Lawrence K Olson's Obituary
Lawrence K Olson, “Larry”, was born November 6, 1931 in Emery, Utah to Pearl Jackson and Clinton K Olson. He was the oldest of three children.
His family left Emery in 1938 and moved briefly to Idaho, staying with relatives while searching for a climate that would benefit his mother’s ill health. In the spring of1939, the family finally settled in Nyssa, Oregon. Larry was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Weiser, Idaho.
Larry had many responsibilities at a young age, with his mother in poor health and his sister being diabetic. He was driving the car to school, running errands, and taking his mother and sister to doctor appointments before he even had his license to drive.
He graduated from Nyssa High School in 1950. After graduation the Korean War began, he and some buddies joined the Air Force the following January in order to avoid being drafted. They thought the Air Force would be safer than the Army and less chance being sent to Korea. Larry trained at various bases in Texas and California. He was eventually sent to Korea where he served as his company’s photographer for over a year. After returning to the States, he was stationed in Reno, Nevada. He had a brief tour of duty in Tripoli, Libya and Athens, Greece and he enjoyed the Roman and Greek ruins and museums there. He was honorably discharged in 1954. In 2014, he received the Korean Ambassador of Peace Medal at the Utah State Capitol, along with several other Veterans of the Korean War.
Larry started his college studies at BYU in 1955 and graduated in 1960 with a BS in Industrial Management and minors in Accounting and Statistics. He has lived all over in about 50 different places including: Salt Lake, Sandy, Logan; Boise, Idaho; Washington; Illinois, New Jersey and finally Orem, Utah. He worked in various fields of employment and spent the last 20+ years of his life in field of marketing. He was married to Joann Maxine Reece in 1957 in the Salt Lake LDS temple and they had three children together: Vickie, Steven and Valerie. They were later divorced. He was also married to Bessie VaLoy Hunter from 1972-1983, Beverly Jean Kizerian from1984-1990, and Patricia Ann Campora from 1990-2000.
Larry served three LDS church service missions in Salt Lake while he was living in Sandy: 1 mission at the Bishop’s Storehouse, and 2 missions at the LDS Employment Center.
Larry had many hobbies including motorcycle riding, photography, camping, fishing, hunting, tinkering, and traveling. He loved to travel and meet new people and make new friends—he cherished his friendships. He had motorcycles as soon as he learned to drive—both street bikes and dirt bikes. His children remember many camping trips starting with a tent, then a camper, and finally a trailer. Larry was very handy all his life and could build and fix just about anything. He and a friend started an appliance repair business while attending BYU and later sold that company. He worked hard all his life for many companies and businesses, all over the country while continuing to be a fabulous and gifted handyman.
Larry loved music and he loved the guitar. He owned several guitars through his lifetime and his kids grew up listening to Country Western Charley Pride, Chet Atkins, Roy Clark, Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, and especially Glen Campbell. Larry loved picking on the guitar with Scarlet Ribbons and Freight Train. In his twilight years, he bought and taught himself to play the piano. Using computer software, he published many of his own piano arrangements to some of his favorite songs.
In 2014, when Larry moved to Orem, he saw his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren frequently and dined with them three times a week. He was an avid storyteller at the dinner table. He was happy, optimistic, had a great sense of humor and enjoyed his life. He had no regrets and would often comment on how happy he was with how his life had turned out. He said, “I’ve had a wonderful life!”
He officially retired to an assisted living center only 6 weeks before his death.
Larry is survived by his 3 children and their spouses: Vickie (Brent) Richey, Steven (Erin) Olson, Valerie (Todd) Henrie; 12 grandchildren: Melanie (Ron)Millett, Ryan (Ellen) Richey, Jason Richey, Jordan Olson, Erik Olson, Stefani (McKay)Manning, Matthew Olson, Kyra Olson, Candice Henrie, Ciara (Rory) Hankins, Conner Henrie, Caleb Henrie; and 6½ great-grandchildren: Angela Millett, Timothy Millett, Dean Millett, Emilia Richey, Milo Manning, Ember Manning.
Services will be held Thursday, January 25th, 1:30 pm at Utah Veteran Memorial Chapel, 17100 South Redwood Road, Bluffdale, Utah.
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