Richard Mark Saville

Richard Mark Saville

Richard(Dick) Mark Saville Jr., 74, passed away peacefully on April 14th, 2026 at the Evergreen Hospice Center in Kirkland, Washington. He was a great-grandson of Clayton Mark, founder of the Mark Manufacturing Company (1888) and early resident of Lake Forest, Illinois. His grandmother, Lydia Marie Mark Saville, was the daughter of Clayton and Anna Mark and the wife of John Kimball Saville, whose lineage traces to the Mayflower passenger John Howland, a signer of the Mayflower Compact in 1620.

Born Mary 3, 1952 in Evanston, Illinois, he was the beloved son of Richard Mark Saville Sr. and Constance Lewis Saville. He grew up in Lake Forest, attended St. Mary’s Elementary, Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Lake Forest High School, and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. From an early age he demonstrated his great sense of humor, quick wit, and was often a prankster. He enjoyed retelling past stories such as the time he and friends added bubble bath to the town fountain; rolled marbles down the inclined floor at the hometown movie theater; and how he and his friends would enjoy champagne undetected in the movie theater. He was also practical and hard working. In grade school he created a lawn care service with his best friend, Joe Waldeck, and was busy all seasons, either mowing lawns, raking leaves or shoveling snow.

In 1996, Dick, his wife and 3 children moved to Seattle where he worked as a software developer at Microsoft followed by multiple roles as a consultant in the software industry. Aptly self-described as a web-wizard, it was clear he loved programming; he taught it to his sons, pursued endless technology innovations, and spent his free time creating new tools well into retirement. Dick held strong beliefs and opinions, but also encouraged healthy arguments and discussions about them. He never stopped learning. He was excited to share news about advances in space exploration, technology and science. Richard was a great storyteller like his mom; he entertained those around him with his old jokes and memories from his past. He was an avid chess-player and admired all the great chess masters, learning about and applying their strategies.

He was a dedicated and fun-loving dad, and encouraged his kids to be creative, to think for themselves, and to always be a little silly. At the movies, he would stay and dance in front of the screen while the credits rolled. Sometimes he’d sneak into a second movie. He had a way of making everyday moments fun. He was a wonderful grandfather and turned his apartment into a playplace for his grandson, Shawn, filled with toys and laughter.