Kenneth Jay Olson

Obituary For Kenneth Jay Olson

Kenneth Jay Olson, age 73, of Durham, NC passed away on January 29, 2022 surrounded by family after a difficult battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP.)

Ken was born on July 25, 1948 to Florence and Ervin Olson in Longmont, CO. After graduating from Longmont High School Ken started at Fort Lewis College where he met his wife of 53 years, June Ann Harris. Ken and June were married August, 30, 1968 and went on to have two children, Eric Lee and Stacey Ann.

Ken graduated from Colorado State University with a teaching degree and then returned to the family dairy farm. Ken and June eventually moved to Otis, Colorado where they raised their family and operated their own family dairy farm.

Ken was passionate about the agricultural industry and loved what he did for a living. He had an even greater passion for his family and being outdoors. He team roped, played softball, coached baseball and softball for both his children, volunteered with 4-H and the Jaycees and enjoyed hunting and fishing whenever possible. After selling the dairy in 1989, Ken returned to teaching. He obtained a M. Ed in Special Education from the University of Northern Colorado and spent the next 20 plus years teaching and coaching high school softball.

Ken and June first moved to TX where he continued teaching and coaching and then moved to North Carolina in 2014 to be closer to their grandchildren. Ken continued coaching softball and only retired from this in 2015 due to his disease onset. He remained a huge fan of the Colorado Rockies, Denver Broncos, and Colorado State Rams. He rarely missed a Rockies game on MLB network even as his disease took his vision.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents and oldest brother Ronald. He is survived by his wife June Ann; his brother Keith (Lupe) Olson; his children Eric (Jenny) Olson and Stacey (Robbie) Stidham; and his three grandchildren Samuel, Hugh, and Austin.

A private family service will be held at a later date. It was Ken’s request that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to CurePSP to assist the mission of awareness, education, care and cure for prime of life neurodegenerative disease.

https://secure2.convio.net/cpsp/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20005b?1400.donation=form1&df_id=1400&mfc_pref=T&NONCE_TOKEN=AB6CA2A7A7248C5279AF98645D73BA5B

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