Arthur Mark, Ed.D.

Arthur Mark, Ed.D.
1930-2025

The esteemed academic, champion of the arts, and beloved father and grandfather, Dr. Arthur Mark died of natural causes on Monday morning, July 7, 2025. He was 95 years old and will be remembered for his warmth, wit, and wisdom.

Following two years of study at Emerson College and a stint in the US Army and Army Reserves, Dr. Mark went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a Master of Arts from Teachers College, Columbia University. He earned his doctorate from that same institution, publishing a dissertation on American individualism in education, pioneered by progressive educators in the early 20th century. 

Dr. Mark was also an accomplished tenor, actor, and poet. He attended New England Conservatory of Music and was awarded a two-year scholarship to the Tanglewood Summer Festival while he was still in his twenties. A residency at International House NYC instilled values of global community and cultural diversity. He became an actor later in life studying in New York City, earning membership in the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), and Actors Equity. 

Dr. Mark was born in East Boston on May 30, 1930. He was the fifth child of Charles and Eva Markovitz -- as an adult he shortened his last name. His siblings, Cecilia Rosenthal, Sarah Freedman, Norman Markovitz, and Zelda Marans pre-deceased him. 

In his youth, he experienced some of the antisemitism that was common in that era. This would later have a great impact on his worldview. He never abandoned his Jewish culture and identity but rather used it as a launching point for a 60-year exploration of Unitarian Universalist principles, including the inherent worth and dignity of every person, a free and responsible search for truth and meaning, and the right of conscience. For the last 21 years, Dr. Mark was a beloved member of Westminster Unitarian Church in East Greenwich, RI.

His passion for education began “in the trenches” where he rose from social studies teacher in Greenwich, CT, to headmaster of Long Ridge School in Stamford, CT. He became a professor at East Stroudsburg University (ESU) in 1971, retiring in 1991 as professor emeritus of Teacher Education. He supervised student teaching at Teachers College Columbia University and presented internationally at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and The World Council for Curriculum and Instruction.

During his tenure at ESU, Dr. Mark began to merge his twin passions of education and the arts. He was the founder of BIFAE (Business and Industry for the Arts in Education), a non-profit dedicated to making the arts central to education in schools.

Dr. Mark was a lifetime fellow of the RSA (royal society for the encouragement of arts, manufactures and commerce), serving for a time as regional director for New England. As a Fellow, he tackled several large projects, including a noteworthy international symposium, comparing the renaissance of two post-industrial cities, Liverpool, England and Providence, RI.

Dr. Mark was married to Cecile Druss Mark for 65 years. They moved to Rhode Island in 2002, living in Narragansett, Warwick and Providence. He is survived by his wife and their children, Bonnie Eve Mark, Carolyn Mark and son-in-law William Charles Stone. He was adored by his grandchildren, Benjamin Isaac Markstone, Teah Rose Markstone and Talia Mark Natoli, and was the patriarch of a large extended family with many devoted nieces and nephews. 

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations in his memory be sent to Westminster Unitarian Church in support of its good works. A Celebration of Life will be held in Autumn 2025.

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