Mark Sheldon, 43; Classical Radio Host Heard on KUSC-FM

Mark Sheldon, an announcer with the Classical Public Radio Network who was heard locally on KUSC-FM (91.5), died of cancer Tuesday at his home in Denver, the radio station announced. He was 43.

Sheldon joined the network, which is co-owned by KUSC and Colorado Public Radio, in 1999 after working as an announcer and concert broadcast producer in Utah and Minnesota and as a station manager in Indiana. On KUSC, he was host for afternoon programs Monday through Saturday, and on Sunday mornings.

Sheldon, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and choral conducting at Brigham Young University.

He sang with the Dale Warland Singers and produced their national “Echoes of Christmas” broadcasts.

Over the last year or so, Sheldon talked publicly about his cancer, which began with a rare form of ocular melanoma in 1988 and had metastasized to his liver by 2001.

His medical insurer dropped him hours away from a cancer treatment in September 2001, and friends in Denver held a benefit concert for him.

“Most of the time I’m at peace,” Sheldon said a month ago on “Colorado Matters,” a weekday series broadcast on Colorado Public Radio. “We have an imperfect world with imperfect bodies. Perhaps some might say I drew the short straw. But I’m OK.”

Mark is survived by his partner, Dan Macey; his mother, E. Lenore Sheldon; three brothers; and a sister.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Elizabeth’s Church on the Auraria campus in Denver.

The family asks that memorial donations be made to St. Martin’s Chamber Choir, stmartinschamberchoir.org