Mark Matthew Petesch Sr., age 64, of Chambersburg, PA, passed away on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center after a short battle with cancer.
Born January 14, 1959, in Atchison, KS, Mark was the son of Matthew and Ruth (Randall) Petesch. He married Darlene (Semon) Wallace on August 6, 1999. She survives at the home.
In 1976 at 17 years old Mark enlisted in the Army National Guard to serve his country. After 29 years of service with the 714th Maintenance Company, he retired in 2005, with most of his time spent at MATES (Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site) based out of Ft. Riley, KS. In 2006 he moved to Virginia to work for the Dept. of the Army at Arlington National Cemetery and he was very proud of his time there. In 2010 and 2011, he served two different deployments as a civilian contractor in Iraq. He later moved to Pennsylvania to work for Letterkenny Army Depot, where he worked until recently as a leader for heavy mobile equipment. He enjoyed his time at Letterkenny and considered them his work family. He was proud of his time serving his country where he got to travel the world and meet lifelong friends.
He enjoyed being around people and was the life of the party, however he found solace in the garage, alone, working on classic Chevy cars. He spent many hours in the garage doing mechanical and restorative work, which was his true passion in life. He once said he charged extra to work on Fords because they were a waste of his time. When others saw a worn old car, he saw the value of breathing life into something long forgotten. Ultimately his greatest characteristic was to see past the imperfections and its cars true potential. Mark had a passion for classic car shows and was in the process of restoring his 1968 Chevelle before his passing. His dream after retirement was to attend classic car shows with his wife, Darlene, with his restored 1968 Chevelle.
Mark had a childlike sense of humor, he was witty and a bit sarcastic, he knew no stranger. Mark’s charismatic and outgoing personality would light up a room. He was a friend to many but was not afraid to speak his mind. A devout and loving father, he adored his two amazing daughters, he was proud of his daughter Amy when she graduated with her bachelor’s then earning her master’s degree. His dying wish was to see his daughter April complete her college degree and to lead a fulfilling life. He taught his son how to be a loving father and husband while teaching him how to be a man, from sweating copper to rebuilding an Edelbrock 650 on a small block Chevy.
Beneath the rough hands and broken knuckles, the battle scars of a lifelong mechanic, he had an incredible softness in his heart. He loved spending the little moments in life with his loving wife Darlene. You could always count on him to sit down for a good conversation, jokes, and a cold Budweiser beer.
Survivors include his wife, Darlene; a son, Mark Petesch (Melissa); daughters, Amy Stutzman (Alvin) and April Petesch; stepson, Brandon, and stepdaughter Taryn; seven grandchildren:
Harold, Dominic, August, Elsie, Lucious, Ava, Arya; and his brothers and sisters, Marcia, Kenny, Jimmy, Sharon, Rosemary, Sandra (Brian), Katherine (John), Dawn (Roy), Deede (Ed), Jackie (Ken), and many nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Matthew and Ruth Petesch, and his brother-in-law, Brent.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego. A visitation will be held on December 16, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. until service time. A graveside interment with Military Honors by the U. S. Army National Guard Funeral Detail and the American Legion Post No. 172 will be in the Wamego City Cemetery.
Memorial donations are not suggested. Funeral arrangements are in the care of Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home, Wamego, KS 66547. Online condolences may be made at www.campanellastewart.com
