Mark was born on April 4, 1936, in Austin, Minn., as an only child to Earl Clifford Notestine and Hazel Ana Fawver. As a child, Mark’s family moved to Silver City, N.M., before settling in Colorado Springs, where Mark graduated from Colorado Springs High School (now known as Palmer High) in 1954.

While growing up, Mark loved participating in Boy Scout. He was most proud of his opportunity to attend the 1950 National Boy Scout Jamboree in Valley Forge, Pa., where President Harry S. Truman spoke. After high school, Mark attended the University of Colorado, graduating with a business degree in 1958. In college, Mark was an active member of the Acacia Fraternity, and he remained active as an alumni advisor to his college fraternity throughout his life.

After college, Mark worked at Mountain Bell where he met his wife to be, Jan Coba. After five years with the phone company, Mark’s entrepreneurial spirit drove him to leave his corporate job to start a hardware and supply store in Loveland, Colo., with a former high school buddy.

After a couple of years Mark and his partner sold the store and Mark returned to the phone company where he stayed for the next 25 years. After a two-year stint at AT&T’s corporate headquarters in New York City, Mark and his family retuned to Colorado in Littleton where all four of his children graduated from Columbine High School. Mark was active with the local Optimist Club, which was very fitting for him as the true eternal optimist. During that time, Mark chaired the Colorado Board of Social Services and attained an MBA from Colorado State University. Mark took advantage of an early retirement and ended his 30-year career with the phone company, retiring as AT&T’s Human Resources Vice President in San Francisco. Mark and Jan decided to move to Greeley in 1995. They had lived in Greeley briefly nearly 30 years beforehand during his early days with the phone company and both decided it was a wonderful place to call home. After his retirement from AT&T, Mark helped his sons launch a real estate investment company, Thomas & Tyler, LLC. That firm remains active today focusing on downtown Greeley real estate opportunities. Mark was committed to the revitalization efforts of downtown Greeley and was a passionate volunteer and strategic leader for Greeley’s Downtown Development Authority.

Mark also had a great appreciation for historic preservation and served as a Board Member for Historic Boulder, Inc., Colorado Preservation, Inc. and he was actively involved in multiple historic rehabilitation projects. Mark’s passion for history led him to research his family tree, and over the years he compiled an impressive genealogical account. Mark was an active member of the Greeley Rotary Club and a member of the First Congregational Church. Mark loved chocolate, poker, life, and above all his family. After many years fighting chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Mark passed away at Swedish Hospital in Denver on April 16, 2011. Memorial services will be held 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 22, at the First Congregational Church in Greeley.

Mark is survived by his wife, Jan; daughter, Karen Gulkin; son-in-law, Casey Gulkin, their two children, Emma (9) and Timber (7); son, Ty Notestine and his daughter-in law, Katy Notestine and their child, Will (3), all of Greeley.

Mark is also survived by two sons in Denver; Timber Notestine and Drew Notestine. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Hospice of Northern Colorado at 2726 W 11th Street, Greeley, CO 80634.