\t\t\tAndrew M. Mark \t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tOBITUARY\t\t<\/p>\n
Andrew M. Mark, a lifelong educator, coach, mentor, and cherished member of the Simpson, PA and Belvidere, NJ communities, passed away peacefully on July 22, 2026, surrounded by the love of family and friends. He was 98 years old.<\/p>\n
\nAndrew was known affectionately to generations as \u201cCoach\u201d or \u201cUncle Andy\u201d. His life was guided by his deep devotion to God and a strong and dedicated practice of his Catholic faith. Thus his life was defined by service, leadership, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to the community .<\/p>\n
\nBorn on June 19, 1928, in Simpson, Pennsylvania, Andy was the son of the late John and Victoria (Werwinski) Mark. He grew up alongside his siblings Joseph, John, Leonard, and Helen, all of whom predeceased him.<\/p>\n
\nA proud graduate of Fell Township High School, Andy captained the school\u2019s 1946 Pennsylvania State Championship basketball team, an achievement that remained one of his lifelong sources of pride. Following graduation, he honorably served his country in the United States Army, spending two years stationed in Italy and was awarded a World War II Victory Medal.<\/p>\n
\nAndy never forgot his roots. He was deeply proud of his Polish heritage, and photographs were almost always taken to the sound of him saying \u201ckielbasa\u201d instead of \u201ccheese,\u201d a tradition that never failed to bring smiles. His favorite meal consisted of Petrosky pierogies and Obrisko kielbasa. Throughout his life, he maintained close ties to his hometown of Simpson, where generations of the Mark family owned and operated the family bar and restaurant Marks Cafe for 87 years.<\/p>\n
\nCommitted to education, Andy earned his bachelor\u2019s degree from the State Teachers College at East Stroudsburg, a master\u2019s degree from New York University, and pursued additional graduate studies at Seton Hall University.<\/p>\n
\nHis teaching career began in Paulsboro, New Jersey, where he met the love of his life, Belvidere native Sara Andrews, before returning to teach and coach for one year in Fell Township. In August 1955, Andy traveled to Belvidere for what was supposed to be a job interview. Hurricane Diane had other plans. Rather than conducting interviews, school officials handed him a canoe and enlisted his help evacuating flood victims. It proved to be the beginning of a lifelong commitment to the town.<\/p>\n
\nAndy devoted 37 years to the Belvidere School District. From 1955 to 1965, he taught at Belvidere High School alongside Sara, instructing students in Physical Education while also teaching Driver Education and Hunter Education. As head boys basketball coach, he guided the County Seaters to multiple league championships, earning the admiration of countless student-athletes.<\/p>\n
\nAndy and Sara were married in 1965, the same year he was appointed Assistant Principal. In 1968, he became Principal, and in 1971 was named Superintendent of Schools, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. Throughout his distinguished career, he served on numerous educational boards and professional associations, always advocating for students, teachers, and educational excellence.<\/p>\n
\nHis service extended far beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n
\nAndy was a devoted member of the Belvidere Lions Club for over 70 years, serving as its treasurer for an extraordinary 56 years. He was a life member of American Legion Post 131, where he especially enjoyed the camaraderie of the weekly \u201cThirsty Thursday\u201d gatherings. A faithful parishioner of St. Patrick\u2019s Catholic Church, he also volunteered his time on numerous municipal boards, civic organizations, and community committees.<\/p>\n
\nHis impact on Belvidere has been recognized in countless ways. The Belvidere High School gymnasium proudly bears the name Andy Mark Gymnasium, honoring his decades of dedication to the school and its athletic programs. In 2025, Second Street between Greenwich and Mansfield Streets was officially designated Andy Mark Way in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the community. He was inducted into the Warren County Hall of Fame, served as Grand Marshal of Belvidere\u2019s Memorial Day Parade, and received numerous honors, including the Legion of Honor, Humanitarian Award, Bronze Medallion, and many additional civic and professional recognitions.<\/p>\n
\nOutside of work, Andy embraced the outdoors. He was an avid hunter and founding member of several hunting clubs, including Bucktail Loadge in Wintedale, Pennsylvania, Swift River Sportsmans Club in Roxbury, Maine, and Severy Sportsmans Club in East Dixfield, Maine. His hunting companions will forever remember hearing his cheerful rendition of \u201cWho Killed Cocky Robin?\u201d echoing through camp in the early morning hours. Winters were filled with snowmobiling in both Maine and Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
\nHe also possessed a deep appreciation for classic automobiles. Over the years he lovingly restored and maintained several Packards, along with a 1925 Chevrolet that became a familiar sight during Belvidere Victorian Days.<\/p>\n
\nAndy was predeceased by his beloved wife of 48 years, Sara Andrews Mark, in 2013, as well as his parents and siblings.<\/p>\n
\nHe is survived by his loving nieces and nephews: Rick Mark, Dennis Mark, Cindy Mark, Victoria Hornstein, James Mark, Kathie Mark, Patrick Barney and Deborah Barney, cousin \u201cBig John\u201d Mark, along with many extended family members. His legacy also lives on through the countless friends, neighbors, former students, colleagues, athletes, and community members whose lives he touched with his guidance, generosity, humor, and quiet example.<\/p>\n
\nPerhaps Andy\u2019s greatest legacy was not found in the many titles he held or awards he received, but in the respect and affection earned from generations of people who knew him simply as Coach, Uncle, Principal, Superintendent, neighbor, mentor, and friend. His influence on Belvidere will continue to be felt for generations to come.<\/p>\n
\nFamily and friends are invited to pay their respects on Friday, July 31, from 3:59 pm until 8:02 pm at MacFadden Funeral Home, 325 Hardwick Street, Belvidere NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, August 1, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Patrick\u2019s Catholic Church, 327 Greenwich Street, Belvidere. Interment will immediately follow at Belvidere Cemetery.<\/p>\n
\nIn lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Belvidere Ambulance Corps or Belvidere Lions Club.<\/p>\n
\nAndrew M. Mark<\/p>\n
\nJuly 22, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andrew M. Mark OBITUARY Andrew M. Mark, a lifelong educator, coach, mentor, and cherished member of the Simpson,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":255318,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[178,180,179],"class_list":["post-255317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255317\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}