Mark Ariagno, 68, of Kansas City, MO, formerly of Smithville, MO, passed away on November 18, 2025, with his wife and son by his side.
He was born on November 25, 1956, to Robert and Janet (Weiler) Ariagno in Lawrence, KS, and grew up in Overland Park, Kansas. Mark graduated from Shawnee Mission South High School.He loved spending summers fishing on the lakes in Minnesota with his grandfather and continued his love of being on the water, later in life, living in Florida and near Smithville Lake.
Early on, he developed an interest in all things mechanical. He tinkered with lawnmower engines, go-kart engines, and motorcycle engines. Cars soon followed, and Mark began restoring vintage sports cars, including MG and Triumph models, turning derelicts into gems. His love of working on cars led him to the University of Kansas, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. He spent the rest of his career “tinkering” with multi-million-dollar manufacturing facilities.
On July 11, 1998, he was united in marriage to the love of his life, Diana Diaz. After their marriage, they made their home in Smithville and later Kansas City. They had two children: Elisa, who died in infancy, and Christopher. Mark never failed to share how proud he was of Christopher.
He was a member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus Smithville.
Mark started his career at Dupont and Century Lubricants, worked for Boehringer Ingelheim for 20 years, then at Pfizer, and retired from Catalent in 2022. Despite managing large departments of engineers and mechanics, he still loved turning wrenches and getting his hands dirty on machinery.
He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Ariagno; father-in-law, Rigoberto Diaz; and his daughter, Elisa Ariagno.
Mark is survived by his wife, Diana; son, Christopher; mother, Janet Ariagno; siblings Scott (Jill) Ariagno, Steve (Jessie) Ariagno, Kim (Ron) Gerber, and Michael (Amy) Ariagno; mother-in-law, Argentina De Diaz; several nieces and nephews; and many other relatives and friends.
Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 25, at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Smithville, MO, with visitation one hour prior.
Burial: Terrace Park Cemetery in Kansas City, MO.
