Richard E. Olson

Richard E. Olson passed away peacefully Wednesday May 29, 2019 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois to Clarence and Margaret Olson and was the eldest of 4 boys.

He was a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed on Okinawa Japan during the Korean War. He was a salesman and entrepreneur who ran multiple businesses and was active in his community in many ways. He was a member of the Onondaga County Republican Committee and was on the board of directors for the American Heart Association. He worked with the Perinatal Association/ Healthy Mother's-Healthy Babies Coalition. He became an advocate and support person for people with Parkinson's disease, after his wife Arlene was diagnosed. He established and led multiple support groups in Onondaga and the surrounding counties for more than 20 years and also led the planning of a yearly symposium on Parkinson's disease for caregivers and people diagnosed with the disease. He was an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Clay for many years.

He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather who enjoyed spending time with his family.

He is predeceased by his parents, his wife Arlene, his brothers John and Bill, and his son Christopher Olson.

He is survived by his brother, Thomas (MaryAnn) Olson, his children, Susan (Matt) McDonald, Laura (Randall) Soeder, Jeanne Olson, Sherry (Brian) DeForest, Tom (Patty) Olson, his grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Calling hours will take place on Tuesday June 4th from 4-7pm at New Comer Cremations & Funerals in North Syracuse. Services will take place at the funeral home at 11 am, Wednesday June 5 followed by burial at Pine Plains Cemetery in Clay.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to The Central New York Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, 441 West Kirkpatrick Street, Syracuse N.Y. 13204, http://alz.org/cny.

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