Mark Andrew Mansfield

Mark Andrew Mansfield
December 24, 1977 - January 22, 2023
Overland Park, Kansas - Mark Andrew Mansfield was born in Kingman, KS on December 24, 1977. He attended grade school in Garnett, KS and completed junior high and high school in Clay Center, KS. He played football in Clay Center and also had his first job in a kitchen washing dishes at the Clay Center Country Club.
Mark left Clay Center to attend the University of Kansas. He graduated in 2001 with a BA in Psychology. While in college Mark worked at the Wagon Wheel Café. After graduation he found himself back in the kitchen working at Wheatfields and then Tellers while also picking up shifts at Louise's Downtown.
Mark was at home in the kitchen. He enjoyed the fast pace and the camaraderie of the staff. The heat from the stoves didn't bother him and he wore the burn marks that the pans seared up and down his forearms like badges of honor. He graduated from the Pacific Culinary Institute in Vancouver, B.C in 2004.
If you ate at any of the best restaurants in the KC metro area over the last couple decades, then you probably had a meal prepared for you by Mark. He worked at the Justus Drugstore in Smithville, at 40 Sardines and Michael Smith's, and was sous-chef at Voltaire for a number of years. He also managed Lulu's Thai Noodle Shop at various times and various locations.
Mark enjoyed living in the city, both on the westside and downtown. Whether it was walking his brindle pit bull named Belle or riding his Vespa to the Westside Local for a drink he felt at home in the city. Mark loved going to see live music both locally and around the country. He had a wide range of musical tastes and always sought out new artists that spoke to him.
Mark was a loyal friend to many and had a real sense of fairness that motivated him. He could be extremely stubborn when he set his mind to something and if you crossed him he did not mind mixing it up. He enjoyed traveling, usually on his own. He would frequently drive out west - camping, hiking, biking and 4-Wheeling along the way. To him getting lost was just part of the journey. He also explored Thailand, Cuba, and Mexico.
Mark always showed up, whether it was for his siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews or friends. He was the epitome of the cool uncle. He was a formidable opponent in cribbage while being a patient teacher, referred to by one of his cousins as the "white whale" who couldn't be beat.
An emotional regulator, he had a knack for bringing the right energy at the right time. Count yourself lucky if you have a Mark in your life. He made outsiders feel like insiders. He showed up when he knew he could be present and set strong boundaries if he felt he couldn't be his best self.
Predeceased by his father, Charlie Mansfield in 2020; he is survived by his mother, Sylvia; brother, Adam, and sister-in-law, Anne; nephews, Louis and Zachary; sister, Megan, and brother-in-law, Christer, and nieces Hadlee and Ellie.
Mark's Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, April 22. Family and friends can reach out to the Mansfield family at Markmansfield2023@gmail.com to receive more details.
Memorial gifts can be made to the charity of your choice (as long as it's one Mark would approve) or to the Charlie Mansfield Memorial Scholarship at Baker University, online https://www.bakeru.edu/forever-orange-home/give-now/ or via check to Baker University, P.O. Box 65, Baldwin City, Kansas 66006.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mcgilleyhoge.com for the Mansfield family.