David Mark

David Lee Mark was born on May 7, 1935 to Louis and Vera Mark in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. David graduated high school in Rice Lake and attended St. Olaf College for two years, then graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1959. After graduation he worked for the Wisconsin State Highway Department for three years. In 1962 he moved to Seattle, Washington to work for the Boeing Company and while there met his future wife, Marie Soderlund. They were married June 1, 1963 in Seattle and went to live in Gunnison, Colorado while he worked on a dam on the Gunnison River. From there David worked in New Mexico, then an engineering consulting firm in Rapid City, South Dakota, a dam in Arizona, the Corps of Engineers in Sacramento and around the state on several dams and at Fort Ord overseeing building construction. Next was a move to Germany to work for 17 years on NATO projects and military construction in Europe and Turkey, to include housing, hospitals, etc.

While in Germany, David and Marie traveled throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. David served as President of the American Society of Civil Engineers in Germany. He served as VP and President of the English-speaking church we attended. He also served on the Outreach Committee for several years at church and made many trips to newly opened Slovakia making deliveries of food, medicines, library and school supplies to American teachers in several Christian schools in that country. David was invited to go to China on the Citizen Ambassador Program with other dam and tunnel engineers giving presentations at universities, Three Gorges Dam during construction, etc. Marie joined him on this trip.

After retirement Dave was asked to return to Germany to work on projects in Germany, Hungary and Serbia. He also worked on consulting projects in Sudan (making new water proof bricks), Kenya and Guinea, Africa. He oversaw construction of the Raymond, Washington, water system. David and Marie traveled during these years around the US and the world.

David continued to serve in many capacities at the churches we attended. He was always volunteering at church, served on the Lutherwood Church Camp board for several years, food bank during construction and helped neighbors. He had no children but we had foster children for four years in California and hosted numerous exchange students in Washington.

He is preceded in death by his parents and sister. David is survived by his wife, Marie, brother and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 21,2026 beginning at 1:00 at Freeborn Lutheran Church at 2416 300th St., NW, Stanwood.