Mark Michael Piano, 71, of Airmont, NY, passed away on May 9, 2026, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, NY. Despite being otherwise healthy almost his entire life, Mark died from an aortic aneurysm that ruptured. Mark was known for being a loyal, steadfast friend and co-worker, and a devoted, loving family member.
Born on February 6, 1955, in Queens, NY, Mark was the oldest child of Anthony Piano and Anne Grassi Piano. With his two younger sisters, Mark grew up in Closter, NJ, a bedroom suburb of New York City. In those days, Closter was still semi-rural — full of farms and farmstands, horse stables, and quaint family-owned shops – the perfect place to raise a clever and curious boy like Mark. As a child, Mark became an amateur zoologist and anthropologist; he studied all kinds of animals, including the ones that were extinct. Through his school years—from Tenakill Elementary and Village Middle Schools in Closter to Northern Valley Regional High School in Demarest –Mark was an honors student who distinguished himself as an independent thinker—a trait which served him well throughout his life. Mark became an expert at whatever topic he put his mind to learning and was considered a reputable source of knowledge by all who knew him.
Fate led Mark into a baker’s apprentice job, where he learned the craft of baking before working his way up to becoming a senior baker at busy family-owned bakeries, then bakery dept manager for chains like Stop & Shop, A&P, and Shop Rite. The baking profession enabled Mark to channel his attention to detail and express some of his creativity. He worked as a professional baker in some capacity for his entire life.
Mark loved collecting classic comic books, primarily for their artwork, which he used his considerable drawing skills to mimic. Mark was able to combine his passion for comic art and his artistic talent by going to work for Marvel Comics as a freelance colorist for a number of years. He also tried his hand at commercial art, working for a few advertising agencies, but found the work to be less creative than being a baker. In fact, over the last 20 years of Mark’s career, he focused on making custom ice cream cakes, and he took tremendous pride in perpetually refining his techniques. He looked forward to complex custom orders and was highly motivated to make each customer’s special occasion even more memorable with the cakes that he made.
Mark is survived by his sister Claudia Piano, his brother-in-law Michael Dryden, and beloved cousins on both sides of his family. He was preceded in death by his sister Jane Piano, mother Anne Grassi, and father Anthony Piano.
A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, August 29 from 11am-1pm at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ 07647. Mark’s family will host a casual repast immediately following the service.
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