Services for Mark Otto Schaap, 80, of Nashville, Tennessee will be held at noon Saturday, Nov. 30, at First Presbyterian Church, 4815 Franklin Pike, Nashville with visitation from 11 a.m. to noon in the Cheek house, service will be held in the Chapel and a reception following in the Cheek House.
Mr. Schaap passed away Nov. 24, 2019.
Born Jan. 10, 1939, in Toccoa, he is survived by his wife, Sandy F. Schaap; his daughter, Elizabeth S. Bertani, (David); his two precious grandchildren, Max and Liza; and his sister, Myrna Fouts.
He spent his childhood growing up in Cornelia. Mark was an Eagle Scout and attainted the Order of the Arrow. As a teen, he worked for the family owned milk company, Cherokee Rose Dairy, where he would start his milk delivery route at 4 a.m. and finish it in time to head to school. Mark's uncle said of Mark he never shirked his responsibilities.
Upon graduating high school, Mark attended Rhodes College in Memphis where he earned a bachelor of arts in sociology and was a proud member of the Sigma Nu fraternity.
In 1962, Mark was drafted into the U. S. Army and was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado. He was discharged from the army in 1964 and subsequently served two additional years in the reserves.
Mark then moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he allowed his entrepreneurial spirit to take flight. Among his many ventures he sold industrial equipment, owned an office furniture company, a chair manufacturing plant, a liquidation company, and owned property which was leased to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He was also an active member of the Builder's Association of South Central Kentucky in the 1980's and 1990's.
In 1986, Mark led the Warren County election campaign for Wallace Wilkinson, the ensuing 57th Governor of Kentucky.
Mark moved with his wife Sandy to Nashville in 2010.
Mark was a big man with a big spirit and a fun-loving nature. He possessed a generous heart, a kind nature toward others, and a love of life. He never met a stranger. He enjoyed eating out, meeting new people, having good conversation, and traveling to a sunny location where he could get his signature deep tan. He loved his grandchildren, enjoyed spending time with them and made it a point to attend their sporting events.
Guestbook at crawfordservices.com. Crawford Mortuary & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.