Mark David Donaldson, 52, of Sturgis, SD died Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at Rapid City Regional Hospital.

Visitation will be held on Friday, September 26th from 5-7pm at Kinkade Funeral Home in Sturgis. Services will be held on Saturday, September 27th at 2pm at Grace Lutheran Church in Sturgis, SD.

Mark was born in Brookings, SD on June 24, 1962 to David and Ramona Donaldson. He graduated from Merced High School, CA in 1980 and attended a few years at Merced Jr. College.

His early years were spent in California where he was involved in water polo, took photographs for the Merced Sun Star, and led Boy Scout Troop 100 in Merced for many years. He also owned a very successful tile business. He loved the outdoors and would often take week long camping trips through Yosemite.

Whatever Mark did, he did to the fullest, and he loved life. He also loved people; everyone he came in contact with became a friend. He especially enjoyed time with his daughter, and the love of his life, his grandson. He was a very generous and loyal friend to many and a favorite uncle to his many nieces and nephews because he could see the world from a child's perspective. Many times he would say "I tried growing up once, it was no fun."

In 1996 he "retired" from CA and moved to Sturgis, SD where he began working for the Meade School District in their custodial services department, first at Sturgis Williams Middle School, and later at Sturgis Brown High School. He would always say it didn't matter what he did in life, as long as he loved where he lived. Mark instantly fell in love with the Black Hills and spent the last few years of his life riding through them on his ATV with family and friends.

He is survived by his longtime girlfriend, Donna Baier of Sturgis, SD; daughter, Kathleen Donaldson (special friend, Nathan Krueger) and grandson, Jason Moomau Jr., of Modesto, CA; mother, Ramona Zeiner, and stepfather, Daniel Zeiner, both of Sturgis; his stepson, Jeff Baier and granddaughters Keylee and Jazlynn Baier, of Cheyenne, WY; sisters, Kimberly (Greg) Jones, Carlsbad, CA; Kelly (Danny) Valdez, Broomfield, CO; and Kari (Glenn) Sanders, Blythewood, SC; nieces and nephews, Zak and Alex Jones, Alena and Austin Valdez, and Kira and Kelli Sanders.

He is preceded in death by his father, David Donaldson, stepson, Greg Baier, and grandparents, Kelly and Adelaide Donaldson, and Morris and Mildred Anderson.