Gary Darwin Olson

Gary D. Olson, age 74, of Glenwood, died January 17, 2024 at the Belgrade Nursing Home in Belgrade, MN following a lengthy illness. A memorial service for Gary will be held at noon on Saturday, May 18th at Glenwood Lutheran Church with Rev. Mark Manning officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements are with Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home of Glenwood.

Born in Fosston on July 18, 1949, Gary grew up in Bagley before relocating to Eden Prairie with his family in 1966. A 1967 graduate of Eden Prairie High School, he got his bachelor’s degree at Mankato State before beginning his 39 year career in education in 1971. He would also go on to get advanced degrees at St. Cloud State and the University of Minnesota. Gary worked with all ages of kids grades K-12, spending 19 years as a special education teacher in the Anoka-Hennepin school district and 20 years as a principal in Crookston and Roseau before retiring in 2010.

An avid “putzer", Gary loved a project and when not at school he could usually be found in the yard or the garage, often devising a new way to hang storage from the ceiling. Gary devoted much of his adult life to his work and had big plans for retirement, going right to work on Habitat for Humanity projects and doing woodworking and framing projects. Gary also had plans to write a book of anecdotes from his career in education before early onset dementia sadly cut those dreams short, a cautionary tale to not take the future for granted.

Gary is survived by his wife of nearly 39 years, Karen; daughter, Jessica (Kreg) Kennedy; sons, Blake and Ryan; granddaughters, Kate and Lizzie; sister, Carole (Merv) Hanson; and brothers, Mike Olson and Scott (Julie) Bergquist, brother-in-law, Bill (Gloria) Thielen; along with numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

Gary was preceded in death by his father, Kelly, mother, Marrian, second father, Curt, brother, Curtis, and his first wife, Pat.

A special thank you to the wonderful staff at the Belgrade Nursing Home and Glacial Ridge Hospice for their above and beyond compassion and care for Gary in his final months.

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