Mark Alan Zobel died October 16, 2026 at Fairview Ridges Hospital, Burnsville. He was surrounded by loved ones.

Mark was born January 7, 1971 to Roger and Jane (Gillespie) Zobel. He grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa. After graduating from Valley High School, he briefly attended the University of Nebraska and then found his home as a music education major at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. After graduation, he moved to the Twin Cities, MN to do his student teaching in District 196 (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan) schools and stayed in Minnesota to teach music at Orchard Lake Elementary in Lakeville for a few years.

Mark then attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he earned both M.Mus. and Ph.D. degrees in musicology. His Ph.D. dissertation was later published in the Sourcebooks in American Music series of the College Music Society under the title “The Third Symphony of Charles Ives”.

Mark served as an adjunct professor on the faculties of Regis University in Denver, Westminster Community College in Westminster, Colorado, and Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, where he taught music history, music appreciation, and later, a course in philanthropy.

Mark had a desire to serve others that was sparked by his church youth group work and mission trips to volunteer in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico while in high school. Later in his life, Mark became a dedicated professional in the field of nonprofit development and fundraising—beginning in the Alumni Relations and Development Department at Blackburn College and ultimately leading to his return to Minnesota, where he served organizations such as the Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis, the Community Emergency Assistance Programs in Brooklyn Center, and the Summit Academy OIC in Minneapolis. In all of his work, Mark was most interested in helping the people these organizations served.

While in graduate school, he married Elizabeth Warden. They had a daughter, Bailey. Mark was a full-time parent to Bailey for the first seven years of her life, practicing his best (worst) dad jokes on her and teaching her how to cook. One of his proudest achievements was homeschooling Bailey for kindergarten and teaching her how to read and write. He loved his daughter very much and was so happy to recently see her graduate from high school in the very district where he began his teaching career. 

Mark was passionate about the importance of education, both as an educator and as a dedicated lifelong learner. He loved to read and explored the world around him via the written word. When Mark became interested in the Catholic Church, he consumed volumes of works on faith and the church. He attended RCIA in 2009 and was received into full communion with the Catholic Church at Easter 2010.

He also loved to write. Throughout his life, writing served as a process for him to wrestle with life’s large questions and to make sense of the world. Shortly before his death, Mark had completed a draft of a very personal work, Selah, exploring his own lifelong struggles, the role of faith, and the importance of sacred pause—of resting in the Lord:

“Human beings cannot live continuously at full volume. We require moments when the music stops and the soul is given an opportunity to catch up. The invitation of selah is ultimately very simple: pause, listen to the Spirit, receive…

…then rise and continue the journey home.”

Mark is survived by his mother, Jane G. Zobel, his daughter, Bailey A. Zobel, and his former wife, Elizabeth J. Warden. He was preceded in death by his father, Roger A. Zobel.

Donations in Mark’s memory can be made to the Minnesota Guitar Society. There will be a private funeral service and interment. For more information, contact the family directly.