Photo courtesy of PROCON
Developer Mark Stebbins, Chairman and CEO of Hookset-based PROCON, died suddenly on June 17 according to a statement released by the company Monday.
Stebbins was 67. No cause of death was released but PROCON’s statement said the event was unexpected and peaceful.
Stebbins, a Manchester native, led a company responsible for developing many of the hotels that helped transform Portsmouth’s downtown, giving it new life after 20th century urban renewal policies led to much of its North End being bulldozed.
Stebbins’ father founded PROCON, and Stebbins joined the firm himself in 1979 after a stint at Chase Bank in New York City to gain experience in real estate and finance, where he met his wife, Sally. Stebbins eventually rose to lead PROCON and grow it into the largest design-build construction company in the state.
Stebbins also helped founded a hotel company, XSS, which has grown to become one of the largest hotel operators in Greater Boston. According to PROCON’s statement, he also owned a fabric company, a biotech company, a senior living development company and a commercial real estate brokerage at the time of his death.
“He truly loved his work and the people he worked with. Many of his business partners became close friends, and one of his greatest joys was working alongside his children, John and Jennifer, as they joined the business in the last decade,” PROCON said in a statement.
Stebbins also made his mark in the state’s philanthropic sector, donating money and time to a range of causes.
In addition to his wife, mother, brother and sister, Stebbins leaves three children and six grandchildren.
A memorial to Stebbins will be livestreamed on June 29 at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the Stebbins family is asking well-wishers to donate to one of a list of six charities:
