Richard Olson

Richard James Olson, Rich to all his family and friends, died on May 20, 2018, in Kansas City at the age of 72. He was a tax accountant and attorney, a family man, and dog breeder and trainer. Longtime Newton residents Clarissa and John Olson were his parents.

Rich grew up in Newton, walking to Lincoln and St. Mary's schools from his family's home on West Ninth, and later to Santa Fe Junior High and Newton High School from his home on West Seventh Street. He was an honor student, a brain and class of 1964. He was on the basketball team at St. Mary and Santa Fe and also went out for wrestling and track. Mowing grass, bagging groceries at Safeway and cleaning freight cars for the Santa Fe Railroad were some of his summertime jobs during high school.

Rich earned a degree in economics in 1968 from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri. There he met Linda Taglia, the love of his life. They married in 1968.

His corporate career was interrupted when he was drafted in 1969. Rich spent two years in the Army, stationed at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. In 1971, he returned to St. Louis and earned a law degree from St. Louis University while working at the Monsanto Corporation.

An important avocation of both Rich and Linda was raising and training golden retrievers as show and service dogs. They held positions in the Golden Retriever Club of America. In addition to his extensive work with service dogs, he belonged to the Lions Club of Overland Park and was a member of the Johnson County Election Board.

He retired in 2016 when diagnosed with leukemia to complete his bucket list, which included a trip to Italy with Linda.

Rich Olson is survived by his wife, Linda; their children, Ray Olson (Kansas City, Kansas), Lauralyn Salito (Olathe) and Rachael Ishikawa (Chicago); two grandchildren; brothers, David Olson (Lindsborg) and Philip "Tony" Olson (Albuquerque, New Mexico); and sisters, Ann Robins (Ellettsville, Indiana) and Mary Snyder (Prairie Village). His oldest brother, Johnny, died in 2004.

Rich's burial was in Leavenworth National Cemetery on May 26, 2018.