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MARC R.
MULLENIX,
husband, father and dear friend, died January 28, 2008, in Mancos,
Colorado. He was 50 years old.
Marc was born to Robert and Charmaine Mullenix on
September 16, 1957, in Downey, California. After graduating from high
school, Marc attended the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, where he
played basketball all four years, and completed his bachelor of science
degree in geography, with a minor in coaching. After college, Marc
became a hotshot in Alaska, beginning his lifelong career in
firefighting. Marc then moved to Nevada, where he began working for the
Bureau of Land Management. Marc worked in the Wildland Fire Service for
27 years, 15 years of which he served as Division Chief for the Boulder,
Colorado Fire Department.
He served as the Fire Management Officer for Mesa Verde
National Park, and most recently, Division Chief for Fairmount Fire
Protection District. Marc served on the Boulder American Red Cross
advisory council, co-developed and managed the Rocky Mountain Wildland
Fire Helicopter program, and helped start Wildland Fire Academies in
several states. Marc served in the Rocky Mountain Area on Incident
Management Teams for 17 years and served as the Incident Commander for
12 years with the Colorado Wildfire and Incident Management Academy.
Marc also served as the Type II and Type 1(t) Incident Commander for the
Rocky Mountain Region Interagency Fire Community. In addition to his
leadership on wildland fire assignments, Marc helped manage the Columbia
shuttle recovery, hurricanes Ivan, Katrina and Rita, and disaster
response in Colorado.
Marc met his wife, Shawna Legarza, at the World Trade
Center recovery efforts for 9/11. They were married in 2005 at West
Hampton Beach, Long Island, New York. Marc enjoyed contributing to the
communities where he worked and lived, including coaching basketball in
Longmont, Colorado, and enjoyed playing golf and basketball in his free
time. Marc was a dedicated mentor and colleague, passionate about
firefighting, and committed to teaching others in his field. His friends
and family will remember him as a person filled with love and respect
for his wife, great pride in his daughter, a spirited energy, and
enthusiasm for his job.
Marc is survived by his wife, Shawna Legarza, of Mancos,
Colorado, and his daughter, Nicolette Mullenix, of Longmont, Colorado.
Marc will also be remembered by his former wife, Karen Mullenix, of
Longmont, Colorado; his mother, Charmaine Mullenix, of Orcutt,
California; his brother, Norm Mullenix, of Prescott, Arizona, and all
his friends in the wildland fire community. He was preceded in death by
his father, Robert Mullenix.
Marc was honored with a Fire Family Memorial Service on
Wednesday, February 6, 2008, at Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada.
Donations may be
made to the Marc Mullenix Life Challenges Foundation at Wells Fargo
Bank, 200 West College Drive, Durango, Colorado 81301.
Posted 02-06-08
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