Family

The three most important people in Mark Sigrist’s life have been his wife, Melissa, and his late parents, Gary and June. They were like his North Star, helping him with his value system – belief in God, in family, in hard work and in giving back to the community and those less fortunate.

 “We had a big family – eight kids,” Mark recalls of his childhood. “So, we learned to stretch a dollar, to work hard. But we were also very fortunate - in the things that really matter. The things money can’t buy. There was a lot of love.”

His father, Gary, founded one of Grove City’s premier family-owned businesses - Hall of Frame, a photography studio. The elder Sigrist also served as president of the Grove City Chamber of Commerce.

Mark’s mother, June, focused on raising the children and also helping her husband with the photo business. Mark notes. “She was a faith-filled woman and an inspiration to all of us.” When her children were grown, she became a chaplain, serving at Mount Carmel hospitals. “She felt called to comfort the sick and their families” Mark remembers.  “Mom died too soon, at 58. She left a legacy of service to others that the rest of us kids have tried to carry on.”

To help make ends meet, Mark helped his father at the photo studio and was a busboy at Beulah Park Race Track and Scioto Downs Race Track while attending Grove City High School. He also worked his way through college.

At Ohio University, he met the love of his life, Melissa, at a Bible study group. “It was love at first sight," Mark recalls. They were married shortly after Sigrist graduated OU in 1983 with an accounting degree. In the early 90’s, they lived 3 years in Japan, where Mark developed the Honda overseas expatriate program. Their daughter Emily was born in Japan.

During his many years with Honda North America, the couple had three children – Alex, Adam and Emily. Mark and Melissa are looking forward – God willing – to lots of grandchildren in the future.