We called him “Magic Fred.” Fred “Lightning Heart” Haberlien was a fixture in the Roaring Fork Valley where I lived for 28 years. He was an incredible muralist. His paintings grace buildings and silos all across Colorado, bringing warmth and light to spaces once overlooked or deemed an eyesore.

I first met Fred when his wife Teresa interviewed for a position in Hubby #2’s medical practice somewhere in the late ‘80s. He was a shaman, a medicine man, a spirit dancer. With his long hair pulled back into a ponytail and his signature hat, Fred could soon be found all over town spreading his love and light. When he met you…everytime he met you…he handed you a polished rock. He gave you a piece of his Earth Mother to hold and keep. He was generous to a fault, a peaceful man. I never saw anything rattle him.

When Daughter #1 was born, Fred was drawn to her old soul. He wrote up her star chart in intricate detail. He brought her small gifts. He was enchanted, as we all were, with this quiet, dark-haired beauty that graced our presence. When she was older, he showed her magic tricks…hence the nickname, “Magic Fred.”

When we decided to renovate the kitchen in the big house on the hill, Fred came and drew the surrounding vista on the soffits above the cabinets. Any direction you turned, you could see what was outside…Mt. Sopris, The Flattops Wilderness Area, Red Mountain, Lookout Mountain. It was something I cherished.

We lost ⚡❤ on Sunday night. I saw him last summer at the live music in the park in Glenwood Springs. I hadn’t known he was ill and had narrowly escaped esophageal cancer in the year prior. I don’t know for sure, but I assume that beast came back with a roar. You often read tributes like “The world is a little darker without you.” Fred wouldn’t want that, I don’t think. I think he would have wanted us to say “I see the spark of you in everything.” Tears stung my eyes when I read of his passing…mostly for his beloved partner, Teresa. They were simbiotic…such a beautiful match. It will be a difficult road for many who loved and honored our good friend.

Fame wasn’t something Fred sought. He sought to touch people’s lives in a way that might change them, which he did brilliantly. His paintings are beautiful gifts he left for us to remember him by…almost as a side note. He will be sorely missed.

Vaya con dios, my sweet friend. Go with God.

⚡❤⚡

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:17-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬