Mark E. Stevenson died January 31, at sleep in his home in White Salmon, Washington. He was 64. Born and raised in White Salmon, Mark completed his secondary education at Catlin Gabel School and graduated from Williams College in 1970, where he studied design and architecture and majored in art history. During his years at Williams he cultivated his lifelong passion for art and in visits to New York collected early works by well known artists from the pop and op art world.

After college, Mark returned to the Northwest where he designed, remodeled and oversaw construction of houses in Bend and White Salmon. At this time he learned to play polo and engaged in the sport with the deep enthusiasm he brought to his many and varied interests in life. During the mid-1970s Mark became involved in the hotel business while overseeing the remodeling, expansion and management of Greenwood Inns in Beaverton and Bellevue, Washington that were real estate holdings of the Stevenson family business.

In 1982, Mark purchased the then-decrepit Heathman Hotel with a vision of its transformation into an elegant, urbane and vibrant downtown hotel. The Heathman reopened in 1984, bound inextricably to the arts through a brick and mortar connection to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, proximity to Portland’s cultural institutions in the park blocks, and hospitality provided by the hotel to visiting artists, authors and performers. Filled with original art and beautiful furnishings, The Heathman became a beacon of fine design, excellent cuisine and gracious hospitality that contributed to Portland’s distinct urban character and appeal.

Mark’s brilliant, creative mind and tireless work ethic are best represented by his Heathman project, but its accomplishment marked the end of a productive life that by 1990 was given over to illness. He continued to travel and engage in the outdoor activities he loved for as long as he was physically able, then withdrew to living quietly in White Salmon for the remainder of his life.

Mark was a vibrant and charismatic man who enriched and enlivened the lives of his many friends, an expansive network of interesting and entertaining people. He was handsome, keenly observant, funny, fun-loving and ever on the move. He is sorely missed. Mark was the youngest son and third of Priscilla and Wallace Stevenson’s five children. In the large, closely-knit Stevenson clan, he was one of 25 first cousins, some his closest friends and companions in life. He is survived by his parents; his brother, Wesley Stevenson (wife, Jamie); his sisters, Peggy Ohlson (husband, John Ohlson) and Bernice Bean (husband, Warren Bean); and many nieces and nephews. His brother, Bruce Stevenson died in 1997. 

Published in The Oregonian on Feb. 17, 2013

 

The following obituary appeared in the Williams Alumni Review:

Mark E. Stevenson, Jan. 31, 2013. Mark started collecting art when he was an art history major at Williams, making many trips to NYC and developing a collection of the early works of now well-known pop artists. After graduation he returned home to the Pacific Northwest and worked on design and remodeling construction projects. Through this work he became fascinated with historic restoration and bought the Heathman Hotel—at the time in disrepair—in Portland, Ore. Through Mark’s vision and hard work, he created a historic and cultural landmark that is still a beacon for the arts in the city he loved. In 1990, having fallen ill, he returned to his childhood home in White Salmon, Wash., where he spent the rest of his life. A longtime member of the boards at the Oregon Art Institute and the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Mark was a constant supporter of the arts in his community. Among his survivors are his parents, three siblings, and many cousins, including Thomas Stevenson ’71 and Davy Stevenson ’04.