Lawrence Olson

Lawrence Oliver Olson, 78, passed away Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at Green Hills Care Center in West Liberty, Ohio.

He was born August 26, 1934 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Kenneth Eugene Olson and Mildred Alice Nusbaum Olson. The family moved to the Chicago area in 1937 where Kenneth became the Dean of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Larry is survived by his wife, Lee Anne, three children, ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren; a brother, Stuart (Sally) Olson; a sister, Marge (Tom) Dome, and numerous nephews and nieces all of whom he loved very much.

Larry graduated from New Trier Township High School Cook County, Il in ­­­­­1953. He attended Earlham University for two years until he joined the Army in December 1956, where he served at Ft. Leonard Wood before transferring to Fort George Meade in Maryland where he served at the Third Surgical Hospital in the quartermaster department. He was discharged in December of 1958. Larry then worked in stock control at General Binding Corporation and H.K. Porter in Chicago and later for the Department of Transportation in Illinois.

Larry’s true avocation was music. He had a wonderful bass voice and gave great pleasure to many with his singing. He sang with the Methodist Church choir, the Apollo Chorus, the Chicago Men’s Choir, The Savoyaires Gilbert and Sullivan Society and the Wilmette Chorus. The latter is where he met and later married Lee Anne Wickline Errington in July of 1986.

In May of 1991 Larry and Lee moved to Bellefontaine, where he worked for Adia, until he became a permanent employee at Midwest Express. He retired in 1999. After moving to Ohio he sang in the choir at First Christian Church, the West Central Ohio Choral Group and the Logannaires Barbershop Society (where he served as Secretary) and was awarded Barbershopper of the year in 2003. In 2000 he and Lee sang at Carnegie Hall with the Baha’i Choral Group.

Larry was proud of his volunteer work at Green Hills Center, Mary Rutan Hospital, as a docent at the Logan County Historical Museum and the Northeastern school. He also was a member of the Ohio Historical Society.

Larry and Lee are members of the Baha’i Faith and greatly enjoyed their two trips to Haifa, Israel where they went on pilgrimage visiting the Baha’i Shrines where Baha’u’llah, the Prophet founder of the Baha’i Faith and members of His family are buried. They also journeyed to London, England and did a cross-country train trip through Chicago, Texas, Arizona and California. Larry was a good traveling companion and enjoyed seeing and learning new things. Larry was a gentle, humble man who enjoyed life and people. He will be greatly missed.

The funeral service will be held Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. at the Eichholtz Funeral Home in Bellefontaine. Calling hours are Friday, September 14, 2012 from 5 to 8 P.M. at the funeral home. Interment will be at the Fairview Cemetery in Belle Center, Ohio.

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