Eshelman, Marc Robert died peacefully in his home overlooking Lake Superior with family by his side. Marc was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the Fall of 2019 and battled it bravely until the end. Marc viewed life as a vast continuum and was a creative thinker astounded by the world around him, always thinking of how to improve tomorrow. Marc was a keen listener and had a broad set of shoulders on which to cry. His hugs were legendary and his arms were open to all. What made Marc truly special was his ability to connect with people. Marc is remembered by family and friends from every phase of his life.
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In the Fall of ’72, we opened Thom and Marc’s Bike and XC Ski Shop —on Water Street. In retrospect, we had no idea what we were doing, but we were having a blast doing it. Still, a cupla guys living in a mobile home in the middle of a cornfield on the edge of Nerstrand Woods was obviously not sustainable. We moved on. Marc moved to the Twin Cities where he and Linda raised their daughter Emily. Over the years, as a mostly stay at home dad, Marc had his own carpet cleaning business, sold insulation, drove a school bus, and was a substitute teacher, among other things.
The last time I saw Marc in person, was probably the happiest I’d ever seen him. In a ballroom in downtown St Paul, surrounded by friends and family, he gave/performed one of the longest, funniest, and certainly most heartfelt father-of-the-bride toasts ever.
Earlier this year, Marc achieved a long-held goal of being a grandfather as Emily gave birth to Ida (in fact, an uncropped version of the photo in the linked Strib obituary is of Marc holding Ida in his lap).