MADISON â€" Harlan Earl "Mark" Marquess, age 88, of Madison, Wis., passed away on Dec. 12, 2019, at Oakwood Village, Madison, in the presence of his loving wife, Jeanette “Jen” Blodau.

Mark was born on Jan. 23, 1931, in Sheridan, Wyo., to Earl and Fern (Kinneman) Marquess. His love of nature was nurtured growing up in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains and was evident throughout his life. Mark graduated from Sheridan High School and then studied accounting.

He then joined the Air Force. He was sent to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, Calif. to learn Russian. He served in the Korean War and was stationed in Japan using his language skills to help in the war effort. After his military service, Mark earned his doctorate in Slavic Language at UC Berkley.

In 1958, Mark married Joyce Shepard. In 1964, Mark’s young family moved to Madison, where Mark joined the UW Madison Slavic Language Department, teaching Russian and Czech. In 1972, Mark co-authored, with Meyer Galler, “Soviet Prison Camp Speech: A Survivor’s Glossary.”

In 1979, Mark married Jeanette Blodau. He retired from UW Madison in 1992. In retirement, Mark enjoyed visiting national parks, canoeing on Wisconsin rivers, attending Madison opera, making music with The Madison Recorder Society, and volunteering with The Sierra Club.

Preceding him in death were his parents and brother, Richard “Dick” R. Marquess.

Survivors include his wife, Jeanette Blodau of Madison; one daughter, Jeanette Marquess and husband Steve Books of Madison; two sons, Philip Delaquess and wife, Alice of Madison; and Erik Marquess and wife, Barbara Jenkin of Spring Green; one step-daughter, Annette Puente and husband, John Paul of Rochester, N.Y.; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; his sister, Beverly and husband, Robyn Goodman of Missoula, Mont.; his sister-in-law, Nancy (Richard) Marquess of Bighorn, Wyo.; and the mother of his children, Joyce Carey of Madison.

No memorial service is planned. Members of the family will return to the Bighorn Mountains to honor Mark in the spring.

The family is grateful for the care Mark received at Oakwood Village and through Hospice.

Madison.com - Jan. 25, 2020.