Obituary for Mark R. Corrigan Mark R. Corrigan, age 75, was called to the Lord suddenly at his home near Charles Town, WV on Tuesday, September 4, 2018. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Esther (Torzewski) Corrigan of Central Wisconsin. Mark is survived by his siblings, Richard (Mary) Corrigan of Virginia, Sue-Ann (John) Dondlinger of Amherst, WI, Patrick (LaVerne) Corrigan of North Carolina, and Marion Corrigan of Milwaukee, WI.
He is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins and family friends. Mark was born in Milwaukee, WI on June 28, 1943 and grew up in the semi-rural outskirts of “the big city” where agriculture, hard work, values, and religion were important. He graduated from St. Catherine’s school near Granville and Brown Deer High School.
Upon receiving his B.S. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and excelling in its Army ROTC program there, Mark was commissioned a U.S. Army 2nd Lieutenant (Air Defense Artillery Branch) and entered active duty. He commanded a Nike Air Defense Missile site north of Detroit, a Hawk anti-aircraft battery in Korea, served in 20th NORAD during the Cold War and performed specialized roles in Vietnam. Mark left the Army with the rank of Captain and was later designated a Disabled Veteran becauseof service-related injuries.
Growing up in a rural area, hunting and shooting were things at which Mark excelled. During his time at the University, he was an accomplished marksman on the ROTC and University Rifle Teams. Upon re-entering civilian life, he became more heavily engaged in shooting sports, other endeavors, and manufactured reproductions of firearms used during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
Ever the entrepreneur, Mark owned a hotel/restaurant in Hopewell, VA, raised, trained and sold Quarter Horses on a property near Fredericksburg, VA once owned by George Washington and founded the Harpers Ferry Arms Company. The latter produced high quality reproduction rifles and carbines for North-South Skirmish Association (N-SSA) team and individual competitions, at which he also excelled as a competitor. He also manufactured reproduction arms for American Bi-Centennial re-enactors and ceremonial events during the 1970’s.
A reproduction of the St. Etienne muskets Lafayette brought to America was presented to then President Ronald Reagan. During this time, Mark qualified as a private pilot and flew around the country for shooting competitions and to promote his horses and manufactured products. A deer hunter in younger days, more recently Mark enjoyed hunts for Pheasants, Chukar Partridge, and Quail with his brother and friends, using a muzzle-loading shotgun, often at the Shenandoah Valley Sportsmen located near Inwood and fished on the nearby Shenandoah River.
Mr. Corrigan lived in semi-retirement in Purcellville, VA for several years before moving to West Virginia five years ago. While residing in Virginia, he was a member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and very active in the parish’s Knights of Columbus Council. Until recently, he enjoyed serving customers and solving many of their home-ownership challenges as a part-time employee for the 100+ year old historic Nichol’s Hardware in Purcellville.
Armed with a wealth of experiences, he became a prolific author of Historical Novels of the Civil War era and Cold War Conflicts, including Vietnam. Some of his books are currently listed on Amazon.com. A Memorial Service will be on Saturday, September 29, 2018 at 11:00 AM at Holly Funeral Home in Waupaca A visitation will be held on Saturday morning from 10:00 – 11:00 AM at the funeral home.
Burial will be on the Corrigan family plot in historic St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery in the Town of Lanark near where his parents lived in retirement on a 150 year old family farm. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mark R. Corrigan please visit our Sympathy Store. Upcoming Events Memorial Visitation , SEP 29.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM A. J. Holly & Sons (Waupaca) 526 S. Main St P.O. Box 254 Waupaca, WI, US, 54981 hollyfuneralhome@charter.net www. hollyfuneralhome.com Order Flowers for the Memorial Visitation Guaranteed delivery before Mark’s Memorial Visitation begins. Memorial Service , SEP 29.
11:00 AM A. J. Holly & Sons (Waupaca) 526 S. Main St P.O. Box 254 Waupaca, WI, US, 54981 hollyfuneralhome@charter.net www. hollyfuneralhome.com Order Flowers for the Memorial Service Guaranteed delivery before Mark’s Memorial Service begins.
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