Mark Thacher

Mark Thacher was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 12, 1952, to Gina Elsa Mogentale and Richard Edmonds Thacher. He was raised in the south Chicago neighborhood of Roseland, where he attended Mendel Catholic High School, a college preparatory school for boys. He participated in band, hockey, French Club, and the yearbook committee. After high school, he enrolled at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Later he transferred to Shimer, a small liberal arts college in Mount Carroll, Illinois. While there, Mark interned for college president Ralph Conant, helped run the radio station, was active in organizing fundraisers, and participated in the Shimer abroad program in Oxford, England. After graduation in 1975, he was a community organizer in Harvey, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, before he moved back to the city. There, Mark found his true career in financial services which began as a runner on the Chicago Stock Exchange. Mark later became a financial advisor and tax preparer working in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois, where he owned an H&R Block franchise for several years in Savanna. He loved his work but had many other interests which included classical music (especially Beethoven's symphonies), church choir, travel(Europe and Greece), history (particularly Churchill and Lincoln), art, theater, and architecture. He volunteered for many years as a tour guide on the Culture Bus Tours in Chicago. Mark also enjoyed walks, tennis, and going to the Indiana Dunes for swims and hikes. He was a lifelong fan of the Bears and Cubs, and enjoyed seeing the teams win the Super Bowl and the World Series. While living on Waveland Avenue, only blocks from Wrigley Field, he could hear the roar of the crowd from his apartment window and attended many games in the left field bleachers. Mark's pride in his Northern Italian heritage was reflected in his passion for cooking and interest in wine. His Nona (grandma) and his Zia (aunt) served up delicious traditional dishes, shaping his love of food and the way he savored life. Mark Thacher passed from this life in Elgin, Illinois, on December 7, 2025, at age 73. He was predeceased by his parents, his grandmother Secondina Mogentale Forte, great uncle Bob Costa, his aunt Irene Mogentale Devanis, her husband, Thomas Devanis, and his mother-in-law, Jean (Penny) Bess. Mark will be missed by his family: Ivy Devanis McMurtrey (Mark), Loren Thacher, Penny Thacher, Megan Thacher Carty (Ryan), and grandchildren, Ivan and Liev Carty. A private family commemoration will be held at a later date. Donations can be made in his name for the Oak Hill Cemetery gravestone restoration fund, at the Mount Carroll City Hall