Mark W. Huth
BERNE — Mark W. Huth was dedicated to his family, his church, and his community. He died on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, after being injured in an automobile accident. He was 76.
“He was very much a doer,” said his son, Michael Huth. “He had a lot of integrity and cared a lot about others.”
Mr. Huth was born on Dec. 27, 1941, to Harry and Betty (née Woodruff) Huth. He grew up on a chicken farm in New Berlin, in Chenango County, where he spent his time riding horses and working hard on his parents’ farm, said Michael Huth. Harry Huth taught math and music at the school Mark Huth attended.
After graduating from high school, Mr. Huth joined the United States Navy and became an aviation mechanic, repairing engines while stationed on an aircraft carrier that made its way to such places as Cuba in the early 1960s, said his son.
After serving in the Navy, Mr. Huth earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial arts at the State University of New York College at Oswego; he later earned his master’s degree in teaching, his son said. Mr. Huth went on to teach high school industrial arts.
“He loved classes in machinery and woodworking,” said his son.
It was while he was teaching in the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk School District that he met an English teacher, Marjorie Sturges. The two were married on June 25, 1977.
Mr. Huth was a very talented carpenter, rebuilding the “fixer-upper” home he bought in Berne with his wife. He even built the furniture in the the house. The couple had four sons, and Mr. Huth worked hard to make time for his family, said his son. He later was a loving grandfather to his six grandchildren.
In 1978, Mr. Huth started a new career, publishing textbooks. He was very successful at this, too, publishing books for high schools and colleges on topics including industrial arts, fire science, and culinary arts, said his son. Mr. Huth retired more than 30 years later, and continued working part-time until his death.
While living in Berne, Mr. Huth passionately served his community. He was a town councilman, a member of Berne’s planning board, a volunteer firefighter, and president of the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board. Until recently, he would plow the driveways of his elderly neighbors during the winter, his son said.
“I think that there was a strong sense of duty to improve life for members of the town,” Michael Huth said.
Mr. Huth also faithfully served his religious community, which he came to be a part of with the help of his son. Michael Huth had already been active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he said, when his father joined him and was baptized when he was about 60 years old.
“He felt the church was true and he wanted to be a part of it,” said his son, who added that two doctrines are especially important to himself and his father: that family can be together forever even in death, and that the church provides a strong sense of community.
Mr. Huth served as bishop of the Schoharie Valley Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints since 2014, and had previously served as a youth leader and a member of the regional stake high council.
Mr. Huth enjoyed spending time in the Adirondacks in a cabin he built, where he would go to fish and to hunt. He and his wife — “true companions” — traveled to many places over the years, his son said.
“He had a mix of caring, integrity, and … initiative,” said his son.
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Mark W. Huth is survived by his wife, Marjorie (née Sturges) Huth; his sons, John Huth and his wife, Renée; Michael Huth and his wife, Sarah; Jeffery Huth and his wife, Erin; and Scott Huth and his wife, Lacey; and six grandchildren, Abigail, Emma, Jackson, Lily, Eden, and Preston Huth.
Visiting hours will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 141 Church St., Central Bridge, 12092. A memorial service will be held immediately afterward.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Humanitarian Aid Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at https://ldsp-pay.ldschurch.org; or at LDS Philanthropies, 1450 N. University Ave., Provo, Utah 84604.
Well-wishers may visit www.langanfuneralhome.com to leave condolences for the family.
— H. Rose Schneider