This week, the extended family of 300 Suns in Longmont is remembering one of its founders, Mark Lusher.

Want to help? For more information on how to donate to Mark Lusher’s fund, go to www.300sunsbrewing.com/mark/

Lusher passed away Sunday from complications due to his battle with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. He was 42.

Lusher built 300 Suns with his wife, Candace Newcomb, and Dan and Jean Ditslear. When opened on First Avenue in Longmont in February of 2014, it become the first new brewery to open in town since Oskar Blues moved here from Lyons in 2009 and only the fourth brewery overall.

Dan Ditslear, 300 Suns’ COO, said he remembers “every day coming into work and seeing him and laughing and having a good time.”

He and Mark met eight years ago as part of a networking group, and from that. 300 Suns was born.

“He was always so creative,” Ditslear said. “Oh, and he loved IPA’s, while I loved stouts and porters. It was a great mix. It why we ended up with such a diverse range in our menu.”

Ditslear has particularly great memories of their early days, when they hit the road to do research.

“Going to breweries, brewery tours,” he said. “We did a few guy trips that were based around hitting breweries in different states. We went to Portland, Oregon, about five years ago, and we hit 13 breweries in three days. I’ll remember those days forever.”

The brew community in Longmont is one of healthy competition combined with a tremendous sense of camaraderie and fellowship. Fellow brewers held Mark in high regard.

“He helped open the area up for more craft breweries,” said Taylor Wise, owner of Grossen Bart Brewery. “An awesome dude, super helpful. He really helped us out as we were beginning to build our business.”

“We shared a lot of information about brewing,” added Walter Bourque, the Grossen Bart brewer. “We traded a lot of bags of malt over the course of a few years.”

“I was at Lefthand when I heard the news on Sunday,” said James Ross, owner of Rosalee’s Pizzeria in Longmont.

“I always felt relaxed around Mark. I was super-psyched for their venture at 300 Suns,” Ross said. “He helped us a lot here, with all the hoops. He helped us with how to work with the city.”

“He had that big grin. It was unmistakable,” Ross added.

Longmont singer-songwriter Nick O’Connor recalls Mark as being very community focused.

“He was a community minded man, who made and shared great craft beer with his community,” he said. “I remember playing for the after party of his wedding at 300 Suns. He had so much gratitude for me being a part of his special day. Longmont has lost a great man. He will be missed.”

Lusher will be remembered though his friends, through 300 Suns, and through a special beer being brewed in his honor to be unveiled during American Craft Beer Week, May 11-15. The Longmont brewing community has teamed up to make it happen.

“We got the malt donated, the yeast donated from Breakthrough Yeast Company in Golden. Oskar Blues will do the brewing there. Lefthand is doing the advertising and marketing,” said Bourque of Grossen Bart.

The beer is named Beet Cancer, and all the proceeds will go to Lusher’s family to help with expenses. The beer will be sold at Grossen Bart Brewery, 300 Suns Brewery, Pumphouse Brewery, Shoes and Brews, Oskar Blues Brewery, and Left Hand Brewery.

“We’re going to keep the dream alive, and make this the community brewery that we all hoped it would be,” Ditslear said, “and it will be in his honor.”

Vince Winkel: 303-684-5291, winkelv@times-call.com or twitter.com/vincewinkel