Mark Verlin Belgarde

1959 - 2018

Mark Verlin Belgarde July 3, 1959 July 4, 2018 Mark passed away at his home in San Rafael, CA enveloped by his immediate family and dear friends. Mark was born in Redwood City, CA to Verlin and Mary Wald Belgarde. He grew up in Billings, MT and graduated in 1977 from Billings West High School, where he was an outstanding student athlete lettering in football, basketball and baseball. He was a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, a proud member of the 1976 American Legion Montana State Champion Scarlets baseball team and was a selection to the 1977 High School All American football class. He graduated from Stanford University in 1982 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and was an active member of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity. Mark met his wife Kim Eichhoff at Stanford's overseas program in Vienna, Austria in 1980. They married in San Diego on May 27, 1989 and in 1990 moved from San Francisco to San Rafael, CA, where they made their home and raised their two sons Brian and Graham. Mark enjoyed a successful career as an engineering consultant, retiring in 2013 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of WSP-USA/Flack+Kurtz. He was known for his project and office management skills and his talent for hiring, mentoring and developing young engineers. Mark's first love was baseball, a love fostered by his father, who was among his early coaches. Mark passed this love on to his own sons, with whom he was fortunate to enjoy San Francisco Giants World Series Championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Mark will be remembered for his unfailingly steady demeanor, his eye-rolling humor, his relentless ribbing, his unconstrained friendship, and his deep desire to provide for Kim, Brian and Graham. He was happiest walking the Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow Divide with Kim and their beloved dog Erin, watching or attending sporting events with Brian and Graham, holding court at home with family and friends, and being amidst one of his close circles of friends, most notably his fraternity brothers, his Power softball team, his Stanford tailgate buddies and his longtime work colleagues. Mark coached Little League baseball, loved to cook, was a lifelong student of history, and enjoyed playing golf. Mark is survived by his parents Verlin and Mary Belgarde of Billings, MT; his adored wife Kim and sons Brian and Graham; his siblings Karla (Cory) Sokoloski, Bruce (Jennifer) Belgarde, Wayne (Darcy) Belgarde and Michelle Nichols; his nine nephews and nieces Ryan (My-Phuong) Stewart, Lauren Stewart, Brock (Jenny) Belgarde, Kelsey (Kerstan) Sokoloski, McKenna Belgarde, Madison (Carlos) Najar, and Dustan, Payton and Isabella Nichols; and his six great nephews and nieces Cruz, Kyle, Tyler, Camila, Ellie and Marin. Mark's family invites anyone who knew and loved Mark to attend a memorial service at The Chapel of the Holy Rosary at St. Vincent's School for Boys, San Rafael, CA on Friday, July 27, at 11:00 am. A reception will follow at the McInnis Park Club. For those wishing to make a charitable donation in Mark's memory, please consider contributing to the St. Vincent's School for Boys Building Fund, 1 St. Vincent Drive, San Rafael, CA, 94903, Attention: Kent. Assisted by Monte's Chapel of the Hills, San Anselmo