Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Williams, Mark Allan April 10, 2020
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Pat Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net March 17, 2021, 8:27 am

Ionia Sentinel Standard-Sat. April 18, 2020

Mark Williams, 71
Mark Allan Williams, 71, of Saranac, Michigan, died April 10, 2020. He was 
born February 28, 1949, and is survived by his wife, Adele (Thome) Williams; 
his daughters Sarah Williams-Ran of Brooklyn, New York, and Katherine 
Williams of Golden, Colorado; son-in-law Tom Ran and granddaughter Finley Ran 
of Brooklyn, New York. He is also survived by his parents Colin and Eleanor 
Williams of Saranac, brother Steve (Elaine) Williams of Saranac, sister Kathe 
Miller of Ionia, and sister Nancy (Dave) Downs of Saranac.

Mark never hied away from a challenge and was not one to take the easy road - 
he forged new paths in every facet of his life. He as a lifelong entrepreneur 
and innovator, including patenting new technologies for road building and 
agriculture. Mark began farming while in high school, then joined his father 
to manage Williams Brothers Asphalt Paving. Later, he went on to found his 
own businesses, with clients and colleagues from all over the United States 
and around the world. His career  intertwined the influences of his 
grandfathers, Allan M. Williams, an Ionia County Road Commissioner, and Mark 
Westbrook, a farmer.

Mark loved and admired his wife, Adele, a kindergarten teacher at Saranac 
Community Schools and mother to their daughters, Sarah and Katie. Mark and 
Adele recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Mark was deeply 
committed to his own family and to his extended Thome family.

Mark's favorite days were spent walking through his far fields outside of 
Saranac where he grew corn and soybeans, experimenting with new techniques. 
He had a love for John Deere tractors and custom-building his own farm 
equipment. In his earlier years, he was proudly involved with the restoration 
of the historic 1225 Steam Engine at Michigan State University that inspired 
the film "The Polar Express." He was a lifelong learner and reader with a 
passion for history and engineering. Mark found new joy as a grandfather; he 
loved to make Finnley laugh, bringing her to his office and barn to explore 
when she came to visit, just as he had brought his own daughters along to job 
sites when they were little.

Memorial arrangements will be announced at a later date.

Arrangements in care of Lake Funeral Home in Saranac. Memorial contributions 
may be made in Mark's name to Saranac Food Pantry or Saranac Library.

Online condolences may be sent to lakefuneralhomes.com

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