Mark Pugh, 57, of Cabot, passed away Friday, January 1, 2021. He was born June 10, 1963 in Cincinnati, Ohio to the late Borden and Betty Pugh. When Mark was in the 3 ^rd grade, his family moved to Mt. Juliet, TN. Mark was an enthusiastic student and never missed a day of school unless absolutely necessary. His goal was to be the recipient of the perfect attendance award each year. He loved to read and when he ran out of books, he would read the encyclopedia. For this reason, Mark would say he knew a little bit of something about a whole lot of nothing. He was the champion of anyone who would dare play him in a game of Trivial Pursuit. As a young boy, Mark loved playing catcher on his baseball team and was an active member of the Boy Scouts. He would fondly recall the camping trips taken every summer with his fellow scouts and scoutmasters. He would go on to become an Eagle Scout, an accomplishment that brought him much pride. During his high school years, he was the president of the science club, editor in chief of the school newspaper, regional vice president of the Beta Club, Who's Who among American High School Students, Presidential Classroom for Young Americans, and chosen for American Legion Boy's State. He was also a proud member of the Mt. Juliet High School Marching Band. Upon graduation from high school, Mark went on to major in Aerospace Maintenance Management at Middle Tennessee State with a dream of becoming an Air Force officer and pilot. While in the Air Force ROTC he was named the Commander of Field Training Preparation Flight with honors and earned the Daughters of Founders and Patriots Award as a cadet.

But, life had other plans for Mark and his dream of becoming a pilot was not realized. Instead, he became a young husband and father to three children. He followed his father's example and went into the trucking industry working as a diesel mechanic, doing service work, and tire service on 18-wheelers in his dad's repair shop. He then continued his work for several freight lines doing every job in the trucking industry from driver, mechanic, dock supervisor, breakbulk operations manager, road dispatcher, and office manager. He would joke that he got to tell truck drivers exactly where to go. While living in Tennessee he became the owner of an Arabian horse breeding and boarding farm and announced horse shows and events. He then moved to Little Rock, AR, and through life events once again, met the love of his life, Alice. He moved to Cabot after marrying her and continued his career in the trucking industry by dispatching gasoline tankers throughout Arkansas. He loved being in the trucking industry but because of his health, had to stop being a dispatcher and became an administrative office assistant. He would commit everything he had into his job and many of his coworkers and supervisors have called him a man of integrity and dedicated to his work.

Mark loved making memories with "his Alice" and together they had numerous adventures together.  The last adventure they went on was to his birthplace of Cincinnati in 2018. There he was able to cheer on his beloved Reds to a victory at the Great American Ballpark, which had been a dream of his for many years.

Mark was a member of First NLR, North Little Rock, AR, where he was a member of the Crosswalk Connections class and a former member of the sanctuary choir.

His parents and three of his half-siblings preceded Mark in death. Mark is survived by his wife of 13 years, Alice Pugh of Cabot; children, Chelsea Pugh of Madison, Tennessee; Mark Pugh of Nashville, Tennessee and Stephanie Pugh of Bartlett, Illinois; brother, Philip Pugh of Church Hill, Tennessee; half-sister, Odetta Pugh Martin of Evarts, Kentucky; half-brother, Festus Pugh of Knoxville, Tennessee; and two grandchildren, Vanessa and Davy Pugh.

His in-laws, Ray and Dorothy Crace of North Little Rock, sister and brother in law, Carol and Kevin Anderson of Cabot, and brother in law Steve Crace of North Little Rock and his fur babies, Preston, Dixie Belle, and Sallie, also survive him.

Memorial services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 9, 2021 at First Assembly of God North Little Rock.  Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m.  The family suggests donations in memory of Mark Pugh be made to the American Diabetes Association, PO Box 7023, Merrifield, VA  22116-7023 (online at www.diabetes.org ) or Arkansas Ovarian Cancer Coalition, PO Box 7796, Little Rock, AR  72217 (online at www.arkansasovariancancer.org .  Arrangements by Moore's Cabot Funeral Home, 501-843-5816.

Due to COVID-19, masks and social distancing are required.