After a life of love and quiet grace, Mark Heffron of Iowa City, IA has passed.
Here is what we wish the world to know of Mark.
Mark spent his working life as ['student financial aid', 'Senior Vice President at Noel Levitz in Iowa City'] — and was, by all accounts, loved by those who knew him best.
It is in the silence afterward that we hear how loud a life was.
Mark Heffron, 84, died peacefully on April 28, 2026, at Oaknoll Retirement Residence. Mark was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 17, 1941, the third child of Walter J. and Constance (Miller) Heffron. His early years were spent happily on a small acreage near South Londonberry, Vermont. He and his older siblings, Paul and Jeanne, had endless adventures as well as pet dogs, cats, goats, ducks, geese and horses.
When Mark was ten years old, his father died and the family spent winters in the Miller family home in Barrington, Rhode Island, where Mark attended school. He attended Mount Herman Boarding School in Massachusetts for grades 11 and 12, then moved westward to the University of Colorado in Boulder.
After graduating, he accepted an invitation to join the first group of Peace Corps volunteers to go to Botswana, serving from 1966-1969. His time spent there was a highlight, and he loved sharing stories of his experiences there. Following the Peace Corps, he spent six months travelling Europe in a VW camper van that he then shipped back to the United States.
Mark returned to Boulder, where he began his career in student financial aid. He was hired as the Director of Student Financial Aid at the University of Colorado and later, in 1976, moved to Iowa City to work at American College Testing (ACT). He finished his career as a Senior Vice President at Noel Levitz in Iowa City, retiring in 2007.
Mark was active in the Iowa City community. He served as the commissioner of Iowa City Little Kickers Association for many years and was a long-time member of the Sunrise Optimists. He also served on the board of Four Oaks Family and Children Services in Iowa City.
His spiritual home was in North Park, Colorado, where he could often be found hiking, skiing, reading, and enjoying life. In his free time, he skied, rode horses, researched genealogy, bicycled, and was a car enthusiast, including getting out on the racetrack.
He loved to travel the world, eventually visiting six continents. He and his wife Margaret had many international adventures with family and friends, cherishing the bonds created experiencing new cultures. His passion for genealogy and travel came together when he connected with and visited his relatives in Ireland. Other highlights over the years were visiting his son Matt in various areas of South America and Africa.
After being diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis in 2012, Mark continued living life to the fullest possible, never complaining. He deeded his body to the University of Iowa Anatomy Department to contribute to the advancement of science.
Mark is survived by his wife Margaret, son Matt and wife Renee Heffron, grandchildren Liza and Kyle of Birmingham, Alabama; brother J. Paul Heffron of Boulder; brothers-in-law Ed Armstrong and wife Cheri and Don Armstrong and wife Nancy, all of Loveland, Colorado; and numerous nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his parents, sister Jeanne Slawson, nephew Mark Heffron, and sister-in-law Pat Wright. The family is grateful for the care Mark received from all the kind souls in the Oaknoll Health Center.
Memorial donations can be made to Four Oaks Family and Children Services, 1916 Waterfront Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52240.
Online condolences and memories may be shared on Mark's Tribute Wall.
