Mark P. O'Connor, 57, formerly of Lafayette, gave up the fight to melanoma at his Fort Collins home on April 19. He was born on April 10, 1951, in Peoria, Ill., to John R and Bette L O’Connor.

Mark received his pharmacy degree from Purdue University and a master's in marketing from Indiana University.

He was employed as a master pharmacist for 33 years, beginning his career with Hook Drugs in Indiana and concluding with the University of Colorado Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy He also worked numerous other pharmacist positions including in Arizona, Oregon, and primarily the metro Denver area.

He married his wonderful wife, the former Patricia Ann McConnell, on Feb. 5, 1982, in Aurora. She is employed by McKee Medical Center in Loveland. Mark is also survived by his daughter, Kelli Colleen O’Connor, and his son, Cody Jonathan O’Connor, both students at Colorado State University.

Mark’s immediate family surviving members include: brothers Patrick and John of Phoenix; Ryan of Lafayette; sisters, Norah Ashcraft of Lafayette, Molly Lydon of Ankeny, Iowa and Christine of Phoenix, Ariz.

Mark will be remembered as an accomplished mountaineer, adventurer, skier, traveler, husband, father and Boilermaker.

He was preceded in death by his brother Tim and both parents.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. April 26 at Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive. A reception celebrating Mark’s life will be held after the memorial service, 2:30 p.m., at Mulligan’s Pub, 2439 S. College, Ft. Collins. After cremation, a scattering of the ashes celebration will be performed over the Continental Divide at Hoosier Pass.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Mark P. O’Connor Memorial Fund, in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Ft. Collins, CO 80524. Friends may send condolences to the family at bohlenderfuneralchapel.com.