Mark Bialik, energetic Rotarian, top engineer, remembered by RCF
Rotary Club of Farragut members joined family and friends in their grief over the sudden loss of Mark Bialik, who died of a massive heart attack Friday, June 18.
Mark, 61, died around 1 p.m. while playing golf at Ruggles Ferry Golf Course in Strawberry Plains, RCF publicity chair Tom King told fellow Rotarians in his newsletter Sunday, June 20.
“I’m truly devastated,” RCF member Noah Myers said. “Mark has been my good friend and civil engineer for nearly 15 years.”
“I was shocked and saddened to hear about the loss of my friend and fellow Rotarian Mark Bialik,” RCF president Edward Jones said. “Mark was truly an amazing person and was a big part what made our Rotary Cclub run so well.”
Mr. Bialik was a licensed Professional Engineer and president of GBS Engineering in Knoxville. Most recently, his business was involved with the building of Overlook Apartments at North Campbell Station Road and Kingston Pike Village at Watt Road.
Mark and wife, B.J. Swinehart, a well-known Realtor and principal broker with REMAX, had no children.
“It is rare to come across a person that really exemplifies the Rotary 4-Way Test,” Myers said. “He always told the truth — even though that’s not what you wanted to hear; his decisions were always fair; he always wanted goodwill for others; and, more than anything, he wanted his actions to benefit those around him and his community.
“Mark has been instrumental in quarterbacking our Flu-Shot Saturdays since the inception,” he added, “There is a massive void to be filled in our club. Not only did we lose a great Rotarian, I lost one of my best friends.”
“Mark’s unwavering support made leading the club during this unprecedented ‘COVID year’ a much easier job for me,” Jones said. “Mark enjoyed giving to the community, and he wore many hats in the club.
“He was a loyal board member and chair of our Family of Rotary Committee,” the president added. “As a member of the club’s award-winning golf team (in Rotary’s district golf tournament), he was able to combine his love of golf, cigars and support of Rotary International’s effort to eradicate Polio at the same time.
“Rotary and golf were but two of his many loves — wife B.J. was No. 1.” King stated in his newsletter. “He loved his family, his civil engineering work, Farragut Rotary, good cigars and a taste or two of fine bourbon whiskey.”
Additionally, King shared that Mr. Bialik was a soccer goalie for 25 years and played on the same team with B.J. He “loved most all sports, live music and music cruising, playing the clarinet (and was) ‘a great dancer,’ BJ said. “And he also was an ice skater.”
“He was just so good at everything he did,” Swinehart told King. “He loved everything about Rotary and his great friends in the club.”
A visitation service is set from 4 to 6 p.m., Friday, July 9, in Click Funeral Home Farragut Chapel, 11915 Kingston Pike.
King said Mr. Bialik is the fourth RCF member to pass away during the 2020-21 Rotary year.
