Obituary of Virginia L. Olson

Virginia "Ginny" M. Olson (nee Larson) 87, of Lakewood, N.Y., passed away Sunday (July 8, 2012) in the Heritage Green Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Facility. A lifelong area resident, she was born September 4, 1924, in Jamestown, N.Y., the daughter of the late Dewey and Myrna (nee Spencer) Larson. She graduated as Salutatorian of her class of Lakewood High School in 1941. She also earned her B.A. in Mathematics and English from Alfred University, and her M.A. in Mathematics from Kent State University. Virginia also briefly taught English to returning World War II Veterans and worked in the Math Department at Duke University before becoming a housewife. She will be remembered as a loving and caring wife, mother, and grandmother and will be remembered as a loving daughter who cared for her mother Myrna at home until her death at the age of 102. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband of 35 years, Dr. Frank R. Olson, whom she married August 18, 1950, and who died January 1, 1986. She is survived by her son Randall Olson and wife Lee Ann (nee Frank), two grandchildren: Meredith and Marissa Olson of Yorkville, IL, her brother Vern Larson of Jamestown, NY, nieces Sandra (Gerald) Barton of Randolph and Laurie (George) Meier of Lakewood, and great niece Deborah Barton of Lakewood, and cousins Jane Johnson of Erie, PA, and Jack and Janet Abbott of Warren, PA, sister-in-law Patricia V. Olson of Germantown, MD, nephew Harding "Tad" Olson (Doreen) of Gaithersburg, MD, great-niece Laura Olson of Gaithersburg, MD, and great-nephew Greg Olson of Parkville, MD. A private funeral service will be held Friday July 13, 2012 at the convenience of the family at the Lind Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Sunset Hill Cemetery. The family asks that contributions be made to the Frank R. Olson Memorial Mathematics Scholarship Fund at the State University of New York at Fredonia, 272 Central Avenue, Fredonia, NY 14063. The fund commemorates Dr. Frank R. Olson, who served as Chairman of the Department of Mathematics at the SUNY, Fredonia from 1967 to 1982. Dr. Olson, born in Sweden and raised in Jamestown, New York, earned his B.A. in Mathematics from Alfred University, his M.A. in Mathematics from Kent State University and his Ph. D. in Mathematics from Duke University. The scholarship recognizes students in the mathematics program who have achieved exceptional academic success. Preference is given to students from Chautauqua County, NY.