Mark Powell NICOLINI

21 FEB 1952 - 19 JAN 2022

• BIRTH: 21 FEB 1952, South Bend, St Joseph, IN
• DEATH: 19 JAN 2022, Scottsdale, Maricopa County, AZ

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[N31213] Mark Powell Nicolini
February 21, 1952 - January 19, 2022

Mark Powell Nicolini, 69, died on Wednesday evening, January 19, 2022. Mark was spending the winter in Scottsdale, Arizona, from his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mark was born February 21, 1952, to Lewis F. and Thelma V. Nicolini (Powell). He was the third son, and his father nicknamed him “Orsino” (“little bear”) for his stocky build and tenacity. He was preceded in death by his parents; an older brother, Christopher (Gail); and his wife, Basilisa Virella. In July 1991, Mark married Basilisa (Bassy) in San Juan, Puerto Rico; they were married for 22 years, until her death in 2013. He is survived by his brother, Timothy, of Mishawaka, and his sister, Mary (James Schmidt) of Mishawaka. In addition, he is survived by seven nieces and nephews, and nine great-nieces and nephews. Mark leaves behind his fiancée Kathleen “Kathy” Oestreich of Milwaukee and her children: Thomas (Allison), Timothy (Molly) and Melanie; her three grandsons: Logan, Blake, and Collin, and her mother, Lois. After attending St. Joseph Elementary School in Mishawaka, Mark graduated from Marian High School in 1970. In 1974, he graduated summa cum laude from Wabash College, Crawfordsville, where he was Phi Beta Kappa and earned a bachelor's degree in political science. He was nominated by the faculty for a Rhodes Scholarship, and was selected by the faculty as one of two commencement speakers. In addition, he was a four-year letterwinner in varsity football, and was named to the second team Indiana Collegiate Conference in 1972. He was awarded an NCAA postgraduate award for outstanding achievement in scholarship and athletics. He earned his master’s degree in 1983 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Public Administration. In 1983, Mark began his 35-year career in public service as a Budget Analyst in the Department of Public Instruction and in the State Budget Office in Madison, Wisconsin. He moved to Milwaukee in 1989 and began his career with the city as a Fiscal Review Manager in the Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau. From 1998 through 2004, Mark served in a budget and strategic planning position as a Strategy Manager with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Mark retired in 2017 after 13 years as Milwaukee’s Budget and Management Director. Milwaukee Alderman Michael Murphy called Nicolini “a brilliant and thoughtful fiscal analyst whose quiet demeanor and class act have helped to shape and focus the future of Milwaukee for the better.” Mayor Tom Barrett proclaimed October 18, 2017, as Mark Nicolini Day in Milwaukee. Mark received the Lifetime Achievement award from the Wisconsin Policy Forum in June 2018. He was a true public servant. Mark was inducted into the Marian High School Hall of Fame in 2019. His senior year, the Marian football team, coached by Bob Otolski, was 10-0, finishing third in the state. Mark was an All Star in the North-South Indiana All Star classic. Mark was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Milwaukee. He was an active volunteer in community organizations such as the Near South Side Interfaith Elderly Assistance Program, and the St. Francis of Assisi Parish community meal program. He also tutored, using his bilingual skills with students and parents. Mark enjoyed traveling, gardening, cooking Italian food, fishing and sports. He was a voracious reader, reading books and several newspapers and magazines weekly. He was extremely knowledgeable about a variety of things, from Yankees baseball and Northwestern football to the politics of Saul Alinsky and writing of Jack Kerouac. He will be missed by all. A celebration of life will be held in Milwaukee in June or July, 2022. A celebration of life will also be held in Mishawaka in summer 2022. To remember Mark’s memory, please make a donation to St. Francis Assisi Parish, 327 West Brown Street, Milwaukee WI 53212.
Posted online on January 30, 2022
Published in South Bend Tribune