Mark Keith Mlinar, age 62, went home to be with his Savior on July 4, 2021, after an 18-month battle with Glioblastoma brain cancer. Mark was born in Cresco, Iowa, on April 26, 1959, to M. Keith and Jean (Parker) Mlinar. He attended school and graduated from Crestwood High School in Cresco. This is where he also met his wife and best friend, Julie. After graduation they were married on February 17, 1979, and together, they were blessed with four children.
Mark worked for the Plitt Movie Theater Company which took him to managing theaters in Minneapolis, Minn., Grand Forks, N. Dak., and Sioux Falls S. Dak. He then went to school, Travel Careers Institute, in Omaha, Nebr., to become a travel agent and had the opportunity to travel. He also later became an instructor at that school. After a few years he got a job at Braniff Airlines, but when they went bankrupt, he started working for FedEx in Omaha, Nebr. In 1989 they had an opportunity to move back to the Cresco area where they ran a café in Osage, Iowa. Eventually he went back to work at FedEx out of Mason City, Iowa. When his grandmother Emily passed away in 1995 the family had the opportunity to purchase the house in Spring Valley and transfer to the Rochester area with FedEx. He worked for FedEx for over 22 years before switching to the US Post Office. His dream was to have a job that he could walk to work and he now finally had it. He possessed a strength of character, hard work and giving of himself that he shared with others and taught his children.
Mark’s favorite hobby was talking to people. He could strike up a conversation with just about anyone and his goal was always to bring a smile to their face. He loved watching movies in his private theater and his Minion costume. He was also a Godly man who loved his Lord and worked hard to lead his family and love his wife in a Christian example. His family was very important to him and he loved to have family dinners with meaningful, and sometimes silly conversations.
Mark’s final request was to donate his body to science so that even in his death he could help others.
Mark will be greatly missed by his wife Julie, of 42 years; his four children: Patience (Steve) Johansen, Justin (Sarah) Mlinar, Malachi (Shelby) Mlinar, and Levi (Chantelle) Mlinar; 11 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter, mother Jean, mother-in-law Virginia, brother Michael, brother-in-law Chad, and many inlaws, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
He is preceded in death by his father Keith, grandparents Joe and Emily Mlinar and Clarence and Birdie Parker, and an infant granddaughter and grandson.
A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held on Monday, July 12, at noon at Valley Christian Center in Spring Valley, with Pastor Steve Kuno officiating. Visitation will be held before the service from 9:30-11:30 am.
A special thank you to the Mayo Hospice team and Mayo Neuro and Radiation Oncology doctors and nurses for the excellent care and support of Mark and his family.
Bentley Sleeper says
Mark was a great guy. I met him in the early nineties when I worked for Airborne Express and he worked for FedEx. He asked me to consider working for FedEx which I did in 2001. He was always a positive person and I enjoyed our friendship. I worked with his son Malachi also and he was a chip off the block. Condolences and sympathy to the Mlinar family.
Joseph Mlinar and Elizabeth Dodd says
Mark was very warm and welcoming to our family at the family reunions he hosted in Spring Valley. We are grateful we had the chance to spend time with his wonderful family. He lived a good life but left it way too soon. We are so sorry for your loss.
Dan says
Mark was a hard worker as well as a very polite person even back in 77 & 78 when he helped me @ the S,V, theater.
My sincere condolences to the family,