Mark Dunkin Conner, a man of intellectual curiosity, great talent, adventure, and a deep connection to nature and culture, passed away peacefully on October 28, 2024. He left behind a life filled with artistry, craftsmanship, and humor.
Born on June 16, 1947, in St. Louis, Missouri, Mark spent his early years in the heart of the city, near the Dogtown neighborhood. His childhood was rich with the simple pleasures of fishing with his brothers in Forest Park and family excursions to the Ozarks. He graduated from Southwest High School in 1965. At just 18 years old, he found himself featured on the front page of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on April 15, 1966, as the very last citizen in the St. Louis metropolitan area to mail his federal income tax return before the midnight deadline — a true testament to his unique sense of timing.
In Mark’s twenties, in a small town southwest of St. Louis, unironically named Butts, near the Courtois River in the Mark Twain National Forest, he spent time with his youngest brother converting a concrete block feed store into a cabin complete with custom built-in furniture and sanded hardwood floors exploring a talent for carpentry that would influence the trajectory of his life. The locals affectionately dubbed Mark "Mayor of Butts" for his contributions.
After attending Washington University, Mark set out on adventures that would take him far from home. As a member of the Merchant Marines, he served as an Ordinary Seaman on towboats along the Mississippi River and on the Great Lakes, where he honed his seafaring skills and learned to appreciate life on the open water, much of which he expressed in his journals in robust narrative. His thirst for adventure was insatiable — Mark hitchhiked across the United States and Mexico, returning to Mexico time and again to appreciate and record its culture, architecture, and daily life.
After his early travels, Mark eventually returned to St. Louis and settled in the “Bohemian Utopia” of Laclede Town with his family. Here, he began his career as a journeyman, carpenter, and cabinet maker, eventually becoming known as a neighborhood restoration pioneer in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. His work transformed condemned buildings into vibrant commercial and residential spaces, breathing new life into neighborhoods such as Laclede’s Landing, Lafayette Square, Soulard, LaSalle Park, University City, and beyond. His artistry and vision were widely celebrated, earning recognition from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Globe-Democrat, New York Times, and Esquire Magazine.
A true Renaissance man, Mark was an instrument-rated pilot who relished the opportunity to share his love of flight with family and friends. He often flew pounds of delicious Northern Michigan smoked and fresh fish back to Missouri and was known to fly to Viburnum mid-week on a whim for a long lunch break by the Huzzah River. His sense of adventure extended to family life, as he delighted in taking his daughters on surprise trips, including an unforgettable detour to Disney World.
Mark was a lifelong connoisseur of nature who enjoyed fishing, hiking, canoeing, and sailing. He moved his two eldest daughters from the big city to Beaver Island, Michigan, and later to San Juan Island, Washington, gifting them the same experiences.
As his daughters grew older, Mark remarried, beginning a new chapter of fatherhood and welcoming another daughter. They settled in the Puget Sound region, where Mark relished attending horse races, cheering on the Sounders, climbing local mountain ranges, fly fishing, rafting, and capturing the majesty of the Great Northwest through his photography. He was a dedicated supporter of the Northwest Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Academy, fostering a love for nature and conservation in young people, including his daughter and grandson.
Mark continued designing and building homes and commercial structures in British Columbia, Michigan, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, including the Opal Court, Bristol Court, and Kirkwood on the Finn developments in Kirkland. Embracing technology, Mark taught himself computer drafting and helped others learn the craft teaching at Skagit Valley Community College.
Mark’s insatiable wanderlust carried him across the globe with his young family. He traveled repeatedly to Mexico, France, Italy, Germany, and Eastern Europe, always seeking to immerse himself in new cultures and rich architecture. Despite his many travels, his love for Mexico was so enduring that, in his later years, he presented city leaders in Oaxaca with a meticulously translated map of the city's streets that spanned four hundred years of history.
Mark was predeceased by his parents, Harold and Maybelle, and his brother, Noel Steven. He is survived by his wife, Victoria; his former spouse, Denise; daughters Christine (Christopher), Stephanie (Brandon), and Sasha; and his beloved grandchildren, Dexter, Duncan, Angus, and Bronwyn. Mark is also survived by his siblings, Claudia and David.
In memory of Mark, his family encourages everyone who knew him to reflect on and draw inspiration from the words he made his credo, taken from Ernest Hemingway: “Live the full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the romance of the unusual.”
For information regarding gatherings for friends and family in remembrance of Mark, email christine.burge@ymail.com.