Mark was 86 when he passed on to Heaven on Feb. 7th, 2026. He had advanced Dementia and Congestive Heart Failure. It was a Blessing that the LORD brought him home.

Mark’s life was underscored by music (he loved puns). His first solo was when he was 3 years old. He and his brother David and their parents always sang in church together as he was growing up. In high school he learned to play the clarinet, saxophone, and oboe, and he was the Drum Major his last two years of high school. He entered the Air Force as a musician, and learned to play hand drums in Panama where he was stationed. He had a wonderful singing voice and always sang in church choirs. He later taught himself electric base and ukulele. Mark almost always woke up with a song in his heart—often a silly song. He loved to make others laugh.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, and then followed a career in map making, which lead to being a photogrammetrist (making detailed, 3-dimentional maps from airial and satellite images). He was part of a team developing the best photogrammetry company in the world. He trained customers who traveled from other countries to their office in San Diego, and he also traveled world-wide to teach others. If they didn’t speak English, he could also teach in Spanish. He had wonderful people skills because he loved people, and in teaching he had the patience of Job (well, other than going outside on occasion to kick a tree).

Along the way, while riding buses back & forth to work, he wrote a novel that revealed his theory about what happened to a ship that disappeared out of Panama. He wrote to Clive Cussler about it—and Clive Cussler wrote back an encouraging note!

After he retired and we moved here to Georgia, he developed his woodworking and design skills, and also taught himself how to repair old photos—even having a small business repairing old photos for others.

He loved everyone, especially his children, grandchildren, and all his extended family. He was a kind, gentle, deeply caring, and fun-loving man. He was greatly loved! He will be greatly missed!

Mark leaves behind his devoted wife of 30 years, Jill Hughes Kingsley,
his children and grandchildren from two previous marriages, Traci West Dickerson, John Kingsley, Grace White, Tim Kingsley, Dawn Gibbs, Kathryn Kingsley, Eddie White, Anna Chastain, Kyle West, August Gibbs, Kennedy Simpson, and Emerson Sidle,
and Jill’s daughter Dana, grandchildren Hannah and Blake, son-in-law Steve Westcott, and little pup Muppet.

Care of Mr. Kingsley has been entrusted to In Their Honor Funeral and Cremation Providers.