Mark Alan Stanke, 52, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., left this world on Friday, December 19, 2014 after a courageous battle with cancer surrounded by the family and friends he loved. Husband of Elizabeth, father of Brooke and Alec, Mark will be greatly missed by them and by his extended family.
Mark was born on March 2, 1962, in Oakland, California, the son of Robert Stanke and Portia Wassman Stanke, who moved their family to Independence, Missouri in 1969. Mark was an awarded athlete in high school and college. While playing football for Truman High School, he was an All Area and All Conference 1st Team Offense and Missouri High School All Star Team. Mark was also an All American Junior Olympic volleyball player, and played on the national tournament championship team in 1980. At Graceland University, he played both football and volleyball and was Heart of America All-Conference his junior and senior years. Mark worked at Chrysler Corporation for 15 years before becoming a partner at ProCorp Images and Team Heads.
Mark loved watching his son play football at Washington University in St. Louis and was very proud of his daughter’s accomplishments as an artist. He was also a passionate supporter of his twelve nieces and nephews, attending many of their sporting events.
He was an avid hunter and fisherman, spending summers at their camp on Bog Lake in Northfield, Maine, and many hunting seasons at the family farm in northern Missouri. Additionally, he loved his Hawaiian heritage and visiting his Kon family in the islands.
Mark leaves behind a legacy of love, honor, hard work, intelligence, humor, friendship, strength, insight and a deep and warm quality of caring for others. He was well regarded by many as a kind friend who went out of his way to make others feel cared for. Most important to him was his family-his selfless commitment to his wife, children and extended family will live on through them.
