Mark Wrayburn Reese

Mark Reese, age 67, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed away peacefully on April 25, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Davenport, Iowa, on January 27, 1958, to Donald and Joan Reese, Mark grew up in Columbus, Wisconsin. A naval officer, engineer, community leader, and devoted family man, Mark lived a life marked by dedication to service and excellence.

From an early age, Mark was interested in radios. He learned Morse code at age 10 and earned his amateur radio license at age 13. As a ham radio operator (call sign N9MR), he built a 60-foot tower, strung wires in trees, and contacted 240 countries with his ICOM IC-746 and 20m dipole antenna. Mark has been confirmed to have worked in 339 countries on CW with 349 countries overall.

Mark's pursuit of excellence began at the University of Wisconsin, where he served as Captain of the rifle squad before graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a certificate of Naval Science. His leadership continued during his four-year naval career, where he navigated the destroyer USS Robison, guiding the vessels and their crews safely through international waters.

After his military service, Mark brought his engineering expertise to the communications field, joining Magnavox (later Raytheon) in 1984. Throughout his 36-year career at Raytheon, serving seven years as an Engineering Fellow, he passed on his enthusiasm for radios and electrical systems to numerous engineers who called him "mentor". He continued to share his knowledge by educating upcoming engineers at BAE Systems, starting full-time and then continuing part-time after reaching retirement. Mark was highly regarded by his colleagues, who often shared stories about how influential he was as a role model. He was known for giving the same high priority to his team's well-being as he did to achieving the mission's goals, often putting both above his own needs.

Beyond his professional achievements, Mark was committed to his community and hobbies. He was a member of the Messiah Lutheran church for 40 years and a passionate Green Bay Packers and University of Wisconsin football fan. In 2017, Mark found his Masonic fraternity. He embodied the organization's principles of integrity, charity, and brotherhood. Mark served as the president and trustee of the local Mizpah shrine radio unit W9FEZ, where he built a fully remote-controllable radio station with other nobles. He was also a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, court #27 in Fort Wayne. The pinnacle of his contributions was serving as the 2024 Worshipful Master of the Leo Lodge #224, a role he dedicated himself to wholeheartedly until his diagnosis with acute myeloid leukemia in November.

Mark was above all a devoted family man. He read to his children every night when they were young. He encouraged his children to explore their interests and was always there to listen. Mark served as an assistant coach for his son Bryan’s soccer team. He inspired his son, Daniel, to follow in his footsteps as a systems engineer. He helped his daughter Megan navigate the challenges of her type 1 diabetes. As a husband, Mark will be remembered for always putting the needs of his wife above his own. He was conscientious in many ways and made sure that Lois would be taken care of and loved.

Mark loved his family, wife, friends, co-workers, Masonic brothers, and was kind to every stranger he met.

Mark is survived by his spouse, Lois Reese; children Bryan Reese (Mignon Keaton), Megan Zumwalt (James), and Daniel Reese; grandchild Spencer Reese; and siblings Sue Reese, Paul Reese, Diane Schwoerer (Steven), and Kati Jansky (Troy). He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Joan Reese; and his infant brother, David Allen Reese.

Memorial donations to the Leukemia Research Foundation or Shriners Hospitals for Children.