Mark John Stopyro, 66, of Zumbro Falls, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on July 30, 2025, at home surrounded by his family. He was born March 28, 1959 to John and Irene Stopyro.
Mark was a true Renaissance man who strived for excellence in all that he did. He engaged in a rich variety of hobbies and interests, including fly fishing, smoking his own meat, raising prairie grass, and obtaining a private pilot’s license. He also learned how to play the fiddle and played with various music groups in the area. Although he had little experience in construction projects, he took it upon himself to build a beautiful “writer’s retreat” cabin on their property for his wife Sam. Although he said he couldn’t dance, he admitted that he was a “dancing fool“ when he danced with Sam.
Mark was also a brilliant man. Pursuing his love of the outdoors, he obtained a master’s degree in fisheries biology and began his career as a biologist with the Minnesota DNR. Later, wanting to try something new, he acquired another master’s degree in computer science and enjoyed a successful career as an IT specialist at Mayo Clinic. He had a rich and active mind and was able to rattle off the Latin names of the plants in his backyard, explain the importance of the precise tilt of the Earth in its orbit, or tell you exactly how to fix your computer problems.
It was in the midst of his outdoorsy pursuits that he met the love of his life, Sam, while paddling on the river. Mark and Sam married in 2018 and enjoyed their years together cooking, paddling a kayak or a canoe, camping, and spending winters with an assortment of faithful friends at their tiny home community in Tucson, Arizona. They also played games, read aloud to one another, and hiked together with their wonderful English shepherd dog, Booker. Mark was dearly loved and he will be deeply missed.
Mark is survived by his beloved wife, Sam; siblings Nancy Leon, James Stopyro, Mary McBride (John), EJ Stopyro, Laura Stopyro, and Annie Stopyro; his nieces and nephews; Sam‘s daughters Angela Lebakken and E. Jannah Ebner; and step – grandchildren Anders and Dominic. Preceding him in death were his parents and his sister, Elizabeth.
Sam would like to express her deep gratitude to the staff of Seasons Hospice for their faithful, compassionate care during Mark’s illness.
A celebration of Mark‘s life will be held at South Troy Wesleyan Church in Zumbro Falls on Saturday, August 23, 2025, with Rev. Colleen Hoeft officiating. Visitation will be from 10–11 a.m. with a service to follow.
Memories and condolences of Mark may be shared at rochestercremationservicesmn.com
I am so sad about Mark’s passing- I came to think of him as my own brother. I’ll especially miss him making me coffee when I came over- his big smile when he fished two big colorful mugs out of the cupboard & brought them over for me to choose one. He was funny and helpful and talented and he knew everything about everything. May the whole family have peace and love for one another.
It has been a joy to know Mark throughout or life! We met him at college and quickly became great friends! We were blessed to have him in our wedding 41 years ago! We will miss him so dearly and are so happy that he had a beautiful life with Sam! We look forward to celebrating Marks wonderful life and impact on all who have known and loved him!
Mark was a great guy; I worked with him in IT for several years and he always had a way to brighten your day by sharing some fishing excitement or a new species he found in the grasses that he enjoyed walking through.to clear his head at work. I even learned about coffee presses from him, which isn’t surprising as he was always learning, exploring, and enjoying life, one little piece at a time.
He will be missed, definitely one of the good guys – rest easy, my friend.
I am so heartbroken over the passing of my dear friend Mark. I met him at Penn State University where we were both attended graduate school. I was already there when he arrived, so I offered to let him stay with me while he searched for an apartment to rent. I introduced him to real Italian food, artichokes, and saltwater fish and fishing. He introduced me to ice fishing. I visited him in Minnesota, and we went fishing on Zumbro River and the backwaters of the upper Mississippi River. He also took me flying. He visited me several times in my home state of Florida, and I took him all over the state from north to south. He even sent me a care package of smoked meats for me to try, which were outstanding. The thing I appreciated most about him was his childlike enthusiasm and curiosity for life and learning. The world has lost a gentle soul, and I will dearly miss him.
So sad to hear about Mark’s early departure from this place. He was a co worker of mine and the rest of the Lake City DNR “slash crew” and we shared many great memories working together and adventuring all over the State. Mark was a very unique person with many talents, but what he possessed that impressed me most, was his gentle, kind and loving soul. Memories of Mark still come up in many of our retired DNR get togethers and those will only strengthen now that he’s gone. May you rest in peace Mark.
What a loss! I worked with Mark on many DNR projects and he always made them a delight to be part of. He would bring a new selection of his smoked sausage to try on every outing. DELICIOUS! He knew so much about Minnesota fishes from his “River Rat” upbringing that isn’t taught in any school. He always kept everyone spellbound with his knowledge and bottomless well of great fish stories. You will be sorely missed my friend.
Our sincere condolences on Mark’s passing. I first met Mark in a Microbiology class back in college. Given our shared interest in the outdoors, and fishing in particular, we quickly bonded and spent quite a bit of time camping and flyfishing for trout in SE MN and SW WI. Mark was an outstanding fisherman and camp cook, and we ate well on our adventures. Tight lines my old friend. I hope you’ve found a honey hole in heaven.