Mt. Pleasant Borough mourns unexpected loss of volunteer fire chief

Mark Kraisinger was a hometown boy.

Some say that he lived for Mt. Pleasant Borough, that “he would give the shirt off his back” if it meant seeing the community thrive.

Kraisinger, a longtime Mt. Pleasant volunteer firefighter and currently its fire chief, was found dead Tuesday in his home. He was 69.

He was named to lead the department after longtime fire chief and Mayor Gerald Lucia died in December 2021.

Kraisinger was a volunteer firefighter for 48 years.

“To lose both of these men who loved the community one right after the other, in less than two years – it seems like this loss is harder,” said Richard ‘Rico’ Cholock, chair of public safety for the borough. “My deepest condolences go out to the fire department.”

Kraisinger grew up in the fire department and spent time with his uncles, who also were firefighters. He would attend conventions and played the drums in the Mt. Pleasant Fireman’s Band when he was a child, fellow firefighter and acting Chief Paul Harenchar said.

Kraisinger went to the hospital last week after feeling sick, according to Harenchar, who said doctors found he had contracted pneumonia.

Harenchar said he picked Kraisinger up from the hospital after he was treated Friday. He said that his friend had seemed fine.

“People were talking to him after I brought him home,” Harenchar said. “But from Sunday on nobody heard from him, so we did a wellness check on him yesterday, and he was gone.”

Despite not having family in town, Kraisinger was well-known and beloved by borough residents and officials.

“He was a gentleman, he was fair, civic minded, just a good man,” Mt. Pleasant Mayor Diane Bailey said. “He is truly going to be missed.”

Bailey had known Kraisinger since high school. She said that he had a tendency to be soft spoken in public, but people always knew that they could rely on him to “step up to the plate.”

Her favorite memories of the chief were at the annual firefighters’ fair. Kraisinger would volunteer for the pizza stand each year and would “save a volunteer spot” for Bailey.

“He would always say, ‘Now Diane, you know there is a spot for you at the stand any time,’ ” Bailey said. “That was always his response. He was just so happy any time someone would volunteer.”

Harenchar described Kraisinger as a storyteller.

“He told many, many stories about fires all the time,” Harenchar said. “If you asked him something or you said something, he would answer with a story to go along with it.”

Ken Phillabaum, vice president of the borough council, recalled a fond memory from Kraisinger’s 45th anniversary as a volunteer firefighter. Phillabaum presented him with a plaque and watched as Kraisinger dedicated his award to the other members in the department.

“He was everything that a man should be,” Phillabaum said. “He was kind, honest and loyal. Any kind word could be used to describe him. He will be missed not only as an asset to the city, but as a friend as well.”

Cholock echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that Kraisinger was a good man and would tell people the way it was, whether they liked it or not.

“He was positive through everything,” Cholock said. “When you were wrong, he’d tell you and 98% of the time, he was right.”

Funeral and procession arrangements are being planned.