Alfred Olsen

Alfred A. Olsen of Byron, Illinois, passed away on Saturday, December 5, 2020 at the age of 89 after a seven year battle with endocrine cancer and, more recently, dementia. He was born April 29, 1931. Al’s faith in God was strong and he was a firm believer in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Al is survived by his wife Gloria and four sons, Mike (Christine), Dan (Darie), Fred (Pat) and Andy (Debra). Al and Gloria have seven grandchildren (Travis, Kimberly, Michelle, Emily, Geoff, Ben and Alex) and three great-grandchildren (Brooke Lynn, Grayson and Colton), and many nieces and nephews.

Al grew up in Chicago with his siblings Arlene, Ronald, Donna, Murella, Ardis and Roger. As a young man he had many friends among his cousins and from “the corner” in his neighborhood in Chicago. His many adventures provided ample stories. He joined the US Air Force in 1951 and was stationed in Japan where he served as honor guard for General Mark Clark. Upon his return from the service he became an electrician and long-time member of Local 134 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Al was a staunch union man. Al met the love of his life, Gloria Mootz, at a young age and they were wed for 68 years. They lived in Hoffman Estates for over 30 years and were active in church and community. They moved to the Byron area in Ogle County in 1994 and joined All Saints Lutheran Church. Al was grateful for life in Ogle County and considered himself blessed for their life here, their many friends and their faith community. People who knew him quickly got to know his love for his family and his ready smile and sense of humor. In his life he rode snowmobiles and raced stock cars and, in his later years, worked on his farmette and planted thousands of trees.  Al loved flying and earned his pilot license in the 1980s. Al pursued his love of flying, and enjoyed volunteering in the local EAA (Experimental Aviation Association) chapter. A skilled craftsman, he built a “Minimax” sport plane in a 4-year labor of love, that he then flew from a homemade runway. His runway attracted his flying buddies who would visit in ultralights and small planes. Al was always building or tinkering in the garage. In addition to building his sport plane, he also built a truck camper the family used to explore the US, a room addition to the house, a plane hangar, furniture and so much more. He taught his sons and grandkids a lot about working with their hands. The Olsen family is deeply grateful for the care and support of the remarkable staff at Serenity Hospice and Home in Oregon. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations be made to Serenity to help them continue their important mission or to All Saints Lutheran Church.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic there will be a streaming video of the family memorial service on Saturday, December 12 at 2:00 PM. You can find the link from the Facebook page of All Saints Lutheran Church.

More information can be found at: https://www.forevermissed.com/alolsen/  We will have a link to the streaming memorial service there, as well.