Mark Kenneth Lesh

Mark "the shark" Kenneth Lesh (CPA, MBA), a civil engineer, tax and investment consultant, and avid sportsman, died Friday, Aug. 23, at his home in Downers Grove, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 72.

During his corporate career, Mark held various leadership and managerial roles in the natural gas and pipeline industry, investing so well in the markets that he could "retire" in his mid-40s. Then, he became an entrepreneur and ran a boutique tax preparation and investment service for clients, friends, and family. He continued his finance work until days before he passed. The cause of death was cancer.

He traveled the world and lived abroad, but his most significant role, in his opinion, came to him in his last decade when he became known as "Grandpa Shark." He had many passions, including finance, skiing, golf, and water volleyball, but nothing equaled his devotion to his family and friends.

Mark was a devoted father and grandfather who sat front and center attending football, volleyball, cheerleading, basketball, swimming, diving, orchestra, choir, figure skating, ballet, graduations, and award ceremonies--he has all the playbills, news clippings, photos, and cowbells to prove it. All five of his grandchildren--Elin, Axel, Ilsa, and Aila Carlson, and Kaia Biederstadt--spent meaningful time with him during his last week. Mark was cheered by their colorful cards, sweet notes, and poignant drawings taped to the fireplace in his beloved den, where he could watch his hummingbirds from his favorite easy chair and couch.

In his final weeks, his grandchildren brought him much-needed comfort and joy. From holding his 3-month-old granddaughter to sharing stories of his grandfather's prized WWI possessions as he passed them down to his grandson, his granddaughters all echoed, "We love Grandpa Shark so much in our hearts."

"My dad was the kind of father who made learning an adventure and growing up a joy. He'd read us Dave Barry and P.J. O'Rourke for bedtime stories, stay up late helping with school projects, and beam with pride at our every accomplishment," observed his older daughter, Michele Lesh Carlson. "His love was in the little things - I called him every morning, excitedly, 'Hi Daddy, it's me!' and we would chat about anything from current events to 401ks, tech stocks, adventures in customer service, the "grand sharks," or any upcoming presentations I was giving at work. Whatever the event, he always promised to be there 'with bells on' for every special moment.

"Every chance he had, my dad would proudly introduce Kristin (Lesh Biederstadt, his younger daughter) and me as his 'lovely daughters.' He guided us with gentle wisdom, letting us make our own mistakes, but was always there to catch us when we fell. From discussing Tom Sawyer and Catcher in The Rye over dinner to sharing exam week horror stories in college, he nurtured our curiosity and challenged us to excel," she added. "When I would doubt myself in school or work - he would only say things like, 'You're smart, you'll figure it out, you have great DNA, you have done this before, nah - of course they love you, well that doesn't seem right - you can fix it, you're great at talking through these things.' For the rest of my life, my heart will carry a shark-sized hole; he knew exactly how to cheer me up, make me believe in myself, and give me a nudge in the right direction.

"Dad wasn't just proud of us; he was our biggest fan and our fiercest supporter. We danced to Loudon Wainwright at my wedding: 'That's my daughter in the water. Everything she knows I taught her.' And my dad taught us everything he knew about how to enjoy life, to continue learning, and to appreciate family - as he frequently said, 'It doesn't take a village, it takes a family.'"

Mark was born on June 22, 1952, the son of Michael J. Lesh and Georgiann Egloff Lesh, in Alexandria, Louisiana, while his father was serving in the U.S. Air Force for three years during the Korean War. After the war, Mark and his younger sister, Carolyn, lived briefly in Champaign while their father finished his degree at the University of Illinois.

The family moved to Downers Grove in 1957, a village where family members have lived since 1904. He was active in Little League and Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in Pack 57 at the age of 13.

Mark was a natural entrepreneur. At age 8, he started a newspaper route, rising at 5 a.m. to fold and wrap papers before getting on his bike to deliver them. When his younger sister, Mary Kathryn Lesh, was born in 1961, he charged neighborhood kids a dime to look at her in her crib and a quarter to hold her until his horrified mother discovered his business transactions and made him return the money.

He attended Whittier and Fairmount grade schools and O'Neill Middle School. His mother worked as a speech therapist in District 58 in Downers Grove, and his father worked as a CPA in the railroad industry. He started his freshman year at Downers Grove South High School before his accountant father moved the family to Chittagong, East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, in 1966.

While their father worked as a management consultant for Booz, Allen & Hamilton in Chittagong, Mark and his sister attended a boarding school, Lahore American School, in Pakistan. They rejoined their family when their father transferred to a new job in Tehran, Iran. While there, the three Lesh children attended the Tehran American School, where their mother taught third grade. Mark played quarterback in high school football and was the starting center on the basketball team.

In 1969, the family relocated to Topeka, Kansas, where Mark graduated from Topeka West High School in 1970. He attended the University of Kansas, where he joined the Theta Tau fraternity, and graduated in 1974 with a double BS degree in Civil Engineering and Business Administration. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1977, the same year he earned his MBA in Finance from DePaul University.

"My brother was one year and 11 days older than me and knew me longer than anyone on the planet. For his entire life, he was my protector. Big and strong, he let no one mess with me," said his sister, Carolyn Lesh Rowley. "When we first moved to Downers Grove when he was 4 years old, I was sad and pouting, because I missed our old home. So, Mark got on his trike, found Pam Thoman (Mattice) down the street, and brought her to me. 'Here's a friend for you,' he told me, and Pam and I are the best of friends 68 years later. People often asked me if it was difficult attending four high schools in three countries, with a stint at a boarding school. It never was, because of Mark. No matter what school we transferred to, we always went together, and Mark made it an adventure. He always fit right in--football team, basketball team, a guy's guy, who made friends right away. All the most popular girls in the grade above me always were exceptionally nice to me.

"Throughout his life, Mark took care of me and our baby sister, Mary Kathryn, who grew up to be the smartest sibling. She graduated from the University of Southern California. When she died in a parachuting accident in 1984, we flew out to LA to claim her body and hold a visitation for her friends there. Mark had to stay behind in Chicago to prepare for her funeral in Downers Grove. Then, when our family was grieving, it was Mark who stepped up to drive to California with Barb to close down Mary's estate and home. He wished to be buried by her and other family members in Clarendon Hills.

"When our father was dying from cancer 20 years ago, Mark and I cared for him at his home in Topeka so that he never had to go to the hospital. We were with Daddy when he took his last breath. I will be eternally grateful I was able to spend the last two weeks of his life with Mark," added Carolyn, who stayed at Mark's house and helped care for him in the final days. "He helped our family in ways I could list for pages. He advised my husband, Bob, how best to handle taxes, investments, and our financial affairs. They talked often, and Bob would tell me that Mark would end many visits or conversations with these words: 'Take care of my sister.'"

Mark started his career in Chicago at what became the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, where he worked in managerial roles as an engineer and accountant for more than 20 years. In 1982, he married Barbara Vosicky, a teacher in District 58. They settled in Downers Grove. Their first daughter, Michele Kathryn Lesh, was born in 1984, and their second daughter, Kristin Nicole Lesh, was born in 1986. They were involved and devoted parents, and although they parted ways later, Barb and Mark remained dear friends and loved co-grandparenting together.

Mark's love of family was central to one of his life's most significant career decisions: leaving his long-time company when he faced a mandatory transfer to Houston. He quit rather than uproot his family from Downers Grove, deciding he had enough money from his investments to support his family with an early retirement.

Mark enjoyed a few years of complete retirement, traveling, playing golf, and taking long ski trips to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jimmy Buffett was his soundtrack, always playing in the background, and Mark loved the Buffet worldview of living life to the fullest, attending many "Parrothead" concerts back in the day. HIs grandchildren caught on and called Buffett "Jimmy Muffin." For years, Mark took cherished road trips throughout the western states to ski with his daughter, Michele, and her husband, Bobby Carlson, who gave him the nickname "Mark the Shark" for his distinctive skiing style. While they skied many mountains, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was always home with The Hostel, which served as the backdrop for many late nights playing Hearts and ping-pong or singing karaoke. Their stories about skiing with Mark the Shark are legendary.

Retirement only suited Mark for a short time. To his surprise, he found a new passion: Preparing tax returns and offering investment advice. He started with just a few family members and tried to keep his clientele under 50, yet it kept growing. In many ways, it was the perfect job for him: He worked less than half the year, could work from his home office, didn't have a boss, and didn't have to travel for work. And yet--for him, it wasn't work--Mark had immense fun, challenging Uncle Sam to reduce his friends' and family's tax burden; he was an expert accountant with swift intellect, unrivaled precision, and a dose of creativity. He shared a love of all things accounting and numbers with his daughter, Kristin. Mark truly loved his clients, who would regularly call and drop by for a visit to consult with him on all matters of personal finance and to share an occasional libation. His clients called year-round for advice, which he gave freely.

Even in his last week, he followed the markets from the opening to the closing bells, posting his stocks daily. He avidly studied all the latest tax, legal, and political developments to help his family, friends, and clients. For decades, he enjoyed helping his clients make intelligent investment decisions and manage their personal and business taxes--Mark always wanted the best for everyone around him.

Throughout his life, Mark, at 6'4", was a natural athlete who was always in good shape. He ran the Chicago Marathon, meeting his personal goal of finishing in just over four hours. He religiously played water volleyball at Huntington Swim & Tennis Club, where he was a long-time member and played as recently as June 2024. Mark prided himself on his home and yard--insisting on maintaining everything independently. He liked doing his chores and being outdoors. Every spring, he diligently planted new flowers on his deck, maintained many houseplants, and in the last few months, Mark could be found on his roof cleaning cicadas from his gutters with a leaf blower--to which his long-time neighbor lovingly said: "Mark, get down from there!"

Mark was diagnosed with cancer on July 22. Even less than two weeks before he died, he worked through his pain to finish tax returns and extensions for clients. Mark's enormous heart and concern for others lasted until his last moments when he answered emails and made calls. He declined all pain medication until his final days and, just as he had hoped, remained in the home he loved.

In life and in death, he did it his way.

Mark was a past member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Illinois Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Illinois Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His awards include the Haskins & Sells Accounting Award and numerous trophies in golf and basketball.

Survivors include daughters Michele Lesh Carlson (Robert) of Downers Grove and Kristin Lesh Biederstadt (Michael of Lisle); granddaughter Elin Carlson, grandson Axel Carlson, and granddaughters Ilsa Carlson, Aila Carlson, and Kaia Biederstadt; sister Carolyn Lesh Rowley (Storer) of Evanston, the beloved Barbara Vosicky of Downers Grove, nephew Alexander Peace-Vosicky of Chicago, and nieces Mary Rowley of Chicago and Elizabeth Rowley (Gui Brito) of Clermont, FL.

He was preceded in death by parents, Michael Joseph Lesh and Georgiann Egloff Lesh, and sister, Mary Kathryn Lesh.

Mark "The Shark" leaves behind a vast and deep legacy. His life story, the grandest of "shark lore," is one of unwavering devotion to family, life-long friendships, and a commitment to helping others that knew no bounds. Those whose lives he touched--from loved ones to clients--will gather to toast a truly remarkable man. Smiles will light the room recalling passionate debates that stretched into the wee hours, discussions that danced from market trends to political ideologies, from complex tax strategies to the perfect ski run. Together, we'll feel the echoes of his laughter, the warmth of his presence, and remember how he infused every aspect of life--be it business or pleasure--with an infectious enthusiasm. Mark's memory will live on in the hearts he inspired, the minds he challenged, the lives he enriched--a testament to a life lived with purpose, passion, and zest for all that made him uniquely "The Shark."

VISITATION

Visitation will be from noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at Modell Funeral Home, 7710 South Cass Ave., Darien. A private burial is planned at Clarendon Hills Cemetery.

DONATIONS

Mark was a friend to all animals. He is survived by his 30-year-old "tax turtle," Birdie, who kept him company in the office, and he was preceded in death by his beloved dogs Taurus and Swayze. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mark's memory to the West Suburban Humane Society, 1901 W. Ogden Avenue (Route 34, at Stonewall), Downers Grove. Checks can be made payable to the West Suburban Humane Society. You can also go to their website ( https://wshs-dg.org ) and click "Get involved," and then "Donate." Or scroll down to the "Send Supplies" link for more options.