Mark William Teismann, Ph.D.

Mark William Teismann, Ph.D., 72, of Rockford, made his transition October 26th,2015. Born on January 28, 1943, in Cincinnati, Ohio; the son of William and Regina (Katzenstein) Teismann. He played college basketball on scholarship and graduated from the University of San Diego in 1964. Mark attended Ohio State University Medical School, and earned degrees in philosophy and theology at St. Paul’s College (Paulist Fathers) in Washington, D.C. He was awarded his Ph.D. in marital and family therapy from the University of Connecticut in 1975. From 1976 to 1983, Mark taught graduate courses in family therapy at NIU. A tenured professor, he was the primary author of NIU’s accredited Master’s Degree Program in marital and family therapy. Since 1973, Mark has conducted a private counseling practice in Storrs, Dekalb, and Loves Park.

Mark is survived by his wife, Ruth Ora Jackson; his sisters, Diane (Dave) Moccia of Cincinnati, and Lynne (Monica Martinez) Teismann of Tiberon, CA; his brother, Kevin (Sue) Teismann of Seattle, WA; brother-in-law, Charles (Jill) Jackson; his son, Nathan (Venita) Teismann, their children, Sonia and Nika of San Francisco; his daughter, Karina (Ryan Kelly) Teismann of Chicago; his wife’s daughter, Deanne Fletsch and her daughter, Jessica; his daughter, Jennifer (David) Rose, and their children, Henry and Annabelle of Phoenix, AZ; and his endearing felines, Tazu, Obi, and Ollie.

He is predeceased by his parents, and his wife’s son, Douglas Fletsch.
Mark enjoyed serving his clients, loved world travel with Ruth, gardening, thoughtful conversation, and reading cognitive science, world philosophy and religion. He found deep joy and peace in the wise compassion of Buddhist psychology and in his daily Vipassana meditation practice.

A celebration of Mark’s life will be held at the Mendelssohn Hall (Formerly 1st Presbyterian Church), 406 North Main St., Rockford, IL; on November 14th, 2015 at 3:00 PM. A fellowship dinner will follow where friends and family may pay their respects. Memorial donations may be given in Mark’s honor to Womanspace at womanspace-Rockford.org., Noah’s Ark at noahsarkanimals.org, the northern Illinois Food Bank at solvehungertoday.org, or to Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center at www.mendelssonpac.org. Funeral arrangements cared for by Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 1860 S. Mulford Rd., Rockford, IL, 61108.