Mark Andrew Smith, beloved father, brother, confidante, and friend, passed away due to a heart condition at age 60, on April 17, 2024 at the home he shared with his son, Dakota, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

Born on May 15, 1963 in Seoul, Korea to John and Leslie Smith, Mark had a life full of adventure, love, and service to the country he loved so very much.

He was born in Korea where his father was working in 1963, later lived in the Philippines, and several places around the San Francisco and Los Angeles area with his parents. Mark attended Simi Valley High, enlisted in the Army and began Basic Training in February 1982 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He was a helicopter mechanic and also served in Fort Eustis, Virginia, and Pyeongtaek, South Korea. From there he was assigned to Fort Ord, California in 1983 where he graduated NCO Academy and left with an Honorable Discharge in 1985. But he was not done with his military career by any means. He entered active duty in Fort Bliss Texas in 1985, then went to the Presidio of San Francisco as a student at the Defense Language Institute. In 1986 he reported to Goodfellow AFB in Texas as a Signals Intel Analyst and then was honorably discharged from Fort Hood, Texas in 1987. 

He then attended Washington Military Academy OCS at Camp Murray in Washington, attended Pierce College and transferred to California State University Sacramento with an Army ROTC Scholarship, graduating in May 1991 with a BA in History. He was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington then Fort Knox, Kentucky to attend Armor Officer Basic Course. He again was assigned to South Korea, where he was promoted to First Lieutenant. He was then assigned to Fort Irwin, California which is where he lived when he married Carmen Decker, the mother of his three sons. 

Mark’s military service took him many places in a variety of roles after that, including Company Commander at Fort Meade Maryland and intelligence analyst at the National Security Center. Amongst these assignments he earned his Air Assault, Parachutist and Crew Chief wings. He served in combat tours to Bosnia, Kuwait, and Iraq. The family moved to Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, and then eventually Colorado where he lived for 17 years. He retired from Active Duty in 2007. During his military service he also received a MA in Education, and after retiring he also attended University of the Rockies and completed another advanced degree in counseling.

Mark and his brother, Neil, spent their youth mostly in Simi Valley where the landscape included a great place for adventure as it was the setting for several TV westerns and various other movies. Mark spent many years as a Boy Scout and then later as Troop Leader for his sons. The motto “Be prepared” fit him perfectly. Being in service was just part of who Mark was through his lifetime. He even worked for the US Census and ran for a Board of Education seat, as well as working as a therapist after his retirement from the Army.

Mark was a curious traveler and had a long list of places he wanted to go and things he wanted to see. Of course the Army sent him to many places, but beyond that he also traveled to see friends and family around the world. He loved the learning that travel brought, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, it was a fascination with the world that we knew would mean more museum visits and stops at historical markers along the way.

Mark also loved stories in the form of books, movies and shows as well as conversations with family and friends. He came from a family of storytellers, and was a great one himself. He loved music, animals (pets and wildlife), and had a tight group of friends who were like family to him.

Mark was predeceased by his father, John who passed in 2017, and mother Leslie, who passed in 2022. He is survived by his three sons, Phineas, Aesop, and Dakota who all live in Colorado Springs, his brother Neil Smith of Simi Valley, California, sister Iris Harrison of Tualatin, Oregon, and his nephews Anthony Smith and Alec Christensen. Also mourning his loss are his extended family by marriage, including his niece and nephews, who loved him dearly.

Mark always signed off his letters with a wonderful quote to remember about life. “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

There will be a memorial service to honor his life and legacy in Colorado Springs on Saturday, May 18th, three days after what would have been his 61st birthday. 

A reception will be held after the service. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

Mark's presence is profoundly missed by all who loved him, not only on big occasions, but in those little ways he reached out to all of us by sending thoughtful messages, gifts for no reason at all, or a call just to catch up. We are blessed to have these memories and he will continue to live on in the hearts of his family, friends, and all the lives he touched.