Mark Knutson
Mark Knutson Obituary
Mark Knutson, 53, of Detroit Lakes, MN, died on Sunday, July 9, 2023.
Mark Elliot Knutson was born Jan. 3, 1970, in Moorhead, MN, to John and Sharon (Anderson) Knutson. He graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1988 and received his bachelor's degrees in business administration and finance from Moorhead State University. Mark began his career in the banking industry in Fargo. In the years that followed he enjoyed jobs at Tharaldson Enterprises and Ottertail Corporation.
Mark was a visionary and followed his dreams beyond banking and finance. In 2005, he took his passion for running and turned it into the Fargo Marathon. In his 19 years as the Executive Director, he grew the race from 200 to over 20,000 runners and made countless friends. He said he never could have made the Fargo Marathon a success without his longtime friend Mike, the marathon committee, and all his hardworking volunteers. He was a Double Ironman and loved being a member of several local running groups.
Mark was a motivated, inspired person. He encouraged thousands of people to run, walk or attempt any physical activity they enjoyed. He had so many ideas and was not afraid to make them a reality. He built so many races from the ground up- like the Illinois Marathon, Zorbaz Beer Run, and the Friday the 13th Run- just to name a few. Mark knew what he liked as a runner and always kept that in mind when planning races.
In the Spring of 2022, he moved to Detroit Lakes and shortly thereafter took on the job of General Manager at Detroit Mountain. He put his heart and soul into the mountain. He was so proud of what he accomplished there. True to his nature, he already had big plans for what he could bring to both the mountain and DL in the upcoming years. He really loved it in DL- his home, his job, and the community.
Most of all, faith and family were central to Mark’s life. His belief in God gave him the strength to persevere through any obstacles he encountered. He was the most devoted father, son, and brother. In October 2022, he welcomed his first grandchild, Elena - and he adored her.
He leaves his loving family of three children, Michael (Daniel) Dantas, Carly Knutson, and Cade Knutson; parents, John and Sharon Knutson; twin sisters, Lisa Ziegler and Lori Mehus; granddaughter, Elena Dantas; girlfriend, Donna Elbert, and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Robert Mehus and grandparents.
A private family service will be held on Friday, July 14th. A public Memorial Service to honor and celebrate Mark’s life will be held on Saturday, July15, at 2:00 at Hope Lutheran Church in South Fargo.
To watch a livestream of the public service click the link below.
West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center
westfuneralhome.com
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