Mark Dale Tucker, Sr. entered into eternal peace on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after a difficult battle with cirrhosis of the liver.

Mark was born January 1, 1958, in Valentine, Nebraska, the son of Glenn and Clairene (White Hat) Tucker. He grew up in Lakeview, South Dakota with his parents and brother Noah Tucker and sister Linda Szabo, both of Mission, SD. He attended school at Lakeview Elementary School and Brookings High School in Brookings, SD when Glenn moved the family there for his job in boiler operations; there he met his wife Rhonda (Bennett) Tucker.

Mark and Rhonda were married on October 3, 1980 in Sioux Falls, SD. They lived in the Sioux Falls, SD area unitl 1984 when they moved back to Lakeview, where they raised 5 children: Jesse Joseph, William Joseph, Mark Dale Jr., Jenny DeSales and Heather Marie. Mark always had a love for anything with a motor and enjoyed building his own motorcycles and working on cars. He and his wife owned their own repair shop, TNT Tires, in Mission, SD. In the year 2000, they moved their family to Onida, SD where Mark followed his true passion in life and became a professional fishing guide until his health started to decline in 2016.

He loved hunting, fishing, camping and gardening, along with spending all of his spare time with his 15 grandchildren. When his children were young, they would spend summer weekends fishing and camping. Winters were always spent with his 3 sons hunting and ice fishing. He enjoyed teaching his grandchildren all about fishing and having them help him in the garden. In his younger years, he would spend most of his time building motorcycles and working on cars with his friends. He was a noble outdoorsman and instilling that in his children and grandchildren was very important to him.
Mark was preceded in death by his grandmother Jennie Cloud, father Glenn Tucker, nephews Phillip Tucker and John Tyler Bennett, and father-in-law John Bennett.

He is survived by his wife Rhonda Tucker of Pierre, SD; mother Clairene Tucker of Lakeview, SD; brother Noah Tucker of Mission, SD; sister Linda (Paul) Szabo of Mission, SD; son Jesse (Amy) Tucker and granddaughter Haven of Temecula, CA; son William (Georgia) Tucker and grandchildren Jaydn, Kamryn, Makynna, Keaton and Savannah of Pierre, SD; son Mark (Autumn) Tucker, Jr. and grandsons Gavin and Gage of Winner, SD; daughter Jenny (Aric) Hovelson and grandchildren Delaney, Gracie, Maxwell, Berkley and Everleigh of Pierre, SD; and daughter Heather (Casey) Lurz and grandchildren Connor and Sadie of Valentine, NE.

He will be deeply missed by all who knew him as a devoted husband, son, brother, father, grandfather and friend. His time spent on Earth will be remembered by all who were blessed to share it with him. Memorial services were held Friday, March 17, 2017 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Valentine. Private inurnment at St. Agnes Cemetery, Lakeview, SD, will be held at a later date.

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