David "Dave" Olson

1950 - 2017

In true legendary fashion the world lost a great man too young and too soon. David "Dave" Olson left the party on December 16, 2017 peacefully in his sleep because his battle with COPD was cramping his style. He was 67 years old. What seems to be blowing everyone's mind is how he passed before Keith Richards. Dave was born in Oberlin, Kansas on August 26, 1950, to Calvin "Kelly" and Bonnie Olson (Shaw). He moved to Boulder, CO in 1958 where he made a name for himself playing baseball, raising hell, listening to great music, and watching the Yankees, not necessarily in that order. He was the oldest of four siblings and the only son of Kelly and Bonnie. He embraced life, lived it to the fullest and surrounded himself with a long list of life-long friends that was ever-growing. Dave graduated from Fairview High School in Boulder in 1968. In May of 1979 Dave married Gail Hutchinson. They had only dated for about a year, but had known each other for well over a decade. He found his best friend and the best person to have his three children with. In 1985 the family moved to Lyons into the house that is known as, "The House that Dave Built." The house was under construction for the better part of 15 years, but it was always filled with music, laughter, friends, family, and chores. If you were one of his kids, or one of their friends, and heard "Yakety Yak" by the Coasters blaring through the speakers first thing in the morning, you were expected to get yourself out of bed and start cleaning the house. His obsession with music is evidenced by his epic vinyl, cassette, and CD collections. Dave was a walking encyclopedia of music knowledge that was only rivaled by his knowledge of baseball, particularly the Rockies and the Yankees. He also always made time to watch the Broncos, Nuggets, and CU football and basketball games. Dave had a way of bringing everyone together, whether it be friends, family, or strangers. He welcomed everyone into his home and made it a point to ensure they had a good time and left with a story. Good, bad, or indifferent, Dave made an impression. He hated hypocrites, liars, and phonies, and again, not necessarily in that order. In 2012, Dave made the decision to retire from CU Boulder as a project manager after working there for over 17 years. A decision made so he'd be able to spend more time with his growing family of grandchildren and his best friend Gail. Dave is preceded in death by his parents, Kelly and Bonnie, his sisters Gayla Olson and JoAnn Nykamp. He is survived by his wife, Gail, his sister Donna Pogreba (Larry), his three children, Amie, Kelly (Wendy), and Gina (Josh), five grandchildren, Jaylee, Waylon, Tucker, Willow, and Daphne, and his niece and nephew Amanda and Derek. A memorial celebration will be held on Saturday, December 23, 2017, at the Wildflower Pavilion at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, CO from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to share condolences.