Melvin "Pete" Mark Jr., a prominent Portland real estate executive, collector and philanthropist, has died. He was 91.



Mark was chairman of the Melvin Mark Cos., a commercial real estate firm that manages more than 3.1 million square feet of office space. He was a tireless booster of his adopted city, and helped revitalize downtown Portland in the 1980s and 1990s.

Mark became managing partner of the company in 1965 when his father, Melvin Mark Sr., died. In 1971, the company developed its first major downtown property, the 11-story Crown Plaza building at the corner of the Southwest First Avenue and Clay Street. The 222,871-square-foot structure, now home to The Oregonian/OregonLive, is still owned by the Melvin Mark Cos.



In subsequent years, the company built the KPTV headquarters in inner Southeast Portland and developed office parks in suburban Washington County. In 1999, Mark became chairman of the company, passing the torch to his son, Jim Mark.



Last decade, the company redeveloped the old Greyhound Bus Station — an eyesore in the center of downtown — into a new Hilton Executive Tower and parking garage. In 2013, it bought the former Yamhill Marketplace building downtown for $4.5 million and launched a $10 million renovation, converting it to "creative" office space.

Mark helped lead the effort that transformed an anonymous parking lot into Pioneer Courthouse Square. Mark "shaped our community with grace, good humor and a belief that Portland could be a world-class city, defined not just by a beautiful skyline but by its public spaces and wonderful people," said Dan Lavey, chair of the Pioneer Courthouse Square board of trustees.



The company's Portland holdings also include a 10-story structure that had to be evacuated last month when cracks emerged in its façade. The Fifth Avenue Building houses eBay and Oregon Health & Science University offices, as well as a 24-Hour Fitness and Kindercare Day Care Center.



Mark moved to Portland in 1951, the same year he married Mary Kridel. The couple raised three children and enjoyed 57 years of marriage before her death in 2008.

He was a lifelong student of history. He was raised in New York City and Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and he attended the University of Virginia, established by Thomas Jefferson. His father collected first-edition books.



"I was always surrounded by it," he told The Oregonian in 2013.



For his birthday in 1962, his mother-in-law gave him a letter written by President Theodore Roosevelt. It cost $32, but sparked what turned into a decades-long quest for presidential treasures.



"I pick colorful presidents," Mark said in the 2013 interview. "Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, JFK, Truman -- those who had exciting administrations."



Many of his pieces have been displayed at the Oregon Historical Society, including as part of the current exhibit, "High Hopes: The Journey of John F. Kennedy."



Mark was known for his sunny outlook. He once advised his son, Jim, to lighten up. "He told me, 'You're not smiling enough. You don't look like you're enjoying yourself.'



"I got to work with my Dad and be a partner all these years, it was such a privilege. The guy was just never pessimistic."



"Although not native Oregonians, Pete and Mary Mark fell in love with our state from the time they moved here," said friend Gerry Frank, a longtime columnist for The Oregonian/OregonLive. "They were both very generous with their time and resources in making our state a great place for residents and visitors, especially with the Portland Art Museum and the Oregon History Center."



The Marks played an instrumental role in the art museum's turnaround after difficult financial times. Mark served on the art museum board for years and assisted the museum's purchase and renovation of the former Masonic Lodge located just north of the museum. The building is now named in the couple's honor.



Bob Ames, a former bank president in Portland turned real estate investor, said he met Mark nearly 50 years ago, when he was a young manager at First National Bank. "I regard Pete Mark as being one of the true gentlemen of the Portland business world," he said. "He was one of the last great independent real estate investors truly committed to Portland."

Survivors include his son, Jim Mark, of Portland; daughters, Linda Andrews of Portland and Cindy Murphy of Bend; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.



-- Jeff Manning