Jeffrey Karl Olson

Jeffery Karl Olson was born on August 11, 1950, and raised in the farming community of Mt. Hope. He attended Fairfield Grade School and graduated from Liberty High School in 1968. He then earned a bachelor's degree in Radio-Television from Eastern Washington State College in 1973. Jeff worked in television news at stations in Spokane; Eugene and Portland, Oregon; Omaha, Nebraska; and Tucson, Arizona. In 1980, while working at KATU Portland, he was assigned to assist former ABC News correspondent Sam Donaldson to cover the Mt. St. Helens eruption and his work appeared on ABC World News Tonight. Jeff later joined the Office of Communications and Marketing at the University of Idaho, where he worked in a variety of positions until his retirement in 2011. While at U of I, he became a die-hard Vandal. Jeff was remembered by work colleagues as a kind, friendly, professional, and a "meticulous and fierce proofreader, who could spot a typo a mile away". Jeff was a wandering star; he was his happiest when planning a trip, taking a trip, or sharing a trip with family and friends. He always took a "winter vacation" someplace warm – the hotter the better. He traveled abroad with friends to France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Sweden, and Norway. Always one to find new adventures, Jeff developed a wide variety of interests and activities. He was an amazing gardener; anyone who visited his home in Mt. Hope could attest to the hard work and gardening skills that created a floral oasis in the middle of a wheat field. He loved Mariner's baseball, playing card games, the color purple, and gin. But the quality of Jeff's life is best expressed by the friendships made and the memories shared with so many people. From his classmates at Fairfield Grade School to his neighbors at Rockwood Lane, Jeff had lasting, meaningful friendships from all stages of his life. He was the kind of person everyone wants for a friend: caring, thoughtful, encouraging, and honest. So many hearts are saddened by his passing. Jeff is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Jon and Christeen Olson; niece Julie Olley and her children, Ellen, Ava, and James; nephew Michael Olson; and extended family. He is also survived by long-time friends: Jim and Sandy Keiter of Portland, OR; Essex and Cindy Porter of Seattle; and Bill and Jo Van Amburg of Glendale, CA. Donations may be made to the Liberty Community Education Foundation, PO Box 82, Spangle, WA 99031, in honor of Jeff Olson, Class of '68.

Jeffrey Karl Olson

August 11, 1950 - May 26, 2022