Mark P. Addison died January 6, 2025, in Frisco, Colorado. Born September 22, 1934, Mark graduated from the University of Colorado, he married Polly in 1957, their grown children Douglas, Susan, Annie, Timothy and Sarah and grandchildren, Libby, Callie, Kai and Taber survive.

In 1961, Mark helped found and operated Design Master Color Tool Inc for nearly thirty years. He was active in floral industry as Chair of the American Academy of Florists, received the Award of Merit and Honorary Lifetime Membership form the American Institute of Floral Designers. He appeared on numerous programs and spoke about color in this country and overseas.

Beginning in 1955, Mark was also a ski instructor, first in the Army at Camp Hale teaching skiing, climbing and survival, continuing finally as a telemark instructor at Copper Mountain in 2005.Mark became a certified ski instructor in 1960 and was president of the Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors in 1970/71.

With a few others he helped change American ski teaching from a focus on technique to become student centered.

After he sold Design Master in 1991, Mark taught contemporary art history at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he later received the Regents Medal.

For more than forty years, Mark served on the board of many non-profit arts organizations. He created and funded his own mini-grants program for emerging artists and small arts groups in Boulder County. Later he founded and funded the Bump in the Road Fund for human service non-profits to help with unexpected problems.

Mark and Polly collected art for many years. Most of their collection has been gifted to four Colorado museums.

Mark traveled extensively, first for business and later for adventure. There was an early trip to the Soviet Union then later to the Russian Far East.

Polly and Mark were among the first Americans to visit Communist China in January, 1979. The High Arctic held special interest and Mark was able to reach both the North Pole and the South Pole in 2002. The list of exotic destinations was capped by a 2007 50th Wedding Anniversary trip around the world via the Southern Hemisphere with children invited to meet them along the way.

Mark's life included three different careers and many varied experiences, some successful and other less so. Mark lived a very full life.