A celebrated composer known for his contributions to film and concert music has tragically passed away while hiking in California. Mark Smythe, aged 53, hailed from New Zealand and was a nominee for multiple awards. His unexpected collapse occurred on Saturday during a hike on Mount Wilson, located near Sierra Madre, just north of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner attributed his death to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a condition characterized by plaque accumulation in the heart’s arteries that hinders blood flow and can result in heart attacks.
A Final HikeÂ
On that fateful day, the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue team responded to an urgent call regarding an unresponsive hiker on the Mount Wilson Trail, just past Rescue Ridge, at approximately 9:43 a.m. By the time the volunteer team arrived, friends and fellow hikers were already administering CPR in an attempt to resuscitate Smythe. The Sierra Madre Fire Department joined the effort to provide medical aid, but unfortunately, Smythe was declared deceased at the scene. In their statement, the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue expressed their heartfelt condolences to Smythe’s family and friends, while also extending gratitude to those who lent a hand in trying to save him.
An Untimely Loss
The news of Smythe’s passing prompted an outpouring of heartfelt tributes from his friends, colleagues, and family, who identified him as the fallen hiker. Smythe had been sharing his expertise as the chair of the Composing for Visual Media Department at the Los Angeles College of Music since 2025. His impressive portfolio boasted at least ten film credits, including an acclaimed score for the Hulu horror film, “The Reef: Stalked,” which earned him a nomination from the Society of Composers & Lyricists. Beyond film, Smythe collaborated with the Night Temple string quintet and composed choral music. Fellow composer Bear McCreary, known for his work on blockbusters like “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Child’s Play,” expressed his sorrow on social media, stating, “I’m shaken to hear of 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.’
