Mark Allen Haefner
August 24, 2015Share using:
Mark Allen Haefner, 46, of Appleton, passed Monday at Cherry Meadows in Appleton, in the arms of his wife and girls.
The son of Dixie and Eugene Haefner, Mark was born Sept. 15, 1968, in Marshall. The younger of two sons, he spent his childhood in the backyard playing with neighbor kids and taking care of baby animals. Mark liked to shoot off rockets and fly kites in the spring. During his adolescence, he enjoyed football, wrestling, singing in swing choir and driving his Cutlass. Mark graduated from Marshall High School in 1987, and pursued an associate’s degree in printed circuit board design. He married his soulmate Kelley on April 18, 1992, and spent 23 loving years with her.
Mark found his calling as a designer and manager at Plexus Corp. in Neenah. He graced the facility with his leadership and work ethic for 18 years, seeing each day as an opportunity to develop and inspire himself and those around him. His lasting titles, though, will be husband and father. Kelley is honored to have been Mark’s “babe,” and their bond is one built on crazy fun and deeper love. Their children were his pride. Mark strived to never miss Kaylyn’s cross country and track meets, and always read Morgan’s articles in her campus’s newspaper. Outdoors is where he found great peace. He loved road tripping on his Harley “Viv,” ice fishing, deer hunting, birdwatching, renovating and head banging to 80s rock ballads.
Mark’s life is abounding, and hard to iterate. His patience and kindness shined through all of his acts. A lack of time was never a concern for his family, because quantity never defined quality. We will continue to live on with no regrets, one day at a time.
Surviving are wife Kelley Haefner, Appleton; daughters Kaylyn and Morgan, Appleton; mother and father Dixie and Eugene Haefner, Marshall; brother, Mike (Chris) Haefner, Marshall; two nephews, Logan and Weston Haefner, Marshall; father-in-law Duane (Pam) Petzke, Pelican Lake; sister-in-law Connie (Tim) Young, Henry, Ill.; two nieces, Emily, Oregon, and Melanie, Henry, Ill.; grandmother Lillian Theobald, Sun Prairie; “brother” Jeremy (Bryn) Laufenberg and godson Crews and Charlie, Marshall; and many, many special aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Mark is preceded in death by his grandparents John (Laura) Haefner; grandfather Robert Theobald Senior; grandmother-in-law Doris (Leo) Benesch; aunt Carol (Alster) Jelle; aunt Linda Haefner; uncle Leroy (Betty) Haefner; uncle Orville Haefner; uncle Theodore (Dorothy) Haefner; uncle Elmer Haefner; uncle-in-law Newton Newton; cousin Larry Haefner; cousin Joe Anderson; cousin Eddie Haefner; cousin Lisa Haefner.
Visitation will be at First English Lutheran Church, 6331 N. Ballard Road, Appleton, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday, August 29, 2015. Service will be at 12:30 p.m., with Pastor Mary Bauer officiating. A luncheon will follow.
Verkuilen-Van Deurzen Family Funeral Home is serving the family. To place an online condolence, please visit www.verkuilenfh.com.
Now, his legacy begins, and will flourish in all he touched.
The Haefner family would like to extend a special thank you to their gracious team at the UW Madison Carbone Cancer Center and the staff at Cherry Meadows for all of their love and care.
