Mark Cartwright might literally be the tallest basketball player to ever don a Niles West boys’ basketball uniform. At an amazing height of 6’10 going into his senior year, Mark led the Niles West Indians to a 20-3 record and a Central Suburban Conference championship in the 1969-1970 season.

As a senior Mark averaged 27.2 points, 17.2 rebounds and 6 blocked shots per game. Cartwright’s coach Billy Schnurr called Mark “Niles West’s greatest athlete ever!” Mark’s rise from benchwarmer as a freshman on the B-team to a starter as sophomore and then a nationally celebrated All-American, was truly an amazing feat. Mark scored over 40 points three times his senior year. Mark received scholarship offers from over 200 colleges. Mark played collegiately for the University of Maryland and Bowling Green University and professionally in Italy. In 1970, Mark was named as a Scholastic Magazine High School All-American, Chicago Tribune All-State and All-Area player.

Mark’s rise in the corporate world was no less meteoric. He started his career at a small Chicago transportation company and rose to become an officer at the country's largest office supply company. He was known by his co-workers as the “Professor”, always willing to pass on his knowledge. One co-worker said of Mark “in 40 years in this business Mark was my best colleague and my best friend.” Sadly Mark passed away at the age of 59 of a congenital heart condition. Mark is preceded in his passing by his wife Karen and their two daughter’s Kelley and Kristin. Mark was a gifted athlete and an accomplished executive and loving husband, father and friend.