Remembering Our Friend Mark Barnet Headley

We are privileged to know such a rich community of diverse and talented people whose impact and influence have shaped who we are, and were deeply saddened by the recent loss of our friend and previous Overland Principal, Mark Barnet Headley.

Mark played a significant role in many of our projects over the ten years of his career at Overland (1992–2004) including the Bridger Bowl Base Lodge, Montana State University Animal Bioscience Building, Bozeman Public Library, and University of Montana School of Journalism. He also heavily influenced all of the lab work at the BSL-4 Lab Facility for the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and acted as a lab consultant for The Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at The University of Texas Health Science Center. In his last five years with Overland, he relocated to Bozeman, Montana, where he opened an Overland office and served as a principal.

Mark will always be remembered as an incredible influence on our community.

Our deepest sympathy to Mark’s family and all that knew him.

“Grateful for the years that we had the privilege to work with Mark. He was an exceptional architect, but more than that he was an extraordinary human being. ”

— Rick Archer, FAIA, Senior Principal

“Mark was one of the first people that I met in San Antonio. He and his wife Ann befriended and encouraged me. He was a consummate architect with full command over the complexities of our profession, a faithful friend, and a man of great integrity. He will be missed!”

— Bob Shemwell, FAIA, LEED AP, Senior Principal

“Mark was a really nice guy. I probably stayed in contact with him more than any of the other guys. I spoke with him before his diagnosis. Back in one of my earlier lives in marketing, I’d call him and ask for pictures and other things I needed. He was very supportive and helpful. He was always a sweetheart.”

— Becky Rathburn, Senior Principal

“Mark was an amazing man of great integrity. Chief among his many superlatives were his unwavering dedication, to God, to his family, to community involvement, and to practicing architecture with a meticulous professionalism that is rarely found. He also has a heck of a good singing voice. We are poorer without him here.”

— Madison Smith, Principal, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

“It was always a pleasure working with Mark. One of my favorite memories I had with him was interviewing with him to design the Bozeman Public Library. What a great time we had together on that and many other wonderful projects. He will be missed and always loved by all of his friends and colleagues here at Overland.”

— Timothy Blonkvist, FAIA, LEED, Senior Principal

You can read more about the life of Mark Barnet Headley on the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

From left: Rick Archer, Becky Rathburn, Timothy Blonkvist, Madison Smith, and Mark Headley