Mark Leonard Fetch came into our world on August 5, 1971, and left us too soon on December 17, 2023, at the tender age of 52 years old. Suffering from a massive heart attack – a heart too big to keep beating, but he kept fighting until the end.
A celebration of Fetchy’s life will be held January 2, 2024, at 2:00 pm at the Bismarck Elk’s Lodge in Bismarck.
Mark was in the Air National Guard – a true Patriot in every sense of the word. Owner of Eddie’s Nightclub. Worked at Broadway Auto Sales. Prairie Knights Casino Beverage Manager. General Manager of The Bistro Restaurant. Commercial pilot for Northwest Airlines/Pinnacle Airlines. Traded energy for Rainbow Energy. And owner of Lucky’s Bar, Polar Package Liquor Store, The Arctic Room, and The Main Bar and Package Store. Mark’s entrepreneurial spirit really got its start working for his grandfather, Leonard Bullinger, at Bullinger Tree Service. Grandpa Bullinger was an entrepreneur and Mark followed suit.
Now let’s get down to the business of real living, which Fetchy did every moment of his life.
His gifts were varied, and we like to think of him as “touched by God.” There are always people that have a little extra light surrounding them. Attracting stars to spin around in their solar system; He was an entire world to all his family and friends.
Everyone got a little bit of his magic. Of his star dust. But the ones that were bathed in star dust were his children: Brennan, Carsen, and Shaylee. Mark’s love for his children was so intense and it often manifested itself in tough love-life lessons. He loved but wanted them to learn. Wanted them to become the best versions of themselves. There was a time for fun, and celebrations, and travel. And there was a time to work and prepare.
Brennan. His star athlete. His Demon. His sidekick and best friend. Taking on leadership and management roles in the businesses. Learning the unique ways in which Mark created places to feel welcome and part of a big family.
Carsen. Mark also loved attending all of Carsen’s sporting events. Cheering on his next talented athlete. Recently instructing him in aviation. Being able to share in hours of flight time and flying solo for the first time. Mark was so proud of Carsen’s college degree and his future in the banking industry. And looking forward to planning Carsen and Lani’s wedding in Mexico.
Shaylee. Delighted her father with her talented singing. He loved having a daughter to dote on and nurture. A ray of sunshine in his life.
Speaking of singing, what he lacked in his tone-deaf singing, he made up for it in his ability to spin a partner around any dance floor. He would love to sing along to all his favorite country and classic rock songs.
A night at Fetchy’s lake garage was a swirling symphony of music, laughter, conversations, dancing, and perhaps some fighting thrown in for good measure. Notorious for luring everyone to his lair of fun, he would eventually disappear into the night. Recharging his batteries for another round of adventure: Golfing, boating, swimming, fishing, fixing, building, making everything old new and functional again.
Mark’s love for aviation enabled him to not only fly commercial aircraft and have a career in the cockpit, but later collecting a variety of smaller planes to fly. Mark took his flying very seriously, and was an expert pilot, Safety was his number one priority.
The saying, “He never knew a stranger,” seems like such a cliché, but it really was the truth. Mark had the uncanny ability to carry on a conversation with people from every walk of life. Some life forms he enjoyed more than others.
Mark inherited his love and talent for cooking from his mother, Mary. There was nothing that made him happier than to cook for large crowds. His version of pickled eggs and spicy pickles were infamous.
Mark always took care of his mother. If you know about her portrait in the garage at the lake, you know how much he cherished her. Mary would laugh at his antics with the same twinkle in her eyes as her son.
Mark made sure his father, Kenro, was also always cared for. The best son a father could ever hope to have.
And then there were the endless regurgitations of jokes, “Have you heard the one…”and most likely you had heard the half-witted joke before, but he would laugh and continue his one-man monologue, and on-cue, would laugh at his on punchline, whether it deserved a response or not.
A true entrepreneur and visionary. Mark would get an idea and set into motion how to make it all a reality. And Fetchy wasn’t satisfied with mediocre; it was full-throttle every detail accounted for, with success his ultimate goal.
Success was a part of his DNA. Not overnight, but thoughtful, planned, hard work to make his ventures in the hospitality business attractive to his customers. Getting a taste of the restaurant business when he managed The Bistro in Bismarck. Planning wine country tours and cultivating a new standard for one of Bismarck’s premiere dining destinations.
Eventually his years of experience led him to transform the Pavilion at Brush Lake into Boondocks. A new way of life for the entire Brush Lake community. A hub of good food, entertainment, and a place for families to enjoy themselves while visiting their little slice of Heaven.
Mark’s intuition, paired with an eye and an ear always open and ready for an opportunity, led him to taking over Lucky’s Bar, Polar Package, and in the process creating another attached business of The Arctic Room. A party room for rent – another genius conception from Fetchy’s catalogue of magic tricks.
Soon an old hangout that had seen better days, whispered in his ear, “What about me?” And Fetchy agreed. It was time for The Main Bar to become the new Main Street attraction. With Mark’s signature sense of making over and cultivating a community, The Main Bar became a small but mighty gathering place. Rivaling any small bar anywhere. The perfect edition to Fetchy’s Fleet of Fun.
The generosity of his big heart was always known by his family and friends. But within the last year, Mark turned his focus to helping others in the community. Partnering with The Bismarck Cancer Center or The McQuade Charity Softball Tournament, and honoring veterans was all in a days work for Mark and his team.
The generosity and stories about Mark Fetch are countless, endless. A remarkable life lived like a rocket to the moon! Full blast and straight ahead! When a bright light and super star shines and burns so bright, we bask in their light, in their love and warmth. We find ourselves at home in their presence. And this was Mark Fetch. Our Mark Fetch,
We know your flight to Heaven was too soon for all of us. But everyone up there had better be prepared, because Fetchy is about to take the helm.
Mark is survived by his beloved children, Brennan, Carsen (Lani Perrin), and Shaylee Meyer; his mother, Mary Bullinger; his father, Kenneth Fetch; his sister, Stacey Fetch; Aunts and Uncles: Lenoard and Helen Bullinger, Linda and Andy Lidstrom, David Fetch, Elaine and Wayne Lehde, and Kathy and Lowell Salhus.
Mark was proceeded in death by his grandparents, Leonard and Minnie Bullinger, and Nick and Lucille Fetch; his aunt, Joyce Fetch; and his cousin, Macey Lidstrom.
A special thank you to all the close friends, who are really family, who assisted the family in the journey to Minnesota. Standing by his side for days, lifting him up in prayer during his battle. The love and generosity shown will never be forgotten.
For any additional information, please go to https://www.facebook.com/Luckysbarandlounge/ or https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057316874934
In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to one of Mark’s favorite charities, in honor of his love for veterans, On the Water, Inc. at https://ichf.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ichf/donation.jsp?campaign=270&