Mark Pearson, host of Iowa Public Television’s nationally syndicated Market to Market, died unexpectedly Sunday (June 2) at his farm in rural Madison County of an apparent heart attack. He was 54.
The Des Moines Register reported that emergency responders were summoned to the residence around 5:30 p.m. Central.
“Iowa Public Television lost a friend and a colleague today,” the station said in a statement late Sunday, “and the state of Iowa lost a smart, enthusiastic, and talented agricultural broadcaster with the passing of Mark Pearson.”
“For more than 20 years, Mark was Market to Market — reporting on the latest news in agribusiness while providing critical insights for viewers across the nation,” the statement said. “A true ambassador for rural America, Mark spoke extensively on the national circuit and was recognized wherever he went. He was gregarious and kindhearted, yet he took the business of agriculture very seriously. He knew the industry inside and out, both as a reporter and as a farmer through his own grain and livestock operation in Winterset.”
Person also was known to many for his work hosting IPTV’s State Fair coverage, the statement noted.
“He was a tenacious worker, but he always had time for a joke — often at his own expense,” it added. “We’re shocked and saddened by this tremendous loss, and our hearts go out to his wife Eden and their four children, whom he loved so dearly and spoke of so frequently. We join with thousands of others in mourning our dear friend Mark.”
A station spokesperson told Current the show will continue, with a new host or hosts to be announced.