Mark William Beard

Mark Beard, 72, of Mt. Pleasant, passed away Sunday, January 31, 2021, at his home. He was born October 27, 1948, in Mt. Pleasant, son of the late Leo M. and Glenna L. (Shuttleworth) Beard. A 1966 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School, Mark attended Central Michigan University and Northwood College. From a young age Mark worked alongside his father Leo at Hub Oil and Beard Oil and Supply. In 1984 he established M & L Petroleum Inc. where he was awarded the fastest growing business in the state of Michigan. In 2005 Mark established Beard Oil Distributing among other companies including his most recent venture, Beard Motorsports. From a young age Mark loved race cars. He started from building Go-Karts to realizing his goal of racing late models and Busch Grand Nationals at Daytona. In 2016 he established his own NASCAR Cup Team, running the #75, then the #62. Among his many leisure activities, Mark enjoyed boating, snowmobiling, hunting, and golfing. He was the kind of guy that brought life and laughter to any room, never knowing what he might say. Mark was a strong man who would do anything for his beloved family. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Linda; two children Amie Beard (Jeremy Deja) of Mt. Pleasant and Mark R. (Alexandra) Beard of St. Johns; sisters, Leonna (Rick) Mousa of Atlanta, GA and Kathy (Jerry) Evans of Mt. Pleasant; and nieces and nephews, Adam Mousa, Ana Mousa, Chris Evans, Jayme Evans, Jesse Evans, and JJ Evans. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his beloved canines, Chelsea, Casey, and Lilly. Mark's funeral will be held on Saturday, February 20, at 11 a.m. at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home with Jay Laffoon officiating and will be streamed on the funeral home's Facebook page. Click here to watch the funeral live ( Watch Live Stream ). Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday, February 19, from 4-7 p.m. and on Saturday one hour prior to the service. Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider HATS or the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.  To sign the online guest book or leave a condolence for the family please visit www.CharlesRLux.com.