Richard “Dick” Olson

1934-2022

Long time Norwalk resident Dick Olson passed away peacefully at his home in Bothell, WA on 11/30/22. Born in 1934 in Rice Lake, WI, he was the last living sibling of six, and spoke often of sisters Evelyn, Dorothy, and Florence, and brothers Patrick and Harold. He is survived by his wife Mary, his son Eric, and his grandkids Milo and Rosalie.

Dick was a child of the Great Depression and had limited resources as a child. He enlisted in the Air Force and became a commissioned officer and jet pilot.

In California, he met Mary Antonoglou, a foreign student from Greece. Mary was cosmopolitan and modelesque, speaking 4 different languages. They married in 1967 and never looked back. Mary worked to pay the bills while Dick enrolled at Penn State and ultimately earned a PhD in Ed and Admin in 1971.

In 1970, their son Eric was born. In 1975, the family settled in Norwalk and Dick would teach and administrate at Norwalk State Technical College for over 20 years. He was also a lifelong parishioner of St. Jerome’s Catholic Church.

Dick was a devoted and supportive father. He would be remembered as the enthusiastic little league coach who would wave kids in from third even when there was no objective reason to do so. He was a fierce competitor but was generous with his smile and quick to laugh. Once retired, Dick became a certified teacher and life master of Bridge.

In 2017, he and Mary moved to Washington to be closer to Eric and their grandkids. His Alzheimer’s had set in, but while his memory and intellect would fade, he never lost his smile or sense of humor. He will be deeply missed by those who knew him well.