Mark Nicholas Kiryluk

Mark Nicholas Kiryluk, age 76, passed away peacefully in his home on October 5, 2023, after a long battle with multiple myeloma and multiple sclerosis. He was born on April 18, 1947, in Somerville, New Jersey, to Rev. Nicholas and Olga Kiryluk. His father joined the Air Force as a chaplain when Mark was in elementary school. Mark spent 4 years in Japan, before moving to Colorado and graduated from Aurora Central High School in 1965. He then studied for three years at the Werkkunstschule in Weisbaden, Germany.

After returning to the U.S. in 1969 he continued his art education at the Paier School of Art in New Haven, Connecticut. There he studied under Dean Keller (one of the original Monuments Men), Ken Davies and Rudolf Zallinger. After a year at Paier he was drafted and then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Mark spent 4 years as a Still Camera Specialist and Lab Tech at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver. Upon discharge, he was hired by the Denver Catholic Register as staff photographer; he also provided news coverage to NC News service in Washington D.C., the Associated Press,  the Christian Science Monitor, and also worked with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts as an event photographer. He received 2 Colorado Press Association Awards and one from the International Photographic Society in Washington D.C.

Mark began his own freelance business in 1980. Some of his clients included Wells Fargo, Kaiser Permanente, Denver Magazine and Central City Opera. Capturing people and places has always captivated Mark, whether it be celebrities, the homeless or the streets of Denver. An exhibit of Mark’s photography was held in August 2014 and highlighted street photographs of downtown Denver, including viaducts, homeless people and well-known neighborhoods. It also included famous faces, including Allen Ginsburg, Andy Warhol, author William Barrett, Betty White, Rosemary Clooney and Pope John Paul II.

Mark was an outgoing people person who loved his craft and the arts in general. He was a talented artist who worked in various media, including acrylics, watercolor, silk-screening and charcoal. His paintings have been exhibited in Germany as well as the United States. He loved all types of music and loved singing in his church choir.  Mark was a proud father to his son Christopher, who pre-deceased him in 2015. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Barbara.

Memorial contributions can be made in Mark's honor to the following organizations:

St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church choir https://stcatherinechurch.org/donate

PAN Foundation, 1032 15^th St. NW, Suite 143, Washington, DC 20005 https://www.panfoundation.org/?form=donations

HEALTHWELL Foundation, 20440 Century Blvd, Suite, Suite 250, Germantown, MD 20874 https://www.healthwellfoundation.org/donate/

Patient Advocate Foundation, 421 Butler Farm Road, Hampton, VA 23666 https://www.patientadvocate.org/