Former Mortenson Construction Chairman Mauritz A. Mortenson Jr. Dies After Months-Long Fight With Cancer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Mauritz A. "Mort" Mortenson Jr. died on Nov. 9, 2019 at his home in Edina, surrounded by his family, after a months-long fight against cancer.

He was the former chairman of Mortenson Company, a construction company ranked by "Engineering News-Record" as the 16th largest contractor in the U.S., with company revenue in 2018 of $4.6 billion.

His family is remembering him for his selfless personality.

Born in 1936, Mortenson joined the family business in 1960, after serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy.

He succeeded his father as president of the company in 1969.

He was 33 years old then, and at the time, the company had 14 full-time employees, and an annual revenue of $17.6 million.

Today the company has more than 7,500 employees.

Before his death, Mortenson and his wife Alice had donated to hospitals, student scholarship programs, and the Minneapolis United Way.

M.A. Mortenson is survived by his wife and their four sons. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 10:30 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis.