Mark was born and raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and attended Central Michigan University. He taught high school Social Studies in Greenville, MI for 16 years before moving to Colorado Springs, where he taught Social Studies at Lewis-Palmer High School for 23 years. Mark also coached track and football during his teaching career. He retired in June of 2021 after 39 years in education.
He is married to his wife Kim and they live in Erie, CO after she retired from a 30-year teaching career, all at Lewis-Palmer High School. His daughter Desi and her husband Mike are the parents of Mark and Kim's two granddaughters, Shirley and Dorothy.