HOOKSETT, NH – Word was circulating Friday that Mark Stebbins, Chairman and CEO of PROCON, died suddenly Thursday.
Stebbins was known for his philanthropy and professionalism as head of the family-owned architectural-construction firm, which was founded in 1935.
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“Mark was not only an incredible leader and businessperson,” says Borja Alvarez de Toledo, president of Waypoint, “but he has long been a generous benefactor of local causes. For over 30 years, his support of Waypoint has helped to protect children, strengthen families, care for seniors, and change the course for homeless youth. What a legacy he leaves.”
Mayor Joyce Craig also expressed her condolences to the Stebbins family upon learning of his passing.
“Mark had an immeasurable impact on our entire community, but particularly Manchester’s youth through his work with the Leader in Me Program, Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, Waypoint, and more. His passing is a tragic loss. My heart goes out to his wife Sally, his children, grandchildren, friends, colleagues, and the entire Stebbins family,” Craig said in a statement.
Leslee Stewart, the former Vice President of Development for the Granite YMCA, called Stebbins “a true visionary when it came to supporting causes involving kids,”
Stewart, who provides a broad range of strategic development expertise and services to non-profits across Manchester and throughout New Hampshire, said that the late business leader “went well beyond making donations. He and Sally (Mark’s wife) always wanted to know how they could make things better for kids in need. He wanted to be part of the process.”
“He was a true collaborator.”
Stewart shared that at the outset of many YMCA projects, she and former YMCA CEO Hal Jordan would meet with Mark and Sally Stebbins and described the projects they were looking to fund. “They always had great insights,” Stewart recalls. “And you rarely talked to one without the other. They would serve as spokespeople for fundraising campaigns and engage others in the process. They truly led by example.”
The Stebbins Family were key players in major YMCA projects like the Teen Center at the Y’s downtown Manchester branch, camp scholarships and the Y’s annual Reach Out for Youth and Families Campaign. Stewart said that Stebbins’ also engaged employees of PROCON in charitable pursuits, recalling one year in which employees teamed up to provide holiday gifts for 125 children in the Y’s Start Program.
“Mark would share with us that he grew up at the YMCA and spoke often of the impact it had on him,” she said. “He never forgot that and never stopped supporting the YMCA.”
Stebbins was a graduate of Dartmouth College in Hanover where he studied economics. Since taking leadership of PROCON in the mid-1980s, he has built the company from a $5 million entity into a $200 million firm.
Stebbins was the recipient of New Hampshire Business Review’s 2020 Business Excellence award.
During COVID-19 Granite United Way Stebbins offered a $100,000 challenge match to help those most in need. He also worked with the Manchester Boys & Girls Club to completely renovate Camp Foster and also gave $1 million toward their goal with a challenge match.
On the company website on his biographical page, when asked the question, What would you like people to remember about you,” Stebbins said, simply, “The culture of integrity we have developed at PROCON.”
He is survived by his wife, Sally, three children and four grandchildren.