Roy Michael Olson

It is my sad duty to report the death of Roy M. Olson on August 22, 2024. Roy died as he lived – on his own terms.

Roy was born on February 22, 1955, at St. Clare Hospital in Monroe, WI, to Roy R. and Ruth A. (Ahern) Olson. Roy had an adventurous and happy childhood, with many bumps, bruises, and broken bones. His Mom said every grey hair on her head was Roy’s fault.

He graduated from Monroe High School in 1973. Thus began a series of jobs. He did some farming, replaced towels in commercial businesses, and worked for Area Concrete. He finally settled into a job as an apprentice cheesemaker at Klondike Cheese. He worked there for 12 years. He was very competently mentored by the Buholzer boys, Steve, Dave, and Ron, and eventually became a cheesemaker.

Roy married Mary Hinderman in 1976 and they welcomed two boys, Brandon M. and Bryan J. (B.J.)

When Roy left Klondike, he started a 34 year career in printing at Moore Business Forms in Monroe. He left Monroe and moved to northern Illinois and worked in various plants owned by Moore. He ended his career in St. Charles, IL. By then Moore had been bought out by R.R. Donnelly.

Roy was a hard worker. He taught himself to create spreadsheets and databases and was very skilled at it. He worked with the Moore Development Group in Logan, Utah, rebuilding a database for their new system. He was also an extremely reliable employee. He showed up for work on time every day. He often worked from home on nights and weekends, troubleshooting problems at the plant.

Roy retired from R.R. Donnelly in February, 2018. Almost immediately after retirement, he dropped his 900 pound Honda Aspencade on his right leg, shattering it in several places. It took months for his leg to heal. During that time, he was treated for extreme weakness and it was determined that his heart was working at only 15%. The doctors did what they could, but eventually he had to have a Left Ventricular Assistance Device installed in his chest. He took care of his heart pump by himself every day. Roy and his good friend, Susie Kleiner, sewed three pockets inside his leather jacket to hold the control unit and two batteries he had to carry with him at all times. Roy never complained about his lot in life. He just powered through what he had to do to stay alive. The heart pump gave him 6 more years of life. He was able to see two grandchildren graduate from high school and see Ethan make the Dean’s List at UW Madison his freshman year. He also was able to watch his grandson, Sawyer, perform the lead in his high school play, “The Addams Family, The Musical.” Sawyer was so good, Roy cried!

As if heart problems weren’t enough, he suffered from Type 2 Diabetes for much of his adult life. The past 15 years he has been insulin dependent and suffered from severe neuropathy in his hands and feet.

And if THAT wasn’t enough, he was diagnosed with liver cancer in February, 2024. The doctors attempted a treatment, but the cancer quickly spread to his kidneys, hip, and shoulder.

During the last several months of his life, Roy lived with his sister, Sherie, and her husband, Steve Sasso. He regaled Sherie with many stories of his wild, younger days. Like riding in the back of a moving pickup truck playing pool on the table they had just picked up. And removing all the toilets from the house of a friend on his wedding day. (Were they still friends after that?) And carting a cannon to fairs, weddings, parties, anyplace there was a bunch of people he and his friends determined could be scared witless.

Roy was a very gregarious and kind man. He had many, many friends, too many to list here. But he will be sadly missed by his best friends, Gregory Lyon (Stretch), Susie Kleiner, and all of the employees at her Leathers 4 U shop in Antioch, IL; Elizabeth (Libby) Wuethrich; Marley Lindsey; Whitney Flood; and Reenee Vitale. He was a loyal friend, who would do anything for anyone.

He has left enormous holes in the hearts of his family: Sister, Sherie Olson Sasso (Steve); Sons: Brandon Olson (Kristen Hires) and B.J. Olson (Angela); and his five beloved grandsons: Ethan, Sawyer, Damon, Nolan, and Quinn

Because he had a heart pump, he was able to decide the day he would have it turned off – on his own terms. The family would like to thank all the staff .on ward 3 West at Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee for allowing him to make that choice, Roy received his heart pump at Froedert and had many stays on 3W over the years.  He had a parade of nurses and other hospital staff stop by his room for a last hug.

There will be no formal service. The family encourages his friends to meet in small groups and raise an ice cold bottle of beer in his honor. He’ll be toasting with you from above!