The son of noted puppeteers Paul and Mary Ritts, Mark always pursued a sideline in puppetry. He starred in PBS's The Real Adventures of Sherlock Jones and Proctor Watson, and NBC's Pink Panther Show, among many others. He won an Emmy as the voice and manipulator of "Kino", the puppet co-host of Storytime, which enjoyed a nine-year stint on PBS. Fast Fact: "Lester" was originally conceived as a puppet character, but at the last minute, Beakman's producers decided he should be a full-sized guy in a rat suit!

Mark was also a published author, a surprisingly accomplished guitarist, a licensed private pilot, and magician. He co-wrote Mom, I Hate You, a book on parenting, released by Random House in 2003. He was the doting husband of actress and singer Teresa Parente, with whom he had one daughter and two sons.