OLSON, Scott Edward

Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, Arizona, Tuesday, November 25, 2014 Scott Edward Olson passed over on Nov. 12th. while hiking down from Philemona Springs (on Humphreys). Through a heart attack, in a beautiful place that he loved, God took him home. He was 63. He was born in 1951, in Seattle, Washington, to Edward and Joann Olson. Scott was a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ, and he expressed his faith by feeding the poor, ministering to those in jail and prison, by fixing the plumbing leak or the fuel pump of the single mother, and seeking out and counseling those whose marriages were troubled. Put simply, his heart beat to serve those in his daily work. He put others before himself, just as his Savior had done for him. He got a B.S. in Sociology from NAU a long time ago, and he put that to use by becoming a lumberjack. In discussions with people whom he thought overly protective of the environment, he would mischieviously refer to his occupation as an “arboreal dissectionist.” He managed to drop only one large tree on his truck. From there he went to Yellowstone as a backcountry ranger, his mode of transportation, horses. When a problematic bear repeatedly raided his tent for goodies, he tracked the bear and shot it a few times in the rear with a twenty-two. The raider didn’t return. He actually put his degree to use when he began working in a juvenile delinquency program. On their river trips, mouthy delinquents would get tossed into the icy water until the cold helped them understand their jerkish behavior. When delinquents carved graffiti on the Grand Canyon walls, Scott helped them learn that this was not okay by having them scrub it off with their bare hands and water. On the Colorado River he guided trips and began a love with Mary Olson that lasted till her final breath, with him at her side reading Jesus’ words from John 14. Their marriage of 29 years was far from perfect, but to others it seemed to be of the most admirable substance, built on communication and respect, with a commitment to never divorce in the belief that marriage gets better with age. His motorcycle was his therapy toy after Mary died. When her absence was heavy, he would take a ride, east or west, and usually he would find himself at the Canyon’s edge, watching the sunsets they both loved. In his prison ministry, his team would bake 12,000 cookies and give them to burly, tattooed felons who had committed vicious crimes. For some, it would be the first time they had ever received homemade cookies, and they would break down crying. Scott would talk to these inmates, and at some point or another, would put them in a headlock and tell them that their life mattered and that they could make a difference by doing good to their fellow inmates. He lived in Flagstaff for more than forty years, and his only wish was that all the people who had moved here after him would leave. On the other hand, he wanted and tried to get to know most everyone he met and a simple grocery trip grew complicated when he would inevitably run into a friend or acquaintance with whom he then talked for an exceedingly long time, or so his children thought. To his son he gave his love of hiking in the mountains. With Karen daddy-daughter dates were a regular and treasured time. To both he was readily available and supportive in their ventures, giving advice on travel in the Middle East, building nutcracker sets for ballet, and acting as president of the ice skating club. He was preceded in death by his father Ike Olson, his sons Danny and John Michael, and his wife, Mary. From his earthly family to his heavenly one, God has taken him. He is survived by his son, Galen, daughter Karen, mother, Joann, sister, Peri, brother, Rob, and devoted dog to the end, Faith. An appx. 2 hour memorial service, i.e. “storytime about Scott” will be held Monday December 1st, 4PM at Trinity Heights Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, please honor Scott by giving to two of his cherished ministries, Sunshine Rescue Mission and Hope Cottage.