Mark Anthony Coronado, 59, born April 14, 1958, in Phoenix, Arizona, to Ruben and Caroline Coronado, passed away peacefully with his son at his side on Thursday, June 15th. Mark was known by friends and family as a cheerful, loyal man who was quick to offer his time and resources to help those in need. To the community, he was known as an ambitious, gifted leader who tirelessly worked to improve the quality of life for all families in the West Valley. In his formative years, Mark developed his passion for playing the game he loved, the game that would define his legacy, baseball. After his college baseball career ended, Mark took his talents to politics. He proudly served as an intern to the Minority Leader in the House, Congressman John Rhodes, in Washington DC. During this time, Mark said he learned the importance of compromise and cooperation from the Congressman, which served him well throughout his career. He then went on to mentor young men and women across the Valley as a dedicated baseball and softball coach for many years. In 1992, Mark began his successful career in parks and recreation with the City of Peoria. There, Mark gained the experience and made the connections necessary to begin work to make the dream of the Surprise Recreation Campus in Surprise, Arizona a reality. Mark was instrumental in bringing the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals to their new spring training home. Beginning in 2000 and continuing until his passing, Mark served the people of Surprise as the Director of Community & Recreation Services Department, while simultaneously serving at various times as the Interim City Manager, Acting Economic Development Director, and Acting Communications Director. His pedigree and effectiveness as a leader made him a fitting and highly impactful President of the Cactus League from 2012-2016. Mark was honored to help facilitate the continued growth and development of spring training baseball throughout the Valley of the Sun. Mark also pioneered opportunities for children to participate in a wide-range of recreational sports and after school programs and successfully brought professional tennis to Surprise with the construction of the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Center, home to the CTCA Championships, and hosted Special Olympics for a number of years. Mark was instrumental in making the City of Surprise a sports destination. He was also a member of the Phoenix Regional Sports Commission, National Parks and Recreation Association, and Arizona Parks and Recreation Association. In 2015, he was recognized as one of the most influential businessmen in sports along with Michael Bidwell and Robert Sarver. Mark aimed to provide families of the West Valley safe places to create lasting memories including children with learning challenges through construction of Dreamcatcher Park, a fully accessible athletic field. Mark is survived by his son Matthew, sister Alice, and brothers Richard and Tommy. His service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic Basilica, 231 N. 3rd St., Phoenix, followed by a procession to the St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, 2003 N. 48th St., Phoenix, and a reception at Coach's Corner Grill, 333 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to City of Surprise, Attention Surprise Sundancers, c/o Mark A. Coronado Youth Scholarship, 15960 N. Bullard Ave. Surprise, AZ 85374.
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