- Date Of Death: December 28, 2021
- State: Indiana
Dr. Mark Kendra age 66, of Highland, passed away surrounded by family on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Mark is survived by his wife of 37 years, Sheryl; children Dr. Marisa, Dr. Taylor, and Austen; and brother, Greg.
Preceded in death by his father (Frank), mother (Mary), and sister-in-law (Diane). He is also mourned by many members of the Klawinski family on his wife’s side: Joyce, Judy (Rich), Bruce (Nancy), Krista (Michael), and their children, David (Christa) and their daughter, Nicholas (Jennifer) and their son, Dr. Darren (Danielle), Amanda and her son, Tyler (Stacey) and their children, Ryan, Dawn (James) and their sons, and Dana (Benjamin) and their sons.
He is preceded in death by George, Bryan, and Janie.
Mark was born in Chicago, IL on August 7, 1955. He graduated from Highland High School in 1973, attended undergraduate school at both Wabash and Indiana University, and earned his doctorate degree from Indiana University School of Dentistry in 1982. He started his first dental practice near downtown Highland and eventually moved to the current location on Indianapolis Boulevard in 1987, where his two daughters still practice today. He greatly enjoyed his career in dentistry (he taught dental assisting classes and orthodontic courses through the Academy for GP Orthodontics at his office) and loved interacting with his patients. Outside of dentistry, he was an active member in his community; he served on the Town of Highland Planning Board, worked closely with his wife in helping the Humane Society/Treasured Friends organizations, and was a member of the IUSD Alumni Board which oversaw the newest addition to the dental school (where he has a clinic named after him). He also loved involving himself in new projects and ventures, with real estate development and hospitality becoming a growing passion throughout the years– a love that he has now passed down to his three children.
In his free time, Mark loved attending Chicago Blackhawks hockey games and was a season ticket holder for over 30 years. He enjoyed Broadway theater, trying new restaurants, and traveling both domestically and internationally with his family. One of his favorite places in the world was Maui, Hawai’i, where he spent his honeymoon in 1984 and on countless family vacations throughout the years. Ultimately, everyone who knew Mark knew his greatest love in life was spending time with family. He was a very involved father and never missed an opportunity to tell everyone how proud he was of his wife and children. He was always incredibly selfless and giving with his time, knowledge, and love, and will be greatly missed.
