DR. MARK KENDRA HIGHLAND, IN

Dr. Mark Kendra age 66, of Highland, passed away surrounded by family on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Mark is survived by his wife of 37 years, Sheryl; children Dr. Marisa, Dr. Taylor and Austen; and brother, Greg. Preceded in death by his father (Frank), mother (Mary), and sister-in-law (Diane). He is also mourned by many members from the Klawinski family on his wife's side: Joyce, Judy (Rich), Bruce (Nancy), Krista (Michael) and their children, David (Christa) and their daughter, Nicholas (Jennifer) and their son, Dr. Darren (Danielle), Amanda and her son, Tyler (Stacey) and their children, Ryan, Dawn (James) and their sons, and Dana (Benjamin) and their sons. He is preceded in death by George, Bryan, and Janie.

Mark was born in Chicago, IL on August 7, 1955. He graduated from Highland High School in 1973, attended undergraduate school at both Wabash and Indiana University, and earned his doctorate degree from Indiana University School of Dentistry in 1982. He started his first dental practice near downtown Highland and eventually moved to the current location on Indianapolis Boulevard in 1987, where his two daughters still practice today. He greatly enjoyed his career in dentistry (he taught dental assisting classes and orthodontic courses through the Academy for GP Orthodontics at his office) and loved interacting with his patients. Outside of dentistry, he was an active member in his community; he served on the Town of Highland Planning Board, worked closely with his wife helping the Humane Society/Treasured Friends organizations, and was a member of the IUSD Alumni Board which oversaw the newest addition to the dental school (where he has a clinic named after him). He also loved involving himself in new projects and ventures, with real estate development and hospitality becoming a growing passion throughout the years– a love that he has now passed down to his three children.

In his free time, Mark loved attending Chicago Blackhawks hockey games and was a season ticket holder for over 30 years. He enjoyed Broadway theater, trying new restaurants, and traveling both domestically and internationally with his family. One of his favorite places in the world was Maui, Hawai'i, where he spent his honeymoon in 1984 and countless family vacations throughout the years. Ultimately, everyone who knew Mark knew his greatest love in life was spending time with family. He was a very involved father and never missed an opportunity to tell everyone how proud he was of his wife and children. He was always incredibly selfless and giving with his time, knowledge, and love, and will be greatly missed.

Friends may visit with the family on Sunday, January 9th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Solan-Pruzin Funeral Home & Crematory 14 Kennedy Ave (corner of Main and Kennedy) in Schererville. Panachida 7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Northwestern Memorial Foundation, P.O. Box 734985, Chicago, Illinois 60673-4985. Please make the check payable to "Northwestern Memorial Foundation" and include Dr. Mark Kendra in the memo line. Donations can also be made online at foundation.nm.org, or over the phone at (312) 926-2033. Your gift will support Kidney Research under the direction of Dr. Daniel Batlle at Northwestern Medicine.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 10 ^th at 11:00 a.m. Directly at Descent of the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church 525 E. 77th Ave in Schererville with Fr. Lev Holowaty officiating. Mark will lie in state at the church from 10:30 a.m. until time of service. At rest Elmwood Cemetery in Hammond.

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