Mark Thomas Eldridge ’65

Mark Thomas Eldridge ’65 died of cancer in Burlington, Vermont, on December 27, 2021. He was born in Alaska long before it became the 49th state, a harbinger of a life led a little ahead of the times. He came to Dartmouth from St. Louis, Missouri. A sociology major, he was vice president of Tau Epsilon Phi. Following graduation he earned a master’s in city planning from University of North Carolina, followed by four years in the Navy. He began his career with various positions in Brookline, Massachusetts, leaving in 1985 to become director of planning and zoning for Burlington under Mayor Bernie Sanders. In Brookline he and his future wife, Nancy, developed the Equity Transfer Assistance program, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-award-winning program to protect low- and moderate-income tenants from displacement due to condominium conversion. He was president of the New England chapter of the American Planning Association and received its Distinguished Professional Service Award. He was a champion for climate-change solutions, owner of one of the first private electric vehicles, and conceived Burlington’s “floating boathouse.” During his tenure Burlington was voted America’s “most livable” small city. Mark was devoted to excellence in the built environment, addressing inequities especially for those with disabilities, and was frequently invited to speak nationally and abroad as a leader in the American Planning Association. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and children Elizabeth and Thomas.