The Oregon State University community grieves the sudden loss of Mark Kralj, ’77, who died on Oct. 1 at age 69. For those wishing to honor Mark, the family suggests a gift to one of their many scholarship funds: The Mark Kralj Family Scholarship Endowment for Veterans Fund. 

“We’ve been fortunate in our lives to have many blessings,” Kralj said in a recent interview. “We need to share our blessings with people who have not been as fortunate.”

A retired principal at Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Kralj was a highly valued and exceptionally active volunteer leader at the university, including board service for OSU-Cascades and the College of Business. He chaired the OSU Foundation Board of Trustees from 2006-07 as the organization geared up for the public launch of what would be the $1.1 billion Campaign for OSU, the university's first comprehensive fundraising campaign. New members this year in the Harris Society, Kralj and his wife Katherine R. Kralj long supported OSU Athletics and the College of Business, increasingly focusing on scholarships as they became aware of students’ needs amid rising costs.

“Mark was a great Beaver and a great board member. He was a ‘positive skeptic’ who liked to engage in robust dialogue, always with an eye on what was best for OSU, now and for the long term,” said OSU Foundation President and CEO Shawn L. Scoville. “We loved seeing him and Kathy at many, many university events and hearing about his kids, Joel, Nicholas and Emily, and grandchildren he loved so much. Our deepest sympathies go to all the family.”

Read more about Kralj in these stories from the OSU Foundation and the College of Business (page 16).

Stories and photos may be shared on the memorial webpage.