Though his nickname was “Michigan Mike,” to many people Michael Torpie embodied the spirit of Nederland, the small Colorado mountain town he came to call home.

Friends say Torpie, founder of NedFest and a former member of the town’s Board of Trustees, died Thursday morning. Friends told the Camera that a man found dead in a vehicle in the parking lot of a Nederland grocery store Thanksgiving morning was Torpie, though officials did not confirm it.

Officer Darragh O’Nuallain, of the Nederland Town Marshal’s Office, said a man in his mid-40s was found dead Thursday morning in a truck parked in front of the B&F Mountain Market. He said the death remains under investigation, but police do not suspect foul play.

Boulder County Coroner Emma Hall said an autopsy is scheduled for today, and she did not expect to identify the deceased until then.

Residents said they’re certain the man was Torpie, and they’re mourning the loss.

“It’s a small town, and news travels fast,” said Phillip Dyer, who was friends with Torpie and worked with him to organize NedFest, an annual music and arts festival in Nederland. “Everybody is shocked at this point.”

As soon as Dyer heard the news, he organized an informal memorial at the Whistling Café on Thursday night, where several dozen people came to remember Torpie.

“I just felt like the town needed somewhere to be at that time,” Dyer said. “It’s definitely not anything you expect to hear on Thanksgiving, or any other time for that matter.”

“Michigan Mike” was probably best known as founder and coordinator of NedFest, the bluegrass music and arts festival that takes place every summer at Jeff Guercio Memorial Baseball Park. Since Torpie started it in 1996 out of his backyard, the event has grown to a three-day festival that draws thousands of fans and prominent bands to the shores of Barker Reservoir.

“He brought a lot of people into town, and he ran one of the best summer music festivals,” said Doug Armitage, owner of Brightwood Music in Nederland. “He will, of course, be sorely missed.”

Dyer said Torpie was much more than a music promoter.

“He wasn’t just the NedFest founder, he was a member of the community, someone you saw everyday in town,” Dyer said. “Everybody knew he loved this town, and he always did what was best for his community. Anything community-oriented, he was there and he was a part of it. He left a really big hole in the community.”

Torpie was born and raised in Michigan before moving to Boulder in 1992, according to his website. He moved to Nederland in 1995 and started NedFest a year later, served on the Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2008 and was instrumental in decriminalizing marijuana in Nederland.

“He was involved with so many projects both in town and in Colorado,” said Carrie Bladyka, who works at the Whistler Café and was at Torpie’s memorial. “He was an amazing networker, and he knew lots of people.”

Nederland Mayor Joe Gierlach said Torpie had recently been pushing the town to change its codes to allow people to drive golf carts in an effort to reduce vehicle traffic and help the environment. Gierlach said the Board of Trustees will be discussing the subject in early 2012.

“Mike had a very big impact on the town, and he was very involved,” Gierlach said. “He helped to define the character of the town.”

Contact Camera Staff Writer Mitchell Byars at 303-473-1329 or byarsm@dailycamera.com.