Mark Dale Kuest

“If it hurts when you do that, don’t do that.”

We were lucky enough to learn countless lessons from Mark in his nearly 60 years of life, including this pearl of wisdom and many others. Honor your commitments. Shake it off. Anything worth doing, is worth doing well.

Mark Dale Kuest, family man, gearhead and semi-professional life of the party, died of sudden cardiac arrest on Sunday, March 19, 2023 in the company of his loving wife and partner of nearly 40 years, Sarah Kuest.

Born Dec. 9, 1963 in Odessa, Washington, Mark loved tinkering, storage auctions, and questionable dance moves, not necessarily in that order. A lifelong steel salesman, he detested shirking and slow drivers, absolutely in that order.

His friendships spanned years and miles, from his time at Fort Bragg High School in California to the family farm in Odessa and his dedicated gym crew in Spokane Valley, WA.

Mark was and will remain a hero to his children, biological and otherwise - including Shannen Talbot, Derek Kuest, Kim Talbot, Liz Eilers-Kuest, and Zane Emmett - and will forever serve as the foremost example of what a man and father should be.

He will be remembered for his lightning-quick wit, his unshakable loyalty, and his generous heart, the size of which was only eclipsed by that of his imaginary classic car collection.

He is survived by his wife, kids, siblings, and stepmother, joining both parents in the great beyond, where we sincerely hope he fulfills lifelong dreams of flight.

Mark will be celebrated at a wake with family, friends, and that one guy he met last week at an auction on Saturday, June 3 at 3 PM at the Inland Northwest AGC in Spokane. In a nod to his farming roots and preferred wardrobe, flannel/plaid attire is encouraged. Please RSVP, share online condolences, and upload pictures of Mark at https://bit.ly/MarkKuestMemorialBash.

In lieu of flowers, Mark would hope you do an unexpected and unsolicited act of kindness for another in his name. Ideally, you’d poke fun at them while you did it. If this is not possible, he would doubtless appreciate instead a donation to Spokane Community College, where he enjoyed so many formative years.

Dwelling on Mark’s passing hurts, for all of us. So it stands to reason that one of his first lessons was also his last.

If it hurts when you do that, don’t do that.

Instead, think of his life and the laughter and joy that filled it, and find him in a fast car, a sea breeze, and a good old-fashioned dirty joke – the greatest of all being how he was taken from us too soon.