My family has known Mark since the second we moved to San Antonio. We grew up with him like a second dad and was always helping my family and I out or sharing his latest cheese or wine find. We shared so many laughs and memories I will cherish forever. One of my most recent and favorite memories with Mark is him teaching me how to build the desks Caleb and I work on every day. I will forever be grateful for the time we spent together and all our amazing memories we have!!! I know he is in a better place and may he rest in peace. -Courtney Gros

From Steven Donna Tamra (Hughes) Shane and Dylan Heath , Mark was always so wonderful and friendly every time we came to visit Gaye Spencer and Courtney. We always enjoyed the time spent visiting with him. Our deepest prayers are with you Teresa and your family. What a very very special man Mark was 🙏🏻❤️

Theresa and family:

I am so sorry for your loss.  You all must be in shock that Mark’s life could end so quickly.  Kent battled cancer for almost 8 years and yet I wasn’t ready to lose him.

Mark looked more and more like his dad.  I don’t think I’d seen him since maybe Clarence’s funeral and that was a long time ago.

I hope you, the girls and grandkids will find peace knowing that his suffering wasn’t long.

Prayers for everybody in the Petersen family, especially Marlo.

Garneda Petersen

My Family and I pass along our deepest condolences to Mark's Family. We have known Mark for almost 19 years, and we are eternally grateful to have met and known him. Mark was a special person who always made you feel welcomed, involved, and important. It didn't matter how dire the situation was, Mark had a gift for looking past the negative and focusing on the positive. I will always remember this about him. Mark was a teacher at heart. He would stop you in the middle of your day and grab the dry erase and start teaching. He once taught me about torque in a way I could understand it (I am no engineer). Mark made the workplace fun and exciting. You always knew you could get a laugh from him. Although he was a great person to work with, his character and personality will always be remembered. Even the Lord himself will not be able to escape his infectious laugh.

I have worked with Mark for over 18 years beginning in Quality Inspection as one of my first Assistant Managers, then later as a friend and mentor.  No matter where I went in the plant, he always made sure to check in on me if I needed anything.  I never took that for granted.  He always had a crazy story to share, loved to talk about the best foods to eat, (Boursin Cheese comes to mind) and just shared life with everyone.  His infectious laugh always made me smile, you could hear it across the office and just knew he was being Mark.  Thank you for all of your guidance and support.  Felix and I are truly grateful for all you have done for us.
Thank you Mark for being you.  I am going to miss you friend.

Mark and I, along with our spouses and families developed a bond over many many dinners and brews on Tuesdays.

One of my favorite memories is when we were in Michigan for Mark’s birthday.  While Teresa was working hard to send him some cookies, I was to keep Mark corralled until the company was able to deliver them.  Not the easiest task with a dozen coworkers trying to find different places to eat in busy downtown Ann Arbor.

After drafting an accomplice and finding a small table at HopCat, we were able to conjure up enough distractions (adult beverages and side-stories) to keep him occupied as the rest of the Toyota crew circled back from dinner.

The look on his face when the cookies arrived and he realized Teresa had sent them was a perfect capstone to the evening, surrounded by the smiles of the coworkers he has directly impacted.

Thank you, Mark, for your smiles, laughs, stories, occasional chaos, and encouragement, while always demonstrating that family is first.

Teresa,  
I pray that the Lord gives you and your family peace and comfort during this difficult time of mourning.  Blessed are those that mourn for they will be comforted (Mat 5:4).  
Mark's knowledge of many things, happiness and sense of humor has blessed me here in Texas and ever since I've known him and worked with him at NUMMI.   Memories of Mark and his stories of diving, target shooting, night driving situations, eating different things (including raw sushi/sashimi) and enjoying a libation or two will always be with me.  Here is a video of Marks first encounter with steel plates at the Bullet hole shooting range with his Ruger 9mm that he won at the NRA dinner event.  As usual, he was cool, calm, collective and precise.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=9GVmWeaRXv4&si=Ppy5WvWC8pJnrFRz

I will always remember Mark's big happy smile. Rest in peace friend.

Sending my deepest condolences & prayers to your family. Mark was a very nice and sweet person to work with there at the plant. It was a pleasure to work with him and He will be incredibly missed.  May He Rest In Peace.

Teresa and Keri and family,
So so sorry to hear about Mark.  Seeing the Petersen name brought back all kinds of wonderful memories.  You helped me so much when my mom died!  I'll always be greatful.  It was a sad day when you all moved to Texas.  Remember when you had a color chart just so you could follow all the kid's activities?  Mark did such a good job as husband and father and all his lessons will live on through you.  
Sandy Marshall

I had the pleasure of meeting Mark when he first started with Toyota. We were in the same new hire class and I could tell right away it was going to be fun to have him around. He was also my first manager in Quality and he was always open to share his knowledge and provide some advice about work or just about life. I loved that about him. He was also an entertainer. He loved to entertain people and wanted people to have fun and laugh. If you’re having fun, he’s having fun. If you’re smiling, he’s smiling. This photo was early on in my Toyota career in his backyard patio where he had karaoke set up. You can see him in the background sitting back and enjoying himself as his guests have fun. We are all going to miss you Mark. God bless you my friend.

My condolences to the entire family.  When I used to work at Toyota as a Quality Engineer for Mass Production, Mark came to my desk several times showing his grattitude and appreciation  and more for the work I was doing. He was a really great Sr. manager but more than that, a really nice hearted person. I still remember when I had to tell him I needed to resign at Toyota because of family purposes and me not being able to live in San Antonio anymore... I expressed to him that I was very sad to resign, as working at Toyota had always been my dream job/company...  He showed his appreciation towards me and said " Don't worry (with very wide smile face), family always comes first, we will miss you and you will forever have the doors open to come back with us a TMMTX" that really meant the world for me and I will always remember that. Thank you Mark! You will be greatly missed by many! R.I.P

- Valeria Aguilar G.

Teresa, Keri, Paige and Heidi,
I was so sorry to hear about Mark's passing,  I will always remember how kind he was spending his time to try to find my grandmother's ring in my car.  He always seemed to be such a happy fulfilled soul who was so proud of his family. May you always remember the beautiful memories that you were both blessed with.  God bless you and your family.

With Love,   Mary Ann Hayden

I had the pleasure of working under Mark for 10 years under the Toyota Quality Engineering Organization and he will be greatly missed. He was a mentor for so many people in the organization, and I am very fortunate to have him as an example for all these years. For Mark every problem had a solution, and the solution must come from people, so we need to focus on people, and boy would he do that! Everyone knows that he loved people and loved helping people, he was always on the phone, always trying to make some connections and never left anyone hanging. He was amazing at diffusing tension in meetings, always cracking jokes and got people to relax. He always had a friend he could call somewhere in the Toyota organization that could help us in pinch. Mark was a master brainstormer and was able to put all the ideas on the table and then distill a consensus of the best solution with the team. I never saw him give up on anything, always pushed to get the best for our customers.
Every few days we would hear him crack up and slap his hands from the other side of our open office and we would look at each other and say, “What is Mark up to this time?!” 
Thank you for all the leadership, advice, and friendship Mark, I will do my best to do the same for others in your memory.

He was a mentor, father-figure, and friend.  He taught me a lot and made sure we all had what needed to be successful.  We will keep all of the family in our prayers.  I know Mark is still laughing and smiling!

To our brother, mark, you are gonna be miss every day. Are deepest condolences to the family. Made the Lord, give you peace and keep y'all safe. In this time, I ask you this to Christ, our Lord's name, Amen. From your brother from Toyota Mark A. Vargas Sr. Rest in peace.

To the family of Mark,
Please except my condolences and prayers. I had the pleasure of training with Mark at Indian and working closely with him in Texas for a year during the Toyota plant start up at TMMTX. Day 1 Mark was welcoming and a gracious host at work. Your family entertained us at your home where we were welcomed with open arms by you all.  I  remember thanking him for having us at your home and your hospitality, Mark said it was important to him as he knew how it was to be away from family and friends. I have many fond memories of his friendship at work and play. Mark always  had a broad smile and positive out look. I am truly richer for having known Mark.

God bless you all.

Sincerely 
Joe Ricker

I worked with Mark for many years.  A truly fantastic person.  My sympathy and condolences to his family and friends.

Mark was funny, good hearted, kind and a great friend. He was so full of life and genuine. Always willing to help and listen.
This is one of my favorite pictures I have of him that was taken at my wedding. I thought it was great and he would groan and roll his eyes when I would talk about it.  I can hear his laugh. 
Mark you will be greatly missed my friend. 
Sending prayers and hugs to Teresa and the family.

Teresa,  I am so sorry to learn of Mark's passing.  May his memory be a blessing, and may thoughts of the wonderful times you shared remind you of your love and life together.

Mark was truly a one-off human. A giant amongst men and someone I sincerely looked up to. His loss will be felt by many. 

My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the thousands of people whose lives were made better for knowing him. 

Rest easy Mark.

Mark was one of the first people I met when I started my career at Toyota.  Mark help guide me from the very start and provided me support the entire time I was at Toyota.  He was one of the smartest men I ever knew. God forbid if I ever asked him a question and there was a marker board near by, my question would eventually get answered, but I would also get it all laid out on the market board. He was more than just a colleague,I considered him a friend. My last time hanging out with Mark was at my retirement get together. I had a blast with him being there telling stories and keeping everyone entertained. I will truly miss my dear friend.

Mark had always been a wonderful person to work with. Seeing him walking around at the plant with his ear buds always reminded me how dedicated he was to his role. He was fair, he was kind, and he was genuine. I always loved his warm welcome and his passion for food and music. I’m thankful for Mark and Teresa’s warmth during my visits to TMMTX. I will miss seeing Mark when I visit the plant again. Keeping the Petersen family in my thoughts and prayers.

I have known Mark for several years, from working together at Toyota here in San Antonio.  However, it wasn't until the past year that we became close friends.  We even hung out with him and Teresa outside of work going to the SA rodeo and Spurs game which was great fun.  Mark never met a stranger and was always willing to help anyone, no matter what.  We could always locate Mark at work by his laugh which was as infectious as it was entertaining.  He brightened every room he walked in.  
     I also owe a great debt of gratitude to Mark professionally.  Early during my time at Toyota Texas, I went through some extremely personal struggles.  At one point, I found myself contemplating quitting my job.  I was completely distraught.  Then Mark (who I didn't know well at all at the time) came up to me and noticed something was wrong.  He asked "want to talk about it"?  All at once everything that I had been going through came out.  Mark helped me that day and even went to upper management about my problems and really helped save my career.  He even kept tabs on me to make sure I was doing ok.  I told Mark this story a couple months ago during a one on one discussion.  I told him that he didn't have to help me that day but he did.  He stopped me and said, "of course I did".  I'll never forget that and I will forever be in his debt.

Mark will be missed. I had the privilege of working with him on the new Tundra from design to supporting field quality. He truly cared for the customer and wanted to the best job possible. I will miss working with him. His legacy at Toyota will be remembered. 
Wishing you peace and comfort during this difficult time.

When I think of Mark, I think of this picture he sent me. Him smiling with Teresa at the house he told so many stories about.

Mark would always share stories and pictures about his time at Texas A&M, his garden, and whatever project he was working on but no matter how the conversation started he would always talk about a joyful experience or a memory he had with Teresa and his family. His love for his family really showed in everything he did. He was a great leader and someone who truly cared for everyone he knew. He was a great boss, an amazing mentor, and an unforgettable friend.

Mark is a great man.  Worked with him at TMMTX.  He had a unique gift of being able to charm you into his way!  You would start out not agreeing with him, but by the end of the conversation you would be agreeing with him.  His smile, laugh and just great attitude help overcome stressful situations.  Was a great leader and will be missed by many.  So sorry for your loss.

Thank you for always being a good friend and always supporting. I am glad I got the opportunity to work with you even from Plano HQ. You will be missed Mark! 

-Alex Martinez

Mark was always kind to me. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.

I am so sorry to hear about Mark's passing. Mark was my first ever Assistant Manager when I started at TMMTX back in 2006 as a team member. It was such a pleasure to work for someone that had so much passion and knowledge about not just our industry, but literally everything in the world.  Mark had an innate ability to make you smile even on some of the roughest days. I learned so much from working with him and I truly believe I would not be where I am today with Toyota without his leadership, guidance and support through the years. Mark and his family with be in my thoughts and I will always remember all the good times we shared.

May God's perpetual light shine upon on and you rest in peace Mark. My deepest condolences to  his family and friends.

Mark was a rare individual that truly made your life better when you met him.   I met Mark, when his daughter befriended my son in college, and we were invited for holiday dinner.  Mark and his wife treated us as family from the day we met.  My memories of Mark are remembering him laughing, toasting occasions, cooking, making unique cooking utensils, teaching , teasing, listening to music videos on TV, playing with his dogs, teaching us the cut thru to his sisters house ,.. he was a one of a kind and will be missed...  "may all the beautiful memories you have with Mark be a blessing to you". Love to Teresa, Heidi, Paige, Keri, Robin, all his siblings and extended family..

Our condolences to the entire Peterson family. The world is a little less bright without Mark in it. Mark sent me this photo asking where Leeann and I were at. Both families lived near a Salt Grass and we’d see each other there on occasion. Mark had the best handshake, greatest laugh and most contagious smile. He will truly be missed by all that had the honor and privilege to know him.

Mark was a very kind and generous person who will be missed!  My condolences to Mark’s family.

I remember going to Houston to your wedding.  It was very special because Dad never went to Houston. "Satan drove around that city." But, your special event caused him to drive there. Lol

Dear Teresa and Family,
Our heartfelt condolences to you. Mark was a character, we remember. We know you will miss him greatly.
Love,
Will and Family

OBITUARY

Mark David Petersen

September 27, 1958 – September 27, 2024

Sunset Memorial Park & Funeral Home

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