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MARK J. MASEK
Born: June 13, 1957
Died: December 31, 2025
Mark J. Masek, 68, of Alhambra, California, passed away at his home there on December 31 of a heart attack.
Mark was born on June 13, 1957, in Joliet, Illinois, and attended the University of Illinois, graduating in 1979 with a degree in journalism. After college, he was employed by several large daily newspapers in the suburban Chicago area as a reporter, columnist, copy editor and local news editor, including the Elgin Courier-News and Daily Herald. He won several state and national awards for column writing and public service reporting.
Mark was employed as the manager of the Publications and Record Services section at Argonne National Laboratory from 1991-1997. At that time, he lived in Joliet with his then-wife Theresa, and was instrumental in the Recycle Joliet movement, which helped launch recycling pickups in the city. He also served on the board of the local Habitat for Humanity charity and was the chapter president for two years. Mark was also an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs and was a member of the Die-Hard Cubs Fan Club.
Mark moved to Pasadena, California in 1999 and continued his work as a reporter for various newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Press-Enterprise in Riverside. He loved to explore historic cemeteries and visited many of them in the Los Angeles area.
He maintained an interest in both history and old movies and "thought cemeteries were a way to combine those two."
In 2001, Mark authored a celebrity cemetery guidebook, "Hollywood Remains to be Seen: A Guide to the Movie Stars Final Homes." This publication is a detailed reference guide documenting the names, locations, dates, and short biographies of over 400 celebrities buried in 14 different Los Angeles area cemeteries. It still serves as an accurate historical record in addition to being a helpful directory for tourists who share this interest.
Mark continued his work as a cemetery archivist and historian by authoring several cemetery-related e-books — including one on Graceland Cemetery in Chicago - to assist visitors when they visit gravesites. He also offered presentations to Los Angeles area historical societies. Mark once said, "cemeteries are like libraries, and every grave tells a story." Mark's efforts in accurately documenting the final resting places of celebrities - some whose memory was at risk of fading into oblivion were a way for him to help the deceased to be remembered.
Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Glenn, and is survived by his brothers Richard (Patricia) and Terry, his nieces Carrie (John) Larson and Lena (Ricky) Roberson, nephew Eric Masek (Amy) and his former wife, Theresa Norton. He is also mourned by his dear friends, Lisa and Roger Reitzel of Pasadena, California, and lifelong friends Mike Anzelc, Jim Hillman, and Mike Jaeger. Mark's remains were cremated and a celebration of life event will be scheduled to take place in Joliet. Donations may be directed in his name to either the Humane Society or to Habitat for Humanity.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2026 Media Contact Information: Bob Hubberts (847) 508-4995 bhubberts@firstillinoisrobotics.org
Chicago, Illinois – Creativity and science will come together this Saturday at the FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge Illinois State Championship at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, Illinois, where 56 teams of 9- to 14-year-old students and coaches will demonstrate their problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, competitive play, sportsmanship, and sense of community. The tournament is open to the public. The robot table competition portion of the event starts at Noon on Saturday, February 14th. More than 650,000 students in over 75 countries will participate in the FIRST® UNEARTHED season. Teams will have to program robots, using LEGO Education technology, to solve a set of missions on an obstacle course set on a thematic playing surface. For the UNEARTHED challenge students will unearth hidden treasures and piece together the past as they embark on this thrilling journey of discovery. Students will identify and research a problem related to the season theme and then design and create a possible solution. They will also identify a mission strategy and design, create, and code a robot to complete missions during a 2.5-minute Robot Game. The competition is judged in three areas: innovation project; robot design, and core values, which embody aspects of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Top robot game scores are also honored. FIRST LEGO League is an international program for 9- to 14-year-olds (ages vary by country) created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get students excited about science and technology – and teach them valuable career and life skills. Using LEGO® Education technologies and materials, students work alongside adult mentors to design, build, and program autonomous robots and create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their research project. After several intense weeks, the competition season culminates at high-energy, sports-like tournaments. Like any other organized “sport,” teams also fundraise, create a team identity, and go on field trips. The tournament is being run by FIRST Illinois Robotics, a 501 c3 organization focused on delivering FIRST programs in Illinois. Contact us for a list of the area schools and youth organizations with teams participating in the competition. About FIRST® FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school, in structured after-school programs or by other organizations or groups of parents. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges. An international not-for-profit organization founded in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Participants and alumni of FIRST programs gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life. Learn more at firstinspires.org.
### To learn more about FIRST programs in Illinois, go to www.firstillinoisrobotics.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2026 Media Contact Information: Christopher Weishaar Digital Public relations Specialist (515) 273-7140 cweishaar@studentloan.org
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (January 7, 2026) — Six high school seniors will each earn a scholarship valued at $1,500 through the 2026 ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship program. This program is sponsored by ISL Education Lending and is designed to make higher education more accessible while equipping students with essential financial literacy skills. Who Can Apply? All high school seniors attending school in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin are eligible to enter. No essay is required—making it simple and stress-free to apply. Parents Can Register Their Student Parents now have the option to register their student for the scholarship program, ensuring every eligible senior has the opportunity to participate. What Makes This Program Unique? Every participant will learn valuable financial literacy tips during the process, helping them prepare for life after high school. How to Apply Applications open on January 5, 2026, and close on April 30, 2026. Students and parents can apply online at www.iowastudentloan.org/Midwest. Winners will be announced in June 2026. Scholarship Details
Why It Matters “Student loan debt is a huge concern for new college students,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of ISL Education Lending. “As a nonprofit, we provide tools and resources to help high school seniors plan so they can reduce the amount of debt they need to take on while achieving their education goals. Students sign up for a chance at a $1,500 scholarship, and we take that opportunity to share information with them about our free resources.” Additional Resources Available In addition to offering student loans, ISL Education Lending has other resources for families planning for college and for students who intend to pursue advanced degrees. The Parent Handbook consists of valuable tips to help families of students in sixth through 12th grades prepare for success in college and other postsecondary options. Parents of students in eighth through 12th grades can also sign up to receive twice-monthly emailed tips on academic, college and career planning through the Student Planning Pointers for Parents program. The College Funding Forecaster helps families understand the total cost of four years of college based on a freshman-year financial aid offer. Information about these resources is available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/SmartBorrowing.
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About ISL Education Lending Established in 1979 as Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, a private, nonprofit organization, ISL Education Lending helps students and families obtain the resources necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. ISL has helped nearly 400,000 students pay for college, offering student loans and other products under the name ISL Education Lending. The organization, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, also provides an array of borrower benefits, financial literacy tools and community reinvestment programs, including support for free college planning services for students and their families. For more information, visit www.IowaStudentLoan.org.
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