Mary Colman

Mary Colman, 83, of Fargo, ND, passed away Saturday, September 11, 2010, at Sanford Health, after a short illness. Mary Margaret Hilleboe was born April 1, 1927, in International Falls, Minnesota, to the parents of Al and Peg (Harrison) Hilleboe. She graduated from Bemidji High School in 1944. Mary then moved with her family to Moorhead, Minnesota, and attended North Dakota State University in Fargo. After completing two years of college, she married Donn Colman and dedicated her life to her marriage and raising a family. In the late sixties, she exhibited her strength, independence and intelligence by returning to college and earning her BS degree in Medical Technology from NDSU. By then, her children were mostly grown and she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to start her 30 year career as a microbiologist in hospital laboratories. Mary worked at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis for many years before moving to Colorado Springs so that she could live near her daughter, Kathy, and grandsons. There she continued her career in medical technology working at Penrose Hospital. She interrupted her stay in Colorado Springs by moving to Lee’s Summit, Missouri so that she could be near her daughter, Terri, and granddaughter during her high school years, enthusiastically attending basketball games and other high school activities. She also continued working as a medical technologist at Menorah Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Subsequently, she returned to Colorado Springs and continued her work at, and then retire from, Penrose Hospital. After her retirement at age 72, she reevaluated her life and chose to move to Northampton, Massachusetts, to be near her granddaughter again. While there, she fostered her creative talents by joining a modern dance group, The Dance Generators. The dancers ranged in age from early twenties to middle eighties. She wholeheartedly and energetically danced, performing in many venues throughout New England. The highlight of her dance career was performing with her granddaughter in a dance piece commissioned especially for her. Among her other passions were the theater, film, cooking and continual education. In 2007, she decided to return to Fargo, the city where she had raised her family and where her two sons and a grandson and many longtime friends lived. She thoroughly enjoyed her years in Fargo reconnecting with friends and pursuing her interest in spirituality. Mary was a restless person who constantly sought answers to life’s biggest issues. She had abundant energy, was filled with intellectual curiosity and sought engagement with people everywhere. Her annual call to sing Happy Birthday to each member of her family will be sorely missed. Mary is survived by her longtime friend and companion Patti Grimes, Fargo; and her four children, Terri (Jim) Muren, Stonington, CT; Kathy Colman, Colorado Springs, CO; Craig (LaRae) Colman, Detroit Lakes, MN; Brad Colman, Fargo; four grandchildren, who were precious to her; Kathy (Candice) Couch, Northampton, MA; Todd Varrone, Brett (Jenna) Varrone, Colorado Springs, CO; Christian Colman, Fargo, ND; and two sweet great-grandsons, Lakai and Leo Varrone, Colorado Springs, CO. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Jack Hilleboe; and sister-in-law, Marlys, Hilleboe. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to Doctors Without Borders USA, PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741; www.doctorswithoutborders.org , 1-888-392-0392. Celebration of Life on Friday, September 17, 2010, at 2:00 PM, at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home, Fargo, ND.