STEPHEN A. MARKS
Stephen Ames Marks, or Steve as he was better known, died on May 11 in Maryland with his wife, Mary, by his side. If a career makes a man, Steve lived an incredibly full life during his 72 years.
He was born in 1950 in Washington D.C. to Leonard and Dorothy Marks. His father was a prominent FCC attorney and close advisor to Lyndon B. Johnson. His mother was a pioneering journalist. It’s fair to say Steve grew up with a front row seat to history. He began his broadcasting career at the age of 17 as a copywriter at WINX, a radio station in Rockville, Maryland. He graduated from American University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and spent much of his early career working in radio where he learned everything from marketing to management at stations in central Florida.
In 1983, he bought his first television station in Alpena, Michigan, which is still part of the business today. Over the next forty years, he built an impressive broadcasting group that consists of 19 radio and five network television stations, spanning small markets in Michigan, Montana, Virginia, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Steve was a strong supporter of local journalism and his stations fund scholarships for students through the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, where he recently served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and of the Foundation. At the Montana Broadcasters Association, members referred to Steve as a “legend” for always volunteering for the front seat of the boat during the annual whitewater rafting trip, navigating the rushing tides, and getting absolutely soaked along the way. Steve crisscrossed the country throughout the year, making sure he never missed a single network affiliate meeting or industry conference.
Steve was short on emotion, but long on pride. His extensive career was at the epicenter of his life as well as his children. He enjoyed exquisite food and conquered the crossword puzzle every day. His nightly ritual consisted of tuning in to game shows like Wheel of Fortune, where Steve would yell the answers at the screen before anyone else even had a chance to contemplate the question.
He was steadfast and stubborn and worked until the day he died. Steve is survived by his wife Mary of Arnold, Maryland, his daughter, Nichole Marks of Montclair, New Jersey, his son Ryan Marks of Arnold, Maryland, his stepdaughter, Angela DeKay of Jonestown, Texas, his brother Robert Marks of Greenwich, Connecticut, and six grandchildren: Ames and Graydon McGlinchy, as well as Taylor Winton, Kyle, Madison and Avery Hughes.
A private funeral and burial service will be held Wednesday, May 18 in Maryland.