Mark Joseph Grusauski
obituaries

Mark Joseph Grusauski

SALISBURY — Mark Joseph Grusauski, beloved husband and loyal friend, passed away on Dec. 15, 2024, at the age of 63. Born on July 29, 1961, to Mary (Harz) and John Grusauski, Mark’s adventurous spirit and passion for discovery defined his life.

Mark grew up in Kent, Connecticut, graduating from Kent Center School and Oliver Wolcott Technical High School. His love of aviation began in high school, when he built a hang glider in his parents’ basement, and taught himself how to fly. At 18, he purchased a 1941 Piper J3 Cub and earned his Private Pilot license. His training continued through the Florida Institute of Technology Flight School, where he earned seaplane, commercial, instrument, and multi-engine ratings.

Over the course of 45 years, Mark owned and restored many types of airplanes, logging thousands of hours in the sky. His flying adventures included scouting forests for lumber, ferrying planes between sellers and buyers, exploring and sightseeing from coast to coast of the United States, splashing down on pristine lakes, barnstorming across grass strips, haylots, and cornfields, and whisking Laurie away on spontaneous excursions. Most importantly, Mark shared the joy of aviation with anyone who would climb into the cockpit with him.

Mark’s first true professional experience was at Ewald Instruments, where he honed his skills in precision miniature welding and machine work, marking the beginning of a career of technical excellence. He also worked with his father and brother in the family business, G&G Builders, renovating and building fine homes. When his wanderlust took him to Michigan, his expertise in carpentry and his love of flying led him to work restoring the historic Mackinac Island Grand Hotel and towing banners over Lake Michigan and the Pontiac Silverdome. Upon returning to Connecticut, Mark channeled his passion for restoration into a successful business by founding Wingworks at the North Canaan Airport, a venture that spanned 20 years. Through Wingworks, he restored numerous iconic aircraft, including the 1999 Oshkosh Reserve Grand Champion 1943 Howard DGA, and the 2003 Oshkosh Bronze Lindy-winning 1935 Waco YKC (currently in the New England Air Museum’s collection). His impeccable craftsmanship, attention to detail, flawless paint jobs, and precision metal fabrication earned him admiration throughout the aviation community. In 2002 he received the FAA’s New England Region Aviation Technician of the Year Award. He was truly a “Jack-of-all-Trades, Master-of-Most.”

Mark and Laurie met in 1994 and married in 2001. Mark designed the home that they built in Salisbury, and the many unique details are a testament to his creativity and artistry.

Beyond his skill as a pilot and craftsman, Mark was a talented banjo player and avid telemark skier. His hobbies and innovative spirit led him to endeavors with guitar building, custom ski production, and inventions such as the “Kanga” powder-simulator ski boot, and a chainsaw-powered margarita blender.

Mark is survived by his wife, Laurie (Hammond) Grusauski of Salisbury; his brother and sister-in-law, David and Stephanie Grusauski, of South Kent; his nephews and nieces, John, Tucker, and Sadie Grusauski; Brian, Josh, and Sterling Bishop; Jace and Griffin Tomaino; Drew and Abby Vernali; Colton Conlogue; and his dear Aunt Margaret (Grusauski) Wilson. He was predeceased by his sister, Karen Bishop.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Salisbury Winter Sports Association or the Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association in Mark’s memory. A celebration of Mark’s life will be held on Jan. 4, 2025, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, at Candlelight Farms Airport, 5 Green Pond Rd., New Milford, CT 06784.

obituaries

Latest News

'Gather' at Troutbeck

'Gather' at Troutbeck

Romane Recalde speaking about her new business at Gather.

Natalia Zukerman

Hosted by Jason Klein and Sascha Lewis, an ongoing series called “Gather” at Troutbeck in Amenia brings together a curious crowd of local entrepreneurs, artists, and others with a story to tell for an intimate midday chat. On Thursday, Jan. 16, floral designer Romane Recalde, owner of the newly opened Le Jardin in Amenia, took center stage to share her journey from modeling in Miami to cultivating flowers in the Hudson Valley. Gather is a place to share stories, swap advice, and celebrate some of the unique businesses that make our area vibrant — all with a delicious lunch on the side. The gatherings are unconventional in the best way, with no agenda beyond good conversation and community building.

Recalde’s story isn’t just about creating a flower shop; it’s about a complete reinvention of self. “I hated Miami so much,” said the French-born Recalde, recalling her time in Florida before moving to New York. She worked as a model in New York, and eventually met her husband, James. Their pandemic escape to Turks and Caicos turned into a six-month stay, which in turn led them to Millbrook and finally to their home in Amenia, where Recalde’s connection to nature blossomed.

Keep ReadingShow less
community

Mad Rose opens ‘Assembled’ exhibition

Mad Rose opens ‘Assembled’ exhibition
Mad Rose Gallery director Michael Flowers contributed to the gallery's "Assembled" exhibit with a series of collaged landscape photographs
Nathan Miller

Mad Rose Gallery’s “Assembled” exhibition opened Saturday, Jan. 18, with a public reception.

The eclectic exhibition — on view until March 2 at the gallery on the intersection of Routes 22 and 44 in Millerton — gathers together work from a group of diverse artists with decades of experience between them. The exhibition itself is true to the name, featuring photographs, sculptures, drawings and mixed media works in all shapes and sizes.

Keep ReadingShow less
exhibit

The fragile bonds of family: a review of Betsy Lerner’s 'Shred Sisters'

The fragile bonds of family: a review of Betsy Lerner’s 'Shred Sisters'

Betsy Lerner’s 'Shred Sisters' is written with such verve and poetic imagination that it’s hard to fathom how it could be the author’s first novel. Ms. Lerner, 64, has worked for three decades as a literary agent, editor, and non-fiction writer, but at some point during the Covid pandemic — without any forethought — she sat down and typed out the first line of the novel exactly as it now appears in the book, and then completed it without telling anyone what she was up to.

The novel takes place over twenty years — from the 1970s into the ’90s — and is a kind of guide for that era. It reads like a memoir accompanied by some bouncy dialogue, but is actually a work of what’s called autofiction in which Lerner mixes her own experiences — including her own struggle with mental illness — with things she simply makes up. The fictional narrator is Amy Shred, the younger of two sisters in an upper-middle-class, secular Jewish family living in the suburbs of New Haven, Connecticut.

Keep ReadingShow less
books

Lazy, hazy days of...winter?

Lazy, hazy days of...winter?

This small stream is fishable, despite the wintry conditions. It probably won't be a pleasant or productive experience, but it can be done.

Patrick L. Sullivan

When syndicated columnists run out of ideas they do one of two things.

First they collect the last couple year’s worth of columns and call it a book. These are published to great acclaim from other syndicated columnists and show up in due course in gigantic, ziggurat-shaped mounds at Costco for $4.98 a pop.

Keep ReadingShow less