Mark A. Shoemaker

RED LION – Mark A. Shoemaker, 64, passed away Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was the husband of Mary (Selway) Shoemaker to whom he was married for 28 years. Friends are encouraged to join the family and celebrate Mark’s life at 6:00 PM Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at Life Tributes by Olewiler & Heffner Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc., 35 Gotham Place, Red Lion. A visitation will be held from 6-8:00 PM Tuesday at the Funeral Home. Born April 29, 1948 in Pittsfield, Mass. a son of Virgil Max Shoemaker of Greenville, Ohio and the late Nancy June (Landaur) Shoemaker, he was a graduate of Greenville High School and earned his B.S degree from Ashland University. Mark enjoyed playing golf, spending time at the beach, and most importantly being around his family. Mr. Shoemaker began his professional career at York Graphic Services in 1974 as a customer service representative. Mark served in that capacity until 1977 when he moved into sales for the Book Division. He moved rapidly through the organization and was named Vice President-Sales in 1983. Mark continued his rise in York Graphic Services and in 1991 was named Executive Vice President. It should be noted that York Graphic Services was the premier book services organization in the world serving all the major publishers including McGraw-Hill, Prentice-Hall, Harcourt Brace and John Wiley & Sons. It is also important to note that Mark faithfully served York Graphic Services for 29 years and was an expert in all facets of college and elementary-high school text book operations. In 2003 he joined GGS Information Services as Vice President-Strategic Planning. Mark was the master architect in forming a global book services operation for GGS that resulted in a 300 employee group with sales approaching 20 million dollars a year. It was his leadership, expertise and stewardship that catapulted GGS as a world class leader in book services. Upon achieving this extraordinary milestone, Mark then turned his attention to Technical Publications for GGS. His managerial experience coupled with his sales acumen again achieved outstanding results for GGS where he continued to service the corporation until the present. Mark was an incredibly gifted executive capable of extracting the very best from his employees. He had an uncanny ability of anticipating customer needs and finding the right solution for both the client and the corporation. He was also a 'team player' who wanted his employees to receive all the credit for a 'job well done'. He was a mentor, counselor and teacher with everyone he was associated with throughout his career. He was respected by his clients, admired by his peers and beloved by his employees. In addition to his wife and father, Mr. Shoemaker is survived by two daughters, Casey A. and husband Glen Ottinger of San Leandro, CA and Dana J. Shoemaker of Baltimore; one son, Mark D. Shoemaker of Baltimore; two grandsons, Hudson and Paxton Ottinger; and two brothers, David and wife Roxie Shoemaker of Loveland, OH and John and wife Pat Shoemaker of Nashville, IN. In addition to flowers, memorial contributions in memory of Mark may be made to Red Lion Area Community Services, 15 First Ave., Red Lion, PA 17356.