MARK C. TOUHEY December 27, 1960 – December 3, 2024

It is with immense sorrow that we mourn the peaceful passing of Mark C. Touhey, 63, on December 3, 2024, at his home in Scituate surrounded by his family, after a brief and courageous battle with an aggressive form of cancer.

Born and raised in New Bedford, he was the first-born child of the late Charles V. Touhey, Jr. and Ann (Porter) Touhey. Mark was the beloved husband of Lonise (Evelyn) Touhey and loving father to Shannon (Touhey) Averill (John, Jr.) of Dedham, Erin Touhey of Quincy, Graham Silva of Scituate, Addison Silva of Glastonbury, CT, and Lydia Silva of Scituate; adoring grandfather ("Pops") to John ("Jack") Averill, III. Preceded in death by his late wife, Nancy (Nelson) Touhey, loving mother of Shannon and Erin, who lost her long battle with cancer in 2007.

Mark lived each day with the utmost integrity and unwavering devotion to his family and friends, of which he had many. His heart was full of gratitude, which he expressed openly and often.

Mark's true life-long passion was sailing and the sea. With the wind in his sails, he found peace and adventure in the rhythm of the waves. He spent countless hours on Buzzards Bay, often cruising to Cuttyhunk Island, Quissett Harbor and Martha's Vineyard, to name a few. Whether he was skippering his boat, "Whirlwind," with his family and friends or racing on Wednesday nights with his crewmates in Hingham, Mark embodied the spirit of the sailor -- brave, free and deeply connected to the ocean. One of his most memorable achievements was participating in the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race. It was the trip of a lifetime and an accomplishment he was extremely proud of.

He loved skiing in Vermont, taking long walks to The Spit in Scituate, and trying new recipes while cooking with his family. He had also recently taken up painting again, which he found meditative. These joys brought comfort and warmth to those around him. Mark leaves behind a profound legacy of love and shared memories. He will be warmly remembered for his adventurous spirit and the way he inspired those around him to embrace life with curiosity and courage.

Mark graduated from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1982 with a degree in accounting and obtained his certification as a Certified Public Accountant. He spent several years in public accounting before beginning his long, fulfilling career at Liberty Mutual Insurance, based at the Boston headquarters.

During his nearly 30 years at the company, he held a variety of senior leadership positions across the corporate finance, commercial insurance, corporate strategy and research, and talent and enterprise services departments. Upon his retirement in 2022, he was a member of the Executive Leadership Team, serving as Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary and Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer. In this role, he oversaw corporate governance and engagement with Liberty Mutual's Board of Directors. Mark is remembered by his colleagues and peers, who were also his friends, for his loyalty, strategic counsel, and unwavering dedication to the success of the organization.

In both his personal and professional life, Mark was deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and making a meaningful impact on the community. He was co-executive chairman of Liberty Mutual's Employee Resource Group focused on employees of African descent and allies, and in his final role before retirement, one of his key responsibilities was overseeing the organization's Community Investments team, which became a model of philanthropic excellence and giving under his leadership. Mark served on the Board of Directors of the Boston-based non-profit More than Words, a job training and youth development program, as well as The Partnership, Inc., an organization that works with companies to deliver leadership training to diverse and multicultural professionals. He was also on the Board of Directors for the New Bedford Yacht Club on Padanaram Harbor in South Dartmouth, a place Lonise and he cherished dearly.

Mark is also survived by his sisters, Mary Ann Touhey of New Bedford and Susan (Touhey) Kelly (Michael) of Medina, OH; brother David Touhey (Katherine) of Alexandria, VA; and several nieces and nephews, whom he enjoyed seeing every summer while vacationing at Point Connett in Mattapoisett.

A Celebration of Life will be held on his birthday, Friday, December 27, 2024, from 1pm-5pm at the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club, 84 Jericho Road, Scituate.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mark's name to non-profit organizations that support youth sailing and that were close to his heart: Community Boating Center, 1641 Padanaram Avenue, New Bedford, MA 02740, www.communityboating.org or New Bedford Yacht Club Foundation, 208 Elm Street, South Dartmouth MA 02748, nbycf.org/support.