Mark Thomas De Angelis

Mark Thomas De Angelis
August 8, 1955 – October 16, 2025
Mark Thomas De Angelis, age 70, passed away on October 16, 2025, at ProHealth Angels Grace Hospice in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. He was born on August 8, 1955 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Frank and Lucille (Lucy) De Angelis, and was the middle child between older sister Lynn and younger sister Jane.
Mark spent his childhood in Muskego, Wisconsin, first at a home near Linnie Lac, and later at a small, 6-acre farm near Muskego High School. He attended Mill Valley Elementary School, St. Leonard Catholic School and graduated from Muskego High School in 1974. He married Robin Lee Severson in 1975, and three children, Michael (b. 1975), Rebecca (b. 1977) and Robert (b. 1978), soon followed. After Robin's passing in 1982, Mark raised his three children alone as a single parent. Later in life, Mark enjoyed much happiness in a relationship with his life-long friend and companion, Piper Sheahan.
Mark's earliest career, besides hard farm work at home, was during high school as a cook at various locations of Dutchland Dairy Stores and at Tuckaway Country Club.
After high school, Mark worked for several years as a pattern maker, and would often later describe with pride the complicated and intricate patterns he designed and created. In 1983, he began a 35-year career working at the Components Division of RTE / Cooper Power Systems / Eaton in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He moved from the test floor to press operator and eventually to receiving inspection, where he was responsible for calibration of gauges and for CMM programming among several other job duties.
In 2018, Mark moved to V & L Tool, Inc. located in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he continued to hone his CMM programming skills until his retirement in February 2023. Mark had a very strong work ethic, and was known to be someone that was hard-working and reliable, someone who paid attention to details, and someone who rarely took a sick day (even when he probably should have!).
Mark was a very devoted father who made sure his children rarely missed a soccer practice, music lesson or school activity. He shared his love of nature and exploration with his children on multiple cross-country camping trips, and taught them important practical life skills like cooking, cleaning, fishing, gardening, knitting, composting, reusing old things, how to change the oil, how to care for others, and how to be self-reliant in all things!
Mark was known to be a frugal "saver" who loved to stockpile when he found a good deal, but he was always generous with his willingness to help others, to laugh and help others to laugh, and to provide calm reassurance when it was needed. He was able to solve most problems with his mind and his own two hands, and taught others to trust in their ability to do the same. While he was not a very strong reader, he nonetheless was extremely well read and broadly educated.
On the surface it may have appeared to some that he lived an austere life of self-sacrifice, but he did not see his life this way. He was a happy and content person with little regret or doubt about the choices he made in his life. He lived the way he wanted to live.
He will be sorely missed by the people that he loved and who loved him.
Mark is survived by his children Michael (Jimena) De Angelis, Rebecca De Angelis and Robert De Angelis; his grandchildren Manuel Schick-Alba, MaKayla (Matt) Harder, Sebastian Wilcox, Emmalisa (Johnny) Thurston and Parker De Angelis; his sister Jane De Angelis; his brother-in-law Devan Gracyalny; his nephews Steven (Luisa) Sheahan and Matthew Gracyalny; his niece Jeanne (Doug) Higgins; his uncle Earl (Butch) Dick; his aunt Joyce Lapinski; many beloved cousins; and his long-time friend and companion, Piper Sheahan.
Mark was preceded in death by his former wife Robin; his parents Frank and Lucille De Angelis, his sister Lynn Gracyalny; and several beloved aunts and uncles.