Carol Joann Olsen

Carol Olsen loved Jesus and spent her entire life taking care of her family and serving others: her family, church, students, and friends. She passed peacefully from this life into the next on May 25, 2016 in Port Orchard surrounded by her loving family.

She was born March 14, 1940 in Sunnyside, Washington, where she grew up on her parents' farm with her big sister Kathryn, and her dog, Spunky. Carol was a hard worker, but was always joyful and loved to laugh. She worked before school cutting asparagus on a farm and as a teenager she worked at the town movie theater. While on the farm, she taught herself to drive, including driving to the DMV by herself to take her test. Her self-taught driving skills provided her with many hair-raising adventures and entertaining stories for family and friends. She later worked as a receptionist at Carnation Dairy and Creamery. She graduated from Sunnyside High School in 1958 and went to Central Washington College where she met her husband David. They married in 1963 and moved to Port Orchard where Dave became a teacher at South Kitsap High School. During their fifty-two years of marriage, Carol loved being at home and enjoying life with friends and family.

Carol had two children, Brian and Kristi, and stayed home with them until she started teaching. She taught at Noah's Ark Preschool for several years before beginning her career as a kindergarten teacher at Bethany Lutheran Elementary School where she taught until her retirement. After her retirement Carol and Dave enjoyed trips to Hawaii and Alaska. Carol had many close friends who she loved to spend time with playing bridge, having lunch, going shopping, and telling stories.

Her favorite Bible verse was Luke 18:16: “But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

She is survived by her husband, David Olsen, her children Brian (Lise) Olsen and Kristi (Norm) Smith, her sister Kathryn (Jack) Macan, and grandchildren Grace, Joy, Faith, Christopher, and Jefferson.