Mark William Morrison

Mark was a man that lived with integrity, kindness, compassion, gentleness, humor and love. He touched so many people just by being. He inspired so many people just by how he lived.

He was unquestioningly brave in all things, from raising his daughter to walking the Colorado Trail to living with ALS. He has been a joy and mentor to his family and so many others. A mentor in how to just be kind. To just accept. He never judged. He was thoroughly thoughtful and open to ideas and experiences. And kind. Did we mention kind?

Mark grew up in Minot, ND to Paul and Ethel Mae Morrison. He had four brothers and one sister, and he was the second youngest. His parents and siblings gave him a firm foundation. These six kids were a unit. He always knew that they were there for him and that they loved him unconditionally. Always.

At Minot High School, he was a cross-country and track star. He graduated in 1973. At Minot State University, he studied environmental science, and continued his running stardom. He graduated in 1977. He held the school’s records in the 1500m and 5000m for well over 20 years, and was inducted into their hall of fame in 1998.

He went to grad school at NDSU, where he studied soil science. He received his Master’s degree in 1983. He became a soil scientist for the USDA and worked in the field, mapping soils in North Dakota for many years. He loved maps. He landed in Fargo, working from the office housed at NDSU, until he resigned in 1998. He became a GPS mapper for Navteq for approximately 8 years. He retired in 2011.

Mark was an avid outdoor adventurer. He ran, he swam, he took biking road-trips and biked everywhere in town for years, he hiked everywhere he could, he backpacked, he canoed in the Boundary Waters many years, he cross-country skied, snow-shoed, helped his sister and brother-in-law build a log cabin in the Middle-of-Nowhere, Saskatchewan. He was born to be in nature, loving this Earth.

Mark was a seeker of knowledge. He was curious about so many things. Then he learned about them, then he understood them. And then could explain them to US when we became curious. A man of science, he wanted to make a difference in our understanding of this planet. And how we could protect it.

Mark was progressive. He took his daughter, Rachael, to the voting booth and taught her the power of democracy. He endeavored to better himself by becoming aware of his place in the world and the lived experiences of people with different backgrounds. He walked in Fargo’s first Pride parade, and attended many marches and rallies through the years. He cared deeply about the environment, and showed that by supporting strong environmental policies and by living a life of conservation.

Church was important in Mark’s life. He grew up in the United Church of Christ. He sang in the choir, attended the Pilgrim Park church camp for many years as well as working there later. He met Carol Scott, his first wife and the mother of his daughter, there. Later, he and Rachael found a home in the Fargo-Moorhead Unitarian Universalist Church. He was grateful for that home and community, and he showed that by singing in their choir, joining the men’s group, and serving on their board and social justice committee. This church is where he met Lisa.

The great joy of his life was being a father. He shared his love for being active outdoors with Rachael, and he took her on many of his adventures. And then there were the grandbabies. Mark was so purely happy when he was with Larkin and Linden.

He helped his mom with her Alzheimer’s journey after she moved to Fargo to be closer to him. He was her primary support for about six years, and he showed her incredible patience and love as he helped her stay safe and maintain her freedom and self determination.

Mark and Lisa got the love story of their lives. In the five years that they had together, they LIVED. It was rich in love and joy and respect and laughter and tears. And they celebrated every day.

He loved his family more than anything. Truly.

Mark died at home, in Fargo, surrounded by love and family. He died from ALS. He LIVED with ALS for as long as he possibly could. He hiked. He traveled. He delivered meals on wheels. He spent time with family. He shared stories. The journey this family took with Mark was made easier with the help of two amazing organizations: the ALS Association and Hospice of the Red River Valley. The support, guidance, resources and compassion they provided gave us the space we needed in order to just be with Mark in order to love him and comfort him the best we could. We are forever grateful to them.

The family will be having a Celebration of Mark’s Life in the spring. We will keep you updated as those plans are finalized.

In memoriam, we are hoping to raise enough funds to purchase a tracked wheelchair to donate to the Minnesota State Parks Department. They currently have 12 state parks with those available and we would like to provide another. Mark was able to be out in nature with the assistance of those chairs in three of those beautiful parks.

Alternatively, he wanted support to go to the Fargo-Moorhead Coalition to End Homelessness. And, for goodness sake, plant trees and bushes and vegetables for the man!

He is survived by:
His wife: Lisa Falk
His daughter: Rachael Smallwood (Conor)
His grandchildren: Larkin, Linden, Ivan and Violet
His siblings, Fred Morrison (Doris), Don Morrison (Karen), Bruce Morrison (Joyce Richardson), Mary Cross (Dave), Jon Morrison.
Nieces and nephews: Edward, Damon, Marc, Alex, Julia, Logan, Monique, Nicole

There are many other beautiful tributes to Mark on Facebook.

Memorial services will be held in the spring.