 1958, in Milwaukee.

Mark graduated from Port Washington High School with the Class of 1976.

He worked for several decades as a quality technician for local manufacturers. In later years, he returned to school to earn his associate degree in HVAC, retiring from HVAC in 2020.

Mark is survived by his children Ariel (Aaron Perringer) and Austin Smith; beloved life partner Deb Piechowski; grandchildren Ace and Aizen Perringer; brother Grant (Dawn) Smith; sister Leslie (Steve) Hughes; nieces and nephews Danielle, Eric and Ben Hughes and Taylor and Courtney Smith; and stepdaughter Amanda (Brett) Cottrell, as well as many friends and other relatives.

He was proceeded in death by his parents Rodney and Carol Smith and sister Wendy Smith.

He used every opportunity he had to explore the wonders of nature with Deb. They loved the mountains and deserts of the American West and Southwest, traveling with their travel trailer and trusted truck. He was fortunate to be able to travel for months at a time.

Mark was an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing, boating, camping and hiking. In his younger days he would hitchhike across the country with friends. Mark went on many backpacking and camping adventures to Devil’s Lake and the Wisconsin Dells with his brother-in-law Steve and friends Dan Dekker and Bob Heikkinen.  Mark spent countless evenings around campfires with family and friends. He was a Green Bay Packers fan and often watched games with friends and family. Mark loved music, and most people who knew him could tell by how loud he would crank his tunes, no matter where he went.

If you were a friend of Mark’s, you were a longtime friend. He had friends from childhood and was loyal to all. Mark would help you out anytime and was very generous with time and skill.

Mark was an accomplished artist. He drew and painted awesome natural scenery, birds of prey, ferocious animals and Native American heritage. His artistic story had been featured in Ozaukee Press in recent years. He loved sharing his art with friends, family and strangers along his travel journey. He loved his family and most importantly his grandsons Ace and Aizen Perringer. Regardless of his sickness, he beamed with happiness when he was around them and sharing their photos with everyone. He had a never-ending love for his son Austin and daughter Ariel. Some of his most treasured memories were of the time spent with his children fishing and traveling together.

Per his wishes, a celebration of life will be held in June 2025.