Mark William Dion passed away on Monday, February 26, 2024 from a heart-related illness.
He was born in Port Chester, NY on April 9, 1956 to William and Mary Elizabeth Dion, graduating from Rye High School in 1974 and Rochester Institute of Technology in 1978 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. He put his artistic skills to work at Siegel & Gale where he met his wife, Madge Friedman, and later worked at Schrader Design and Vanguard Direct as a Creative Director. In 2020, he retired and recently opened his own art studio in Harrison, NY.
To know Mark was to embrace his inner child—his crazy sense of humor, his endless practical jokes, his every opportunity to create mischief. Always the casual guy, he never owned a suit but prided himself on being the only one wearing a tie-on Casual Fridays.
He had a lifelong love of hockey and of art, and among his many inspirations and creative one-of-a-kind gifts for friends and family, he recently illustrated a Children’s Dinosaur Book for his beloved grandsons.
“Mad Dog” to his wife, “Dadster” to his daughter, and “Grampster” to his grandchildren, Mark’s whole world was his family. There was no more devoted husband, father or grandfather.
He is survived by his wife Madge Dion (Mamaroneck, NY); daughter and son-in-law Rebecca and Chris Frink and grandsons Liam and Mason (Providence, RI); sister and brother-in-law Nancy and Ed Avery (Rye, NY); and their children Kristen (Astoria, NY) and Bonnie (Rye, NY), all of whom he loved with a big, big heart.
A private service was held at Greenwood Union Cemetery. Donations can be made in his memory to Art in Action or the American Civil Liberties Union.
