Mark Smail, a prominent Westmoreland County automobile salesman whose family has been involved in selling cars for half a century, died Saturday after becoming ill while driving home from Seven Springs Mountain Resort.
He was 62.
Smail, of Greensburg, was a passenger in the car. He was transported by first responders from Donegal Township to Independence Health Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant after he became unresponsive and the driver stopped and sought help in the 1400 block of County Line Road, authorities said.
Smail was pronounced dead at 10:59 a.m., according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson.
An autopsy was performed Sunday morning and the cause is still pending.
“There is nothing at all suspicious about the death,” Carson told TribLive.
Smail was the general manager of Smail Auto Group in Hempfield.
“The Smail family has done so much for Westmoreland County,” Carson said Sunday. “People are definitely shocked by this.”
His daughter Taylor Smail posted on Facebook this morning: “As many of you have probably heard, today we lost the worst man on the planet.” It was a completely unexpected accident and we are all in complete shock.
“I appreciate everyone who is standing up for and supporting our family during this difficult time. We will take some time to mourn the loss of the greatest man. I would like to thank you all for your understanding.
“We love and miss you so much, Dad.”
Dan DeBone, president and CEO of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, was still grappling with the news Sunday evening.
“I’m devastated,” DeBone said. “He was a great entrepreneur and friend, not only to the chamber but also to the residents of the community.”
DeBone said Smail has maintained the family tradition of giving back to the community in which they do business. He said the trust Smail inspired among the public was one of the reasons for his company's success.
“Whenever the Chamber of Commerce needed a venue or we needed someone to help with a community event, he and his staff were always there,” DeBone said.
The chamber's CEO said Smail has navigated the pandemic without laying off any of its more than 500 employees.
“I’m at a loss for words,” he said.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be under the care of Clement L. Pantalone Funeral Home, Greensburg.
In February 2022, Mark Smail further expanded Autogroup's presence along Route 30 in Hempfield.
Regulators approved site plans for new Smail Ford and Lincoln dealerships.
The new facility opened on January 15th.
The buildings are part of a multi-stage project. This included moving the company's Kia dealership into the current Ford and Lincoln store near the Eastgate Shopping Center.
Mark was a son of the late Clarence “Bud” Smail, who ran the dealership for decades. Bud died in 2018 at the age of 81, causing great sadness in the Greensburg area and beyond where they did business.
“Bud” Smail was a philanthropist active in community organizations, including serving on the boards of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Westmoreland County Community College, Westmoreland Cultural Trust and the American Heart Association of Western Pennsylvania.
Bill Schackner is a TribLive higher education reporter. Raised in New England, he joined the Trib in 2022 after working for 29 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where he was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. He previously wrote for newspapers in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. He can be reached at [email protected].