A celebrated composer known for his contributions to both film and concert music tragically passed away on Saturday while hiking in California. Mark Smythe, aged 53, originally from New Zealand, experienced a sudden cardiac event while trekking Mount Wilson near Sierra Madre, just north of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner attributed his death to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a condition caused by the accumulation of plaque in the heart’s arteries, leading to restricted blood flow and potential heart attacks.
A Final Hike
On the same day, the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue team was alerted to an unconscious hiker on the Mount Wilson Trail, near Rescue Ridge, at approximately 9:43 am. When the volunteers arrived, they found that Smythe’s companions and other hikers were already administering CPR in an attempt to revive him. The Sierra Madre Fire Department also arrived to provide medical support, but unfortunately, Smythe could not be saved and was declared deceased at the scene. In a statement, the rescue organization expressed their sympathies to Smythe’s family and friends and thanked those who had tried to help.
An Untimely Loss
In the wake of Smythe’s sudden passing, those who knew him, including friends, colleagues, and family, identified him as the individual who died on the hiking path and shared heartfelt tributes. Since the summer of 2025, Smythe had been imparting his knowledge to students as the chair of the Composing for Visual Media Department at the Los Angeles College of Music. His impressive career included over ten film scores, with his work on the Hulu horror film “The Reef: Stalked” earning a nomination for a Society of Composers & Lyricists Award. He frequently collaborated with the Night Temple string quintet and also composed choral music. Fellow composer Bear McCreary, known for scoring major films like “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Child’s Play,” expressed his sorrow on social media, stating, “I’m shaken by the shocking and untimely passing of Mark Smythe, a prominent figure in the Los Angeles film scoring community, and a talented composer in his own right. Thanks for being there for so many composers, Mark. We miss you.”
McCreary said Smythe’s ‘enthusiasm and humor were off the charts. He brought a shark with a bowtie to the red carpet of an SCL awards ceremony when he was nominated for his work on a shark movie – hilarious!’ He added that he had last spoken to Smythe just a few weeks earlier and that ‘his passing is a stark reminder to spend time with the people you care about while you can.’ ‘His passion for music, his dedication to his students, and his kindness left a profound mark on all of us who had the privilege of knowing him,’ a colleague at the Los Angeles College of Music wrote on social media.
Smythe’s sister, Kate Ward-Smythe, also posted a tribute that said: ‘It is a comfort to know that he was doing one of the things he loved, hiking in the hills, and we are grateful to his wonderful friends (and emergency service responders) who tried so hard to resuscitate him.’ ‘Mark was a strong larger than life connector in LA, as a professor, composer, musician, and loyal friend. He was also fiercely talented, and an absolute cheerleader for music performance and recording across multiple genres,’ she continued. ‘He was only just getting started and had so much more to give.’
