Long-time Colfax village board member dies – The Tribune Press Reporter

MARC HALPIN

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX – Mark Halpin, who served on the village board of Colfax for a total of 25 years, passed away on Monday, November 1.

Halpin was 60 years old.

Over the years he has served on various village council committees and more recently was chairman of the audit and finance committee (a committee of the entire village council).

He has also currently served on the staff committee (another committee of the entire village council), the streets committee, the parks committee and was the village council representative to the elevators commission and the deputy representative of the village council to the Colfax Solid Waste & Recycling Committee.

Gary Stene, now a village administrator but who served as village president for many years at the same time as Halpin sat on the village council, said Mark Halpin was “a good civil servant”.

“I think his heart was in the right place. He was ready to spend time doing what he felt was necessary for the village. He was a good civil servant. It was accessible to the public and conveyed its thoughts to the board, ”said Stene.

“His longevity is unusual in our time, for being on the board for so long. As he got older he grew in the position, so to speak, like all of us. Her heart was in the right place at all times. I think he thought about it at home, and later, and with declining health, I think he had even more time to think about it, ”he said.

“He would bring situations home and think about it, and not everyone does. That’s a shame. It was far too early to lose him… He was a sports fan. He was very proud to go to see his relatives play ball. He was a supporter of our sports here too. He was a boy from his hometown, ”Stene said.

According to his obituary, published elsewhere in this issue of Colfax Messenger, Mark Halpin graduated from Colfax High School in 1979 and remained at Colfax his entire life.

Among the comments made on social media, many people said they always enjoyed visiting Mark and appreciated that he was always ready to talk to the people of the village about their concerns.

Words used to describe Halpin include “kind”, “generous”, “a true gentleman”, “nice”, “friendly”, “compassionate” and “always had a smile for you”.

Mark Halpin was also the village council representative on the Colfax public library council for many years.

Lisa Bragg-Hurlburt, director of the Colfax Public Library, said Halpin had served on the library’s board of directors for at least 15 years.

“He has helped ease the transition between directors, having initially served on Lisa Ludwig’s board of directors. So he was part of the library team that decided to hire me, ”said Bragg-Hurlburt.

“Mark was a very valuable member of the board. Since he represented the village, he knew a lot of people around the city and understood local issues. He was very professional in attending meetings, arrived early and followed the correct procedure. He also brought a practical and down-to-earth voice to the meetings, and had a great sense of humor and a generous spirit, ”she said.

“We appreciate Mark’s years of service and are very happy to have gotten to know him. We will miss him. We appreciated his help and advice, ”said Bragg-Hurlburt.

Bragg-Hurlburt also noted that Mark Halpin had recently become a member of the Colfax Elevator Commission and was a strong supporter of the effort to bring an elevator to the Colfax Municipal Building as well as a supporter of others. building improvements.

“I will sincerely miss Mark,” said Bragg-Hurlburt.

Lisa Ludwig, who was director of the Colfax Public Library before Bragg-Hurlburt, said she was saddened to learn of Mark Halpin’s passing.

“Mark was a wonderful member of the library board who was very supportive of the Colfax Public Library. He understood the importance of having a public library for the village and the surrounding townships and was always ready to listen to new ideas for managing the library, ”said Ludwig.

“I really enjoyed working with Mark during all those years that I was director of the library. I will miss her smile and good humor, ”she said.

Jackie Ponto, who served as the village’s administrator-clerk-treasurer before Lynn Niggemann, said Halpin was a friendly face when she started working at Colfax.

“She was a really nice person and a friend when this ‘new’ girl came to town to work for the village. I will always remember him with a smile. I will pray for his family and friends, ”said Ponto.

“My heart sank when I saw that he had passed away. I just want the community and his family to know that he will be truly missed and that he always had the best intentions for the village, ”she said.

Scott Gunnufson, who served several terms as village president, described Mark Halpin as “a staunch resident of Colfax”.

“It is with the deepest sympathy that goes to Mark’s family and friends,” Gunnufson said.

“I had the great advantage of serving for several years on the village board with Mark. We have shared many perspectives and learnings throughout our tenure on the Board of Directors. Mark had a calm demeanor which served him well, and I think many of us still carry those same qualities in our personal and professional lives, ”he said.

“Mark was always there to go the extra mile for his community, whether it was extra meetings, community events, or just helping his neighbors. His long-standing commitment to the village will not go unnoticed as he has taught us what it is like to be a trustworthy and loyal Colfax resident, ”Gunnufson said.