Mark Morland Obituary

Morland
MARK MORLAND
December 20, 1961 December 8, 2020
When Mark Morland learned that he had a debilitating disease, he faced the news, and the extraordinary challenges, with the same grace and humor that he showed throughout his life as a dedicated teacher, a local elected official, and a deeply caring husband and father. During his illness with Huntington's Disease, Mark never complained about his journey. He loved his life and he always believed in a brighter future for all of us. Mark died, at age 58, on December 8, 2020.
Mark Lamar Morland was born in Colorado Springs on December 20, 1961, to Doris and Clifford Morland, two public school teachers from Texas who married and moved to Colorado Springs in 1955.
Mark was a 1980 graduate of Coronado High School. He left Colorado Springs at age 18 to study government at Harvard University where he graduated cum laude in 1984. While at Harvard, he sang with a co-ed acapella group, The Harvard-Radcliffe Opportunes. He was the editor of the 1982-83 edition of The Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard. He received his Masters Degree in Economics from the London School of Economics in 1991. Mark's interest in government led him to run for public office. He ran in two closely fought elections for State Representative in Colorado House District 17 in 1986, when he was 24 years old, and again in 1988, at age 26.
In an article written for The Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, regarding his second race for office, journalist Raymond McCaffrey wrote, "unlike some of his Harvard classmates, Morland's admission was not birthright; he was simply the son of two school teachers who taught him to be polite and studious. His vocabulary, even in the toughest of times was anchored by such words as "gosh" and "golly."
Mark lost the 1988 election by a whisker, 29 votes, but he met his wife of 28 years, Mary Kelley, during that political campaign. Mary was the photojournalist for The Gazette Telegraph who covered Mark's bid for State Representative. They were married on June 27, 1992. She survives him, as does their beloved daughter, Madeline; his mother, Doris; his sister, Lisa Kitson, and her husband Kevin.
Mark taught AP US History at the Colorado Springs School. He served on the Manitou Springs City Council, eventually serving as Mayor of Manitou. He worked for Colorado Governors Richard Lamm and Roy Romer.
In a message to the voters of Manitou Springs, when he chose not to seek another term as Mayor, Mark cited Yankee great Lou Gehrig's farewell speech from baseball in 1939 in his own remarks:
"Like Lou Gehrig, some citizens may think I've caught a bad break. But I feel like I am the luckiest man alive. I wouldn't trade a minute of the wonderful life I have with my wife and daughter, and the time I have spent with my fellow citizens on issues that are of great importance to our City. It is with great humility that I bow out of the arena of public service and thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve."
According to Mark's wishes, his brain was donated to the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center for continued research into a cure for Huntington's Disease. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Mark's name to the Huntington's Disease Society of America would be warmly welcomed. There are no immediate plans for a memorial service in the hopes that we can safely gather to honor Mark following the pandemic.