Mark A. Mechowski, a banking executive based in New Jersey, died Nov. 15 of heart failure. He was 45.
Mechowski was born Nov. 18, 1965, in Schenectady, N.Y., and resided in Lawrenceville, N.J., and Philadelphia.
He was a graduate of Lawrenceville High School and attended Rider College.
Mechowski was assistant vice president at Bank of America in Collingswood, N.J. His former positions included vice president of PNC Bank in Philadelphia and president of Markham Inc. in Lawrenceville.
Mechowski was a parishioner of Our Savior Church in Lawrenceville, where he served as vice chairman of the Parish Committee. He was also past president of the North Trenton Lions Club, a member of the Lawrenceville Lions Club, secretary of the Polish Business and Professional Men’s Club, a past treasurer of the Polish Falcons and a member of the Polish Arts Club of Trenton. While at PNC Bank, Mechowski was an active member of the Rittenhouse Row Business Association and served on the board of the Career Development Awards.
James R. Keller, Mechowski’s partner of 26 years, said his hobbies and interests centered around helping people and the community, and he enjoyed traveling.
“He just liked to keep himself busy helping people,” Keller said. “He was involved in fundraisers with Equality Advocates and the Human Rights Campaign fund and the AIDS Law Project. He did love to travel. He traveled throughout the United States and to Europe and Israel. He loved spending time with his family. He enjoyed spending time with our family dog taking walks.”
Keller also noted how Mechowski will be remembered by family and friends.
“He was very hard-working. He was altruistic. He was a kind and gentle soul. He was generous. I think the thing that most people have said since he’s passed away to me is that they loved and missed his sense of humor. He had a great sense of humor and overall he was a beautiful person. One of the things we said a week before he died is that we were able to share things with each other that a lot of people don’t have the chance to.”
In addition to Keller, Mechowski is survived by his parents, The Rev. Frederick and Ruth J. Mechowski; his sister Melissa Laughlin and her husband William; and his nieces Amanda and Olivia.
Funeral services were held Nov. 18 at Ss. Peter and Paul Polish National Catholic Church in Passaic, N.J. and Mechowski was interred at the East Ridgelawn Cemetery in Clifton.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at St. Peter’s Church, 313 Pine St. Memorial gifts may be made to Ss. Peter and Paul Polish National Catholic Church or to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).
Condolences to the family can be conveyed at www.poulsonvanhise.com.