Obituary of Charles L. Olson

A remarkable man, he was known as Charlie to some and Chuck to others, but his proudest names were ‘Dad,’ ‘Grandpa,’ and ‘Uncle Charlie.’ Born in Braham, Minnesota, Charlie was the youngest child and only son of Lawrence and Alice Olson. His parents and two of his three sisters, Lorraine and Shirley, preceded Charlie in death. He is survived by three children: Jeff Olson (Wendy), Julia Augdahl (Mark), and Leslie Olson; four grandchildren: Hayley, Kirsten, Patrick, and Peter; Patricia Olson (sister); and Jeanne Olson (ex-wife/lifetime friend). He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends who became like family to him. Charlie was a proud Minnesota Golden Gopher. After graduating from Braham High School in 1957, he began his studies to become a Mechanical Engineer. And while academics were the reason he was at the University, his most memorable moments centered on his role as Student Manager of the Golden Gopher Football team. It was his honor to accompany the team to the Rose Bowl in 1961 and 1962. Upon graduation from the University of Minnesota in 1962, Charlie became an engineer with Northern States Power. He joined R.G. Read & Company (now Novaspect) in 1969 and spent most of his remaining working years there. He and Jeanne lived in Northeast Minneapolis and Columbia Heights while they raised Jeff, Julie, and Leslie. During those years, he instilled a love of the Minnesota Gophers in all three of his children and, subsequently, all four of his grandchildren. In 1989, he moved to Eden Prairie and was proud to call it home for over 25 years. Charlie was a storyteller and an historian. His photographic memory meant that he could color an anecdote with details that turned a simple tale into a dramatic story. His eyes would light up when he was able to share a piece of his past - especially those that involved a little bit of mischief. He was a lifetime learner with a particular interest in American History and the World Wars. He was an avid reader and was on a constant mission for a new book. Charlie was a fisherman. He loved his boat, his global positioning systems, his depth finders, and his fish finders. But mostly he loved swapping stories with his fishing buddies. He proudly made the annual Memorial Day journey to Lake of the Woods for over forty years. When his son, son-in-law, and nephews started to join the trip, his joy was complete. The annual fishing trip eventually became more than annual, as he added a spring excursion to the Chain of Lakes in Northern Minnesota. And his fishing legacy will live on in the lives of his grandsons who will never forget the multi-generational houseboat trip with their dads and their Grandpa Charlie. Finally, Charlie was a friend. He was loyal and tenderhearted and he would bend over backwards to help someone in need. He will be missed. A memorial service and celebration of Charlie’s life will be held on Saturday, January 31 at 11:00 a.m. at Bayview Event Center, 687 Excelsior Boulevard, Excelsior, Minnesota. Charlie’s memory would best be honored with a memorial to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (383 Main Avenue, Fifth Floor, Norwalk, CT 06851 or www.themmrf.org/donate-to-mmrf/).