As received from the O’Neill-Dennis Funeral Home. If you have questions about, or potential corrections to the content, please contact the funeral home directly.
Mark Timothy Smith, 57, of Crystal Lake, IL and Naperville, IL, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 with family and loved ones by his side. He was born on July 15, 1968 in Melrose Park, Illinois, the only son of Bonnie (Whitford) Smith.
Mark grew up in Hoffman Estates, IL, however he spent every summer and holiday of his youth with family on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and considered himself a Yooper through and through. He graduated from Hoffman Estates H. S. in 1987. He started working at a young age in construction and he loved building and fixing things. He attended Colorado State University and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. His vast knowledge of construction and attitude towards real-world experience gained with many construction projects brought him into the engineering world, first to Rempy-Sharpe where he worked with the City of North Aurora and then to RJN Group in Downers Grove in 2014 where he was a dedicated and respected employee who served as a role model and mentor for many, especially book-learned engineers and younger staff.
Outside of work Mark was an avid fisherman and a dedicated football fan of both the Green Bay Packers and the Michigan Wolverines. He loved family, nature, and he was unmatched behind a grill. He dearly valued integrity and ethics. He was a master at establishing and maintaining connections with people, turning them into lifelong friends.
Mark was dedicated to raising his sons above all else, three boys who were his greatest pride.
Mark is survived by his three sons Connor of Phoenix, AZ, Nolan and Grant of Algonquin, IL, as well as his partner Karol Gasteyer Giokas of Naperville, IL, and many cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews who were very dear to him across the county. He was preceded in death by his mother Bonnie (née Whitford) Smith, and his grandparents James and Margaret (née Zadravetz) Whitford of Ahmeek, MI.
A celebration of life will be held on May 1, 2026 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill Street, Naperville, IL 60540.
Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either:
· The Nature Conservancy where donations in Mark’s name will support work on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the UP. Nature.org/midonate
· Arbor Day Foundation supporting restoration of Michigan state forests. https://shop.arborday.org/commemorative-trees-for-others?producttype=TIM
For more information, please call (630) 355-0213 or visit www.friedrich-jones.com
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