Mark Kenneth Jurovich, 65, was unexpectedly called home by our heavenly Father on September 9, 2024. He is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Corina Jurovich, and their four children: Kirstinia, Victoria, Mikaela, and Mason Jurovich. He also leaves behind his younger brother Milan Jurovich, younger sister Linda Skelton, and older sister Kim Toscas, as well as their spouses, Holly Jurovich, Craig Skelton, and Jeff Toscas. Mark is also survived by his uncle Duke and aunt Sallie Bolich, cousin Ronald Jurovich, and many beloved nieces and nephews. Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Millard “Tritz” Peter Jurovich, Shirley Ann Jurovich, his grandma Kirstinia Jurovich, Uncle Radosave “Mudo” Jurovich, and cousin Craig Jurovich.
Mark was born on July 4th, 1959, in the quaint town of Thermopolis, Wyoming. This area of Wyoming held a special place in Mark’s heart throughout his life. Mark’s paternal grandparents came to America from Montenegro and settled in a small mining town outside of Thermopolis called Gebo (also the name of Mark’s dog). Gebo was a strong and proud coal mining community of immigrants also from Montenegro and other parts of Europe. As a kid, Mark enjoyed many summers in Thermopolis and Gebo visiting his grandma, Kirstinia. These summers were spent steeped in the language, food, and culture of the “old country”, instilling in Mark the values of success and an honorable legacy. Later in life, Mark was thrilled to be able to travel back to his birthplace and share his childhood stories with his family. Those Jurovich family road trips to Wyoming are special memories Corina and the kids will cherish forever.
Mark met Corina by chance at a restaurant in California called Bobby McGees. They both instantly knew they were meant for one another. On May 12, 1990 Mark and Corina were married at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. Mark was quite the romantic, writing Corina love letters throughout their marriage and dancing with her whenever he could. From carrying Corina through traffic to make it on time to a presidential inaugural ball, to holding her hand any chance he had, Corina was the love of his life and Mark was hers. Their marriage blessed them with four beautiful children and a journey full of adventure, joy, and an all-consuming love.
Mark loved his family with all of his heart. His selfless nature and love for his wife and family could not go unnoticed. Oftentimes, you would find Mark bringing lunch to Corina’s workplace just to spend more time with her, or you find him on the phone with his kids asking all about their day. When his kids were growing up, Mark didn’t miss a single sporting event, award ceremony, recital, or any other school activities.
Some of his passions included fishing, playing the drums, golf, woodwork and especially college football. Every year he would start a countdown to the next college football season as soon as the current season ended. He also enjoyed countless family movie nights where he would pop fresh popcorn for the whole family. Recently, Mark became quite the pitmaster, finding joy in perfecting his smoked brisket recipe, and lucky for his family, he did. He especially loved coaching youth sports whenever he could. Mark’s infectious smile, laugh, and countless jokes were sure to turn anyone’s day around.
Growing up, Mark excelled in both sports and academics. Being the son of an educator and football coach, his family lived in Wyoming, North Dakota, and eventually Downey, California. Starting as early as he could (3 years old), Mark developed a passion for football that led to him playing quarterback for Warren High school. As a top-performing student-athlete, he earned the honor of being inducted into the Los Angeles National Football Foundation Hall of Fame as a Scholar-Athlete in 1978.
After graduating from Warren High School, Mark was accepted to multiple prestigious universities such as Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Additionally, he received invitations to attend the Naval Academy, West Point, and the United States Air Force Academy. Following his passion for aviation and football, Mark chose to accept the appointment to the United States Air Force Academy where he continued playing quarterback. He later transferred to California State Polytechnic University Pomona because it was determined that his eyesight was not good enough to allow him to be a fighter pilot. He continued to pursue his passion for football. One of Mark’s previous coaches and good friend Dale Hoy noted “Mark loved the game and it showed in all he did as a player on and off the field. He was the type of young man that every coach would love to coach. First, he was a young man of outstanding character. He was a great competitor and leader. The type of leader who made everyone around him better. He played in a pro-style offense at Poly under the guidance of Head Coach Roman Gabriel, the 16-year veteran NFL star quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles. Mark absorbed that offense and ran it masterfully. His intellect and feel for the game moved Poly's offense to a new level when he took over the starting role at his position. He was a leader that players responded to without yelling or berating anyone. His teammates were confident in his quiet leadership because they always sensed in him his ability and determination to get the job done. He knew what everyone's job was on every play, essentially a coach on the field. Qualities he showed throughout his life because he truly was that man at his core.”
After earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science, Mark began his professional career at Rockwell International (Space Systems Division) as a Test Project engineer on the GPS II/IA Satellite. During his time at Rockwell, Mark was honored to receive the award of Engineer of the Year for the Space Systems Division. Mark continued his career becoming the Integrated Product Team Leader for the Boeing Satellite Ground Control System where he received the NAVSTAR GPS Satellite Superstar Award and Rockwall GPS Sustained Superior Performance award. In January of 1996, he became the Senior Manager of the Boeing Satellite and Ground Control System where he directed system tests for ARGOS (Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite), while simultaneously earning his Law degree at the La Verne College of Law in California. In the year 2000, Mark became the Vice President and General Manager of Aeroflex Test Solutions where he managed business operations for high-speed R/F and Microwave product lines. Mark and his family moved to Texas in 2008, where he established his professional legacy at National Instruments.
Alexandra Kahn, former National Instruments Associate General Counsel and Director of Trade Compliance, has shared some insight on his time at NI: “Mark served as Director of Global Trade Compliance at National Instruments, where he worked for over a decade. He was a friend and mentor, more than a boss or co-worker, who always took a personal interest in his colleagues and employees, to whom he offered optimism, calm reassurance, empathy, and heartfelt support. Mark was knowledgeable about all the esoteric aspects of U.S. export compliance and controlled technologies, drawing on his years of experience in aerospace engineering and his legal education. As a leader in a US high-tech company, he protected our country's national security interests while pragmatically supporting business goals. Mark was a natural-born teacher, giving lectures at NI Week and to sales teams in Shanghai, Beijing, and Kunming, China on practical aspects of trade compliance. He always encouraged his "students" to think carefully about the intended use of the products, encouraging them to "do the work" to help the NI Trade Compliance team review potential exports. Mark and the Ni Trade Compliance team traveled the world to offices in Hungary, China, and Malaysia to support business operations.” Mark always had a smile and positive spirit for the team and continued to play the role of “quarterback” for his colleagues, always helping others achieve their dreams and goals.
Mark loved his family and friends with all of his heart. His joy, smile, guidance, and hugs will be deeply missed, but because of his following for Jesus Christ, the family takes comfort in knowing Mark is smiling down from Heaven with his heavenly father beside him.
The celebration of his life will take place at the Bee Cave Campus of Austin Ridge Bible Church (Building A) on October 13, 2024 at 3:00 pm. In honor of Mark, please wear the colors of your favorite college football team.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIOCOMPARTA
v.1.12.0