Bethlehem Township trustees grieve death of Trustee Mark Dearing, tasked to fill his seat

Kelli Weir, Canton Repository
·2 min read
Bethlehem Township trustees recently had a moment of silence to remember Trustee Mark Dearing who died Dec. 10 at age 56. Dearing had been elected trustee in November 2019.
Bethlehem Township trustees recently had a moment of silence to remember Trustee Mark Dearing who died Dec. 10 at age 56. Dearing had been elected trustee in November 2019.

BETHLEHEM TWP. – Bethlehem Township leaders will start the new year looking for a new trustee following the death of Trustee Mark Dearing who had been recently reelected.

As of the Friday deadline, roughly a dozen residents had applied to serve on the three-member board to fill the remainder of Dearing’s term, which expires Dec. 31, 2027.

Dearing, who died on Dec. 10 at the age of 56, had been reelected in November amid a three-person race.

Trustee T. Renee' Veselenak said she and Trustee Jim Urbach will begin interviewing applicants on Tuesday, the date of the trustees regular board meeting. Under state law, the trustees must name a successor within 30 days of the vacancy, or the decision could go to a committee comprised of the people who signed Dearing's nomination form for the election or to the presiding Stark County probate judge.

“It’s been very, very hard,” said Veselenak, who will be the board’s president in 2024. “It’s almost like we haven’t had time to grieve, but it (state law) requires you do this within 30 days.”

Mark Dearing had served as a Bethlehem Township trustee since 2020. He died on Dec. 10, just a month after winning reelection to a new four-year term.
Mark Dearing had served as a Bethlehem Township trustee since 2020. He died on Dec. 10, just a month after winning reelection to a new four-year term.

Dearing, who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer five years ago, was first elected trustee in November 2019. With a college degree and professional background in construction and civil engineering, he became the go-to person in the township for road, bridge and drainage issues. He is credited for spearheading the township’s road paving and chip and seal programs.

Veselenak, who was elected in November 2021, said Dearing served as a mentor to her and many others.

“He took me under his wing and basically gave me an engineering degree in a year and six months,” she said. “…. He was just a great guy.”

Dearing, a 1986 Jackson High School graduate who had lived in Bethlehem for roughly 25 years, also served as the trustees’ appointee on the Erie Valley Fire & Rescue Board of Trustees. Both the Erie Valley board and township trustees held a moment of silence and remembrance for Dearing during their most recent meetings.

Dearing is survived by his wife of 32 years, Michelle, and their children, Mikayla and Maguire. His funeral services were held on Dec. 18.

Reach Canton Repository staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Bethlehem Township trustees to fill vacancy after Mark Dearing's death