Kansas City, Missouri Community Mourns Former Missouri State University Racquetball Standout and Kansas City Cornhole Owner Mark Isley, 57, Survived by Wife Betsy and Family

December 29, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on December 28, 2026

The Kansas City, Missouri, community is mourning the untimely death of a former athlete and longtime owner of Kansas City Cornhole, Mark Isley.

Mark Isley passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in the early morning of Christmas Day on Thursday, December 25, 2026, at the untimely age of 57, leaving his family and loved ones devastated.

Born on July 13, 1968, in North Platte, Nebraska, Mark Isley, a longtime resident of Kansas City, Missouri, was a cherished member of the Missouri sports community and touched the lives of many with his kind and humorous nature.

He began his athletic journey from a very young age and went on to play Racquetball at Missouri State University, from which he graduated in 1993 with a Business Management degree.

While at MSU, Mark touched the lives of many with his indefinable athletic journey and became the SMSU National Racquetball Champion.

Although Mark Isley didn’t pursue his career in sports professionally, his love for sports, mostly baseball and football, was immense.

Mark Isley Was The Former Owner of Kansas City Cornhole and 27 Feet Cornhole LLC

The late Mark Isley was regarded as the ‘OG Godfather of Cornhole’ by his loved ones in Kansas City, Missouri.

He was a intregal part of growing the game and had a great influence on people, getting them involved in the game.

Mark Isley served as the owner of Kansas City Cornhole, established in 2005. He owned it for over 17 years with the aim of introducing people of all ages to the game of Cornhole (Bags).

He also owned and served as CFO of 27 Feet Cornhole LLC in Kernersville, NC, for over two years.

Beyond his contribution to the sports community, Mark was thriving in his career as a technology sales executive.

From 2026 until his recent passing, Mark Isley served as the technology sales executive of Century Business Technologies in Kansas City.

Prior to that, he served as mobility solutions and workforce management manager at Sprint/T-Mobile in Overland Park for over four years and as a professional sales consultant at Professional Business Systems in Bentonville, Arkansas, for nearly a year.

Mark also served as branch sales manager at Copy World Business Solutions LLC in Rogers, Arkansas, for over 2.5 years, Sales Account Executive of Oce North America for two years, and account executive at Toshiba Business Solutions for five years.

Furthermore, the untimely death of Mark Isley has left a profound void in the lives of his family, friends, and loved ones.

Many of his loved ones are paying tribute to the late Mark and extending their heartfelt condolences to his family during this difficult time.

Mark Isley is survived by his longtime wife, Betsy Black-Isley, his daughter, Ashley, and the entire family.

His beloved wife, Betsy, took to her social media to pay tribute to the late Mark Isley and has requested his loved ones to join them at Side Pockets North 600 NW Englewood Road, Kansas City, MO 64118 on January 10th, 2026, from 11:30 Am to 1:30 PM to celebrate Mark in the best way possible.

To honor Mark, the family invites loved ones to wear their favorite jersey or the colors of their favorite sports teams, and recalls that sports were part of what Mark was, whether it was football, baseball, or just cheering from the couch.

Likewise, the Kansas City community has also organized a fundraiser to help Mark’s family as they plan to organize a funeral and memorial services to honor Mark Isley’s life.

Mark Isley’s contribution to the Kansas City, Missouri, sports community and his kind nature will always be remembered. His family will soon provide details about his funeral and memorial services.

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Suruchi is a business management student with a strong passion for writing, particularly when it comes to sports. She loves creating articles and blogs that explore various aspects of the sports world. With a curious mind and a love for both academics and creativity, she constantly seeks to expand her knowledge and share her insights through her writing.

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