Mark Whisler
September 17, 1953–February 19, 2017
Mark was born and grew up in San Bernardino, California, to a family of teachers. After receiving his political science degree at UC Berkeley in 1975, he settled in Sacramento, which at the time was going through a major evolution and development of its core. He began a 40-year career, establishing a renowned financial service and a commercial and residential real estate firm. Mark morphed the Whisler Financial Group and Whisler Land Company into prestigious businesses. These two enterprises served thousands of like-minded, progressive consumers, including neighborhood leaders who pursued historic building preservation. Throughout his career, he led community-based initiatives, including political campaigns and social and environmental programs.
For four decades, no one knew the area of Sacramento between the Capitol and 29th Street better than Mark. Over the decades, the Whisler Land Company sold hundreds of homes and properties in the area and leased thousands of homes and apartments. He was involved in many hyper-local efforts in the area. He considered saving the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium from destruction to be one of his proudest accomplishments.
But Mark’s real passion was supporting progressive political issues and spotlighting viable candidates. He wrote four ballot arguments for or against California State Propositions and worked tirelessly for more than 40 national, state, and local candidates. For the last 15 years of Mark’s life, he worked closely with National Nurses United, one of the most progressive unions in the United States, and helped create programs like the Robin Hood Tax Campaign. That effort reached hundreds of thousands of voters and helped lay the foundation for many progressive candidates to be elected to Congress in recent years. He let everyone know where he stood on candidates like Bernie Sanders, and it was tough if you disagreed with him. Mark’s brashness sometimes struck people the wrong way, but it also sometimes empowered/emboldened them.
Mark was a proud gay man. He self-identified during a time when ‘coming out’ was risky business with exposure to social scrutiny. Throughout his life, he remained a steadfast supporter of LGBTQ+ organizations and issues. Mark was deeply interested in gay rights and gay politics, starting in his 20s and throughout his life. He lived through and survived the terrible toll of the AIDS epidemic among gay men.
Mark’s life was unexpectedly cut short in 2017, however, his spirit and mission continue to live on through family, friends, and his foundation. Throughout Mark’s adult life, his efforts created opportunities for thousands of people across the region. He was a luminary figure, an advocate for change and prosperity, and helped create a better life for others. The bulk of his residual estate went to Sacramento Progressive Communities, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, for which he was president until his death. The organization supports programs and actions that align with Mark’s beliefs and mission. The first such effort was aiding the Sacramento LGBT Community Center’s Building Fund. In late 2019, the Center purchased the iconic 11,250 square-foot building at 1015 20th Street in the Lavender Heights section of Midtown Sacramento. The LGBT Community Center’s new permanent home will be named after Mark Whisler as one of midtown’s most recognized and inspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and advocates for progressive causes.