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www.beaconfh.com
Mark Alan Piegols, 75, of Lansing, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, after battling complications from diabetes, at Burcham Hills rehab center in Lansing. He was born April 23, 1950, in Hart, to Alton and Martha Ann (Hawley) Piegols.
Mark grew up in Hart on his family’s farm. During that time, he discovered and developed his lifelong enjoyment of reading, downhill skiing, canoeing, playing bridge, and travel with family and friends. He also decided that farming was not his vocational calling.
Following his graduation from Hart High School in 1968, Mark attended Michigan State University for several years, making some great friends, and becoming an unlikely Cupid between one of those friends and his sister Nancy. Mark made his home in Lansing for the rest of his life. He eventually found his career with the Michigan State Police, starting as a file clerk in the Firearms Records department, and finishing at headquarters as the mail services coordinator, retiring in 2019 after nearly 35 years. At the MSP, Mark was known for being dependable and good-natured, having a wealth of information on many different subjects, and for sharing apples from the family farm every fall.
As an adult, Mark completed a number of items on his “bucket list”. He took up ballroom dancing and became quite accomplished. He also learned to kayak. In 2013, he took part in the 54th Annual Bridge Walk across the Mackinac Bridge. He bought a yellow Ford Mustang (his “Palamino”), which was a lifelong dream, and drove it to the four-day Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary celebration at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2014. While there, he drove a (very expensive) race car around the track. Mark enjoyed a number of other trips throughout the U.S. and Canada with family and friends, including a Colorado River raft adventure through the Grand Canyon, and a different sort of adventure to John Ball Zoo, where he carried a backpack of food and beverages and helped wrangle six great-nieces and nephews, mostly toddlers and preschoolers. He was a generous and thoughtful gift-giver.
Mark is survived by: his two sisters, Nancy (Bob) Shannon of Rockford and Joann (Dave) Rennhack of Hart; as well as many other family members and friends.
Mark was preceded in death by his parents and many other relatives and friends.
Mark became ready to embark on the adventure of his life, to see Jesus, before his death. He requested that memorial donations be made to the Salvation Army. There will be no funeral, just a small family memorial service graveside later this fall.
Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, King-Hart Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.
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