Mark J Tschirhart

Mark Joseph Tschirhart, 62, of Woodstock, Illinois, passed away from cardiac failure on Monday February 12, 2024. Mark was born on July 1st, 1961 and grew up in Plymouth, Michigan. The fourth of six children (with four brothers and one sister), he and his siblings climbed trees, made forts, treehouses, and hang-gliders, and built wonderful family memories playing with each other, friends, neighbors, and their many cousins. Mark made many lifelong friends in his years in the Plymouth schools and maintained many of these friends through an active Facebook presence. A proud alumnus of The University of Michigan, Mark moved to Illinois with degree in hand and began his career as a technical writer. His natural engineering talent coupled with his communication skills led to a long and successful career in technical writing which culminated with Northrup Grumman the past 12 years. Mark was not afraid to tackle any household task and worked diligently on his homes doing electrical work, plumbing, and carpentry.

Mark liked nothing more than spending time with his family. Mark was devoted to family lore, and often visited elderly family members to collect their life histories. This knowledge was shared in a family genealogy site. A highlight of his year was a long weekend in Oscoda, Michigan which he spent with his son, brothers, and other friends. They were allegedly deer hunting but actually spent time target-shooting, hiking, fishing, and playing Euchre. It was understood that once the cars were parked, the deer were safe. Mark loved to read, watch movies, and was gifted at telling stories. He will be sorely missed.

Mark is survived by his son, James Tschirhart (Jislaine) of Chicago and his daughter Nina Takahashi (Tyler) and his beloved grandchildren Salem and Raya of Oceanside, California. He is also survived by his father James (Jean) of Naperville, Illinois (formerly of Plymouth, Michigan), and his siblings Dr. Patricia Spangler (Tom) of Bethesda, Maryland; Dr. Robert Tschirhart (Jaci) of Naperville; Philip Tschirhart of California, Maryland; and Dr. John Tschirhart (Karen Wang) of Seattle, Washington, and his beloved cats Spike and Leo. Mark is also survived by former wives Masako Takahashi and Debbie Valdez-Tschirhart.

Mark was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Joyce Tschirhart, and by his brother Dr. James Tschirhart.

There will be a funeral mass on Friday March 8,11 a.m., at Saint Raphael Catholic Church in Naperville, Illinois. This will be immediately followed by a memorial luncheon at Grace United Methodist Church in Naperville. Burial will be private and held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Northern Illinois Food Bank or the Helping Paws Animal Shelter.

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Friend and family may sign the online guestbook at www.saundersfhc.com

For more information, please call Saunders Funeral Home at (815) 420-3030.

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