Mark Dennis Heglund

Obituary Mark Dennis Heglund, 57, of Fort Collins CO, died suddenly May 18, 2011 at his home. Mark was recently diagnosed with COPD and had been suffering declining health for a few years. He was born July 6th 1953 in Willmar, Minnesota to Lawrence and Lois (Dahl) Heglund and moved with his family to Fort Collins around 1961 for his dad's school principal position. He graduated from Poudre High School in 1972 and received a horticulture certificate from Larimer County Voc-Tec College. Mark had a very unique engaging personality with a hardy voice, a contagious laugh, a big smile. He was a talented musician playing electric bass guitar and stand-up acoustic bass He also played other guitars and sang a little too. Heg' devoted much of his life to his music career and other musical interests. He played Rock, Jazz, Blues and Reggae locally with many bands and individuals. He visited New Orleans in the 90's to try to break into the music scene there but was drawn back by his love of Fort Collins area. He worked various odd jobs for additional support doing landscaping, cleaning restaurants and bars, and working at greenhouses. He worked at the Lincoln Center for 8 years in the 1980's. There he enjoyed exposure to the visual arts, performing artists, and made many friends with the back stage crews. His favorite Lincoln Center experience was when he talked a promoter into bringing the Neville Brothers to the Mini-Theater to perform and then entertained them at his home after the show. Mark was a fabulous cook and especially well known for his Cajun gumbo. His friends and family enjoyed his exceptional cooking skills at many holiday occasions. He had a green thumb and grew many awesome flower and vegetable gardens. He could make any plant grow and thrive. He always had a pet cat around his place for company. In recent years he was devoted to caring for his parents as they also cared for him. Mark will be missed by his many friends and his family. He is survived by his mother Lois Heglund of Fort Collins, two sisters Jan (& Frank) Oliveira of Missoula Montana, and Lori (& Les) Watkinson and his nephew Gage Watkinson of Fort Collins. He was preceded in death last year by his father, Lawrence S. Heglund and his most beloved cat, Chloe. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced at a later date. Read More Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Mark Dennis Heglund