Mark W. Kuster Obituary (1952

Mark Kuster, 72, of Pontiac, passed away peacefully at his home on October 27, 2024 surrounded by friends and family. A visitation will be held Sunday, November 3rd at Calvert Martin Funeral Home, Pontiac, IL from 2:00-5:00pm. A Celebration of Life will follow at Bob & Ringo’s, Pontiac, IL. A graveside service will be held on Monday, November 4th at Southside Cemetery at 11:00am. Mark was born on August 30, 1952 in Joliet, IL, the son of Max and Wilma Kuster. He was raised in Joliet and spent his summers at their centennial farm located in Neponset, IL. He married Nancy Gagnon on June, 25 1988. He is survived by his wife Nancy; his twin sons Zackery and Kip, Chicago; sister Hedy (Stan) Kosiba, Fort Myers, FL; and brother Kurt, Pontiac. He graduated from Joliet West High School and furthered his education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Agriculture in 1976 and a Master’s in Education in 1979. He started his professional career as an Agricultural/Horticultural teacher at Grundy County Vocational Center at Morris Community High School. In 1980 he began teaching Horticulture at Joliet Junior College and retired as a full Professor on May 31, 2009. During his 30+ years of teaching, he was very innovative with new technology for landscape design and started the first computer-aided design class in the state for landscape students. He loved the interactions with his students and most enjoyed visiting them and their employers during summer internships. Mark continued to stay active in retirement working part time for his close friend, Brian Fearman, consulting on landscape construction projects and mowing lawns. Mark had many hobbies including collecting antique toys and specialized in tin wind up Popeye toys from the 1930s. He loved attending the Chicago Toy Show and interacting with other antique toy enthusiasts. His Popeye collection is the showcase product of the November 2024 Morphy Auction in Denver, PA. His collection was also featured in the October 2024 issue of Antique Toy World magazine. Mark recently published a comprehensive reference guide to Popeye toys. Mark was also an avid car collector owning many vintage cars including several corvettes and muscle cars. He drove a 1963 Corvette Roadster to college and a 1936 Plymouth to his first teaching job. He served many years as a board member of Corvettes Unlimited in Joliet, IL. In his spare time Mark enjoyed golfing, working on the farm in Neponset, and driving around town with his beloved dog, Coco. Mark had many accomplishments though his life but will always be known most for his kindness, sense of humor, and love of family and friends. He was a wonderful husband, a great friend, and the best father anyone could ask for. He will be greatly missed. A special thank you to the team at University of Michigan Cancer Center, RUSH University Medical Center, and OSF Medical Group and Hospice. Memorials in Mark’s name can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.