Born in Detroit, MI, Mark was a devoted husband to his wife Betsy (Rand) Dow for over 35 years, a dedicated family patriarch to his 3 children, 5 grandchildren, and his beloved dog, Rudy, a loyal friend to many, including lifelong friendships dating all the way back to his grade school days.
He was an avid lover of fine wines, particularly French burgundy. He was a longtime member of the Confrerie Saint-Vincent Tournante de Saint Louis (STL chapter), where he served for several years as Grand Sénéchal.
Mark was a proud athlete and lover of softball, tennis and golf and took pride in coaching both of his sons’ various baseball teams. He was a local sports fan and held season tickets for the Blues and Cardinals over 20 years.
Being a father was special to him but becoming a grandfather was one of his greatest joys in life. Mark was the first person his family, and many friends, looked to for advice, as he was never without a solution and left no stone unturned. His dry sense of humor kept everyone laughing and his passion for hosting was clear to anyone lucky enough to enjoy an evening with him.
Mark considered himself a “bean keeper instead of a bean counter”. He was able to parlay his gifts into an exceptional career of nearly 50 years as a trusted advisor and tax partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers for various families and business owners and served as a consultant on complex financial matters. He was an avid traveler whose business endeavors took him all over the world. Mark was a self-made man with champagne taste who never forgot where he came from.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Lorraine (Jakubiszen) Dow and brother, Don Dow.
Mark is survived by his beloved wife, Betsy; brother, James (Nancy) Dow; children, Laura Dow (Eric Powell), Charles (Melanie) Dow, and Gregory (Dana) Dow; cherished grandchildren, Olivia and Alex, Lilly, Grace and Jack and many nieces and nephews.
Friends and family are encouraged to open a bottle of fine red wine and lift a glass in honor of Mark- joie de vivre!
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mark, James & Lorraine Dow Endowed Opportunity Fund – a fund via the Eastern Michigan University Foundation which provides financial assistance to those pursuing an accounting degree. Visit:
https://www.emich.edu/foundation/give/?fund=02358 for more information or to make a contribution in Mark's memory.
A graveside service will be held at 1:00pm on Friday, November 11th at Beth Shalom Cemetery, 650 White Rd in Chesterfield.
DONATIONS
Mark, James & Lorraine Dow Endowed Opportunity FundEastern Michigan University, (Fund 02358)
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