Mark Smail, general manager of an iconic group of new-car dealerships on Route 30 in Westmoreland County, died Saturday after a ski outing.
Westmoreland County Coroner Timothy J. Carson said Mr. Smail, 62, was skiing Saturday morning with a friend at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, located in Somerset and Fayette counties, and became unresponsive on the ride home to Greensburg.
The driver pulled over on County Line Road in Donegal Township and alerted emergency medical services, the coroner said. Mr. Smail was taken to Independence Health System's Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, where he was pronounced dead at 10:59 a.m.
An autopsy was performed Sunday, but the results won't be available for eight to 12 weeks, Mr. Carson said. The death was not suspicious.
Early word of his death came in a Facebook posting by his daughter, Taylor.
“As many of you have probably heard, we lost the baddest man on the planet today. It was a totally unexpected accident and we are all in complete shock,” she wrote.
“I appreciate everyone reaching out and supporting our family through this difficult time. We’ll be taking some time to mourn the loss of the greatest man, I want to thank you all for understanding. We love and miss you so much Dad.”
Ms. Smail, who is a digital marketing specialist at Smail Automotive Group, was unavailable for further comment.
Arrangements are being handled by the Clement L. Pantalone Funeral Home Inc. in Greensburg.
Smail Auto Group, which is among the top 50 largest employers in Westmoreland County, dates to 1956 and now operates 10 new car franchises.
Its brands include Acura, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Ford, Lincoln, Mazda, Buick, Cadillac and GMC, and the company also has service and parts centers — Smail Commercial Truck Center, Smail Collision Center, Smail Auto Glass, and Smail Auto Car Wash/Detail Center.
Mark Smail was the son of Clarence “Bud” Smail, who ran the dealerships for 50 years with his brother Jim. Bud Smail died in 2018.
Like his father, Mark Smail was active in community organizations, including the Westmoreland Cultural Trust.
Greensburg attorney Tim Fedele, who chairs the cultural trust, remembered Mr. Smail as a “dedicated board member.”
For many years, Smail Automotive Group supported charitable organizations, including Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation, Westmoreland Food Bank and Troops First Foundation. In 2021, the nonprofit, Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Automobile Association awarded Mark Smail the Bud Smail Political Advocacy Award, named after his father, for years of supporting PAA’s legislative programs and fundraising efforts for PAA’s political action committee.
Kris B. Mamula: kmamula@post-gazette.com
First Published: February 18, 2024, 10:16 p.m.
Updated: February 19, 2024, 8:49 p.m.
