Oliver A. "Ollie" Parssinen

Parssinen, Oliver A. "Ollie" Died peacefully at age 94 on May 23, at Heidi's Haven assisted living home near Ocala, Florida. Ollie was born in Ely, Minnesota, on March 17, 1915, and grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. As a young man he moved to Minneapolis, where he lived for most of his adult life. Ollie served as a medical supply officer with the US Army in World War II, seeing service in England, France, and Germany, and retiring in 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After the war he started Material Handling Engineers, a business which sold and serviced Clark Fork Lift Trucks. It prospered under his leadership and is still in business as Clarklift of Minnesota. He was an avid skier, golfer, and power boater, and engaged in those activities throughout his life. Ollie was married to the late Gertrude Mitchell Parssinen, and to the late June Ferguson Parssinen both of whom predeceased him. He was a loving husband and a wonderful father, uncle and grandfather. "Jollie Ollie" was a man with a great zest for life whose infectious joy of living and tremendous sense of humor brought happiness to all who knew him. He had been a resident of The Villages retirement community (Ladylake, FL) since 1985. Ollie is mourned and survived by wife, Jane Fagen Parssinen; sons, Terry and Dick Parssinen; grandchildren, Trevor Parssinen, Hillary Sciarillo, Katie Parssinen, Christine Dahl, and Scott Parssinen; nephews, Jim, Derek, and David Ferguson; and great-grandchildren, Lauren, Travis, and Tanner Dahl, and Jack Sciarillo.
This obituary was originally published in the Star Tribune.