Mark Angelo

Mark Robert Angelo Sr., 59, of Orlando, Florida, died Monday evening, April 13th in his home surrounded by his wife and children.  Mark battled a long fight with pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. Originally given a prognosis of 2-3 years, he fought fiercely for over 9 years.  He was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1960 to Patricia and Robert Angelo.  He was an incredible advocate for his own health, tirelessly researching and seeking out the most cutting-edge treatments available for his disease.  Despite his personal struggles, he remained selfless- helping to pass the Right to Try law in Florida, which will help other patients like him receive experimental treatments not currently FDA approved in the United States.  In addition, he was fond of the St. Jude Foundation and made regular donations.  He was a helper, always assisting others in times of need.

Being an accomplished athlete, Mark had many accolades.  An All-Scholastic baseball player at Reading High School in Massachusetts, he went on to be inducted into their Hall of Fame.  He then attended Florida Southern College, where he walked onto the varsity baseball team his freshman year, earning himself the nickname of ‘The Rook’.  During his time there, he was part of the NCAA National Championship team, an All-American, and later was inducted into their Hall of Fame.  Throughout his time at Florida Southern, Mark played in the prestigious Cape Cod League during the summer for the Yarmouth-Dennis and Wareham teams, setting records for homeruns and eventually being inducted into their Hall of Fame.  After his time with Florida Southern, he was drafted to the Cardinals organization, playing up to double-A level, and choosing to retire due to injuries.   Later in life, because of his extensive baseball knowledge, he was always a step ahead of the announcers in describing plays or players’ actions while watching baseball games with his family, which was always a great source of entertainment.

After retiring from baseball, Mark moved to Orlando and met his wife, Lisa, and they later married in 1987.  They moved to Boston for a brief period, where he was a stockbroker with Dean Whittier.  They moved back to Orlando, and he became a prominent force in the Orlando business community.  Over the next 30 years, he created over 26 businesses. He enjoyed the creative process of designing new concepts bringing them to fruition.  Halfway through his journey, one of Mark’s employees, Todd Ulmer, joined him to form a collaborative business partnership, which brought many of these concepts to success, some of which are still currently operating, such as Stardust Lounge and Aku Aku Tiki Bar.

Mark and Lisa had two children, Briana and Mark Jr. He was fully involved in their lives and loved providing life advice and perspective.  Whether it was their aerial shows or baseball games, he supported their interests regardless of his health situation. He was a lover of contemporary art, and the provenance of historical items was of great interest to him.  His outward strength and determination were always outweighed by his incredible love for his family, his and his daughter’s dogs, and of course his Bostonian wit.

Mark Robert Angelo is survived by his wife Lisa, daughter Briana, son Mark Jr., sister Michele Angelo and husband Steve Eramo, and brother Robert Angelo and wife Theresa.

Due to COVID-19, services are private. Details to be announced for a future Celebration of Life gathering.

Arrangements entrusted to Carey Hand Colonial Funeral Home, 2811 Curry Ford Road, Orlando, FL. 407 898 2561.