Patrick T. Olsen
December 21, 1954 ~ February 13, 2025
Born in:
Fargo, North Dakota
Resided in:
Fargo, North Dakota
Patrick’s service will be livestreamed below at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, February 22, 2025:
Patrick Thomas “Oly” Olsen unexpectedly passed away on February 13, 2025, at Essentia Hospital in Fargo, ND.
Patrick was born on December 21, 1954, at St. John’s Hospital in Fargo to Alf and Charlotte “Chucky” Olsen. He was educated in the Catholic school system, graduating from Shanley High School in 1973. After high school, he attended NDSCS in Wahpeton and later graduated from Moorhead State University in 1979. He began his professional career at Ford Motor Credit, before starting his contract cleaning business which he owned for over 20 years. In 2004, he earned his MBA from the University of Mary. This opened the door to his next career, where he worked in facility management & taught business and entrepreneurship for multiple colleges & universities.
In 1978, Patrick met the love of his life, Paula Lee. They married in 1982, raising their two daughters, Jennifer and Lindsay, in Fargo. He enjoyed watching and supporting the girls in their numerous school activities.
Patrick was a man of many talents and hobbies. You could usually find him in a hunting field, making his famous spaghetti, or on the water canoeing through the wilderness. He was always accompanied by his friends & family during these adventures, and he cherished those memories all his life. He was a lifelong avid reader, evidenced by his expansive book collection. His backyard oasis was his favorite hangout, where he would read a book & listen to music. His favorite activity was spending time with his five grandchildren and attending their activities.
Patrick is survived by his wife, Paula; daughters Jennifer (Anthony) Reinhardt of Gilbert, AZ and Lindsay (Gregory) Peterson of Fargo; grandchildren Lily, Ella, and Walker Reinhardt and Makenna and Camden Peterson. He is also survived by his brothers, Michael (Martha) Olsen of Fargo, and Anthony (Marilyn) of Berthoud, CO; brother-in-law Fred Olafson of Irmo, SC; and sisters-in-law Judie Lee and Bonnie Jacques, both of Olympia, WA and Janna (Jon) Achter of Fargo, and multiple nieces & nephews that he loved and cherished.
He was preceded in death by his parents; maternal & paternal grandparents; sisters Randi Olafson & Theresa Olsen, and brothers-in-law Bob Lee and Doug Jacques.
CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE: 10 AM Saturday, February 22, 2025, at Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center in Fargo – with a gathering one hour prior.
Services
Celebration of Life - Saturday: February 22, 2025 10:00 am
Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center
123 10th Street S.
Fargo, North Dakota 58103
701-237-6441
www.boulgerfuneralhome.com
Visitation - Saturday: February 22, 2025 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center
123 10th Street S.
Fargo, North Dakota 58103
701-237-6441
www.boulgerfuneralhome.com
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So shocked and sorry to read about Pat’s passing. I have many fond memories of time spent with he and Paula He will be greatly missed.
Paula, Jenny, and Lindsey:
Oly was a beauty! I am going to miss him. This poem was his favorite. He recited this on many hunting trips.
Mike Kelly
The Men That Don’t Fit In
By Robert W. Service
There’s a race of men that don’t fit in,
A race that can’t stay still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.
They range the field and they rove the flood,
And they climb the mountain’s crest;
Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,
And they don’t know how to rest.
If they just went straight they might go far;
They are strong and brave and true;
But they’re always tired of the things that are,
And they want the strange and new.
They say: “Could I find my proper groove,
What a deep mark I would make!”
So they chop and change, and each fresh move
Is only a fresh mistake.
And each forgets, as he strips and runs
With a brilliant, fitful pace,
It’s the steady, quiet, plodding ones
Who win in the lifelong race.
And each forgets that his youth has fled,
Forgets that his prime is past,
Till he stands one day, with a hope that’s dead,
In the glare of the truth at last.
He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance;
He has just done things by half.
Life’s been a jolly good joke on him,
And now is the time to laugh.
Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost;
He was never meant to win;
He’s a rolling stone, and it’s bred in the bone;
He’s a man who won’t fit in.
Very sorry to hear of Patrick’s passing. I remember him as a Nativity kid, we befriended each other during little league baseball games. Never on the same team, we still always enjoyed each others company. Oly was a great friend to many and could tell stories with the best of them. He also had a —- — grin every time I saw him, don’t know how else to describe it. I sold him 2 Kiwanis pancake tickets for over 25 years and he’d hollar if they went to the wrong address or he didn’t get them timely! My sincere condolences to Paula, his girls, brothers Mike and Tony and best friend Jon Achter! (among others) Oly was a character and a great friend, Very glad I met up with him during our early years, became friends for life! Miss him!
I am so sorry for your loss. Pat was a very good man. I was completely shocked by this news. May he rest in peace.
Mark Grothe
RIP Pat. 🙏🏻❤️
Susan Scott
Went hunting with Pat and his dogs and Mike Berg, one of my joyful days . Pat was so proud of his dogs they were beautiful. God bless the Olson family Paul Schumacher
I offer my condolences to you on the loss of Pat. I am shocked and saddened to learn of his passing! He was a good friend for over 50 years! I will truly miss him and our wide ranging conversations over coffee at Bully Brew that included hunting, family, vacation trips, retirement and of course the ups and downs in the stock market. I remember one time having coffee with him some years ago in his back yard at Elmwood Avenue South when he was showing me what his hunting dog could do on command. The dog was holding it’s set and we got distracted and the conversation drifted into something else. After about 10 minutes he realized the dog was still holding set and only then gave the command to release set! What a dog! Pat was one of a kind with a twinkle in his eyes and a big heart! I will cherish the memories of him and the time I was able to spend with him!
Mark Lande
Prayers to everyone involved!
Prayers to the family!
Prayers to Paula and family!
My condolences. Great memories of duck hunting near Alice, ND with Grandpa Al, Pat and the Olsen brothers along with my dad Walt and my brothers. What a lunch they would bring! Pat was a wonderful man.
Brad Ness
My thoughts are with you Mike and family on Patrick’s passing. I hope you find strength in having the support of those that have you in their thoughts. Blessings to your family
I was so shocked and saddened to hear of Patrick’s passing So hard to lose another of the Conte cousins clan. I have many fun memories of us all running wild together in Walker… I’m thankful that Bill and had a chance to visit with him, Mike, Paula, Martha, and many other family members in 2021. It was so wonderful to see the loving (joking!) bond between Pat and Mike. May his memory be a blessing. Love and hugs to you all.
Jenn and family
Sorry for your loss. Prayers of peace and strength to the family.
Bob Bucholz
My sincere condolences Paula for the loss of your love one, prayers being sent your way.
My prayers and profound sympathies to Paula and the family. I was a year behind Pat at Shanley High School, and we played football on the same team. We kept in touch periodically over the years, even though much of that time I was out in California. Pat was a great fan of Jack London (“Call of the Wild,” etc.) and we would talk about the newspaper business, since his dad was a newsman. He often shared pictures from his pheasant hunting trips to southwestern North Dakota, and he said there was no state where he would rather live. This is a shock, and Pat will be greatly missed. He was a loyal, durable, thoughtful friend, and truly a one-of-a-kind guy.
Mark and I were shocked and saddened seeing Pat has passed away.
Remembering in HS he called me, “Little Murph”. Mark won the Alf Olsen award in grade school.
We are keeping you in our thoughts, wishing you peace at this hard time.
Paula and Family
Cyndee and I were shocked at Patrick’s passing. I have many great memories of him. His smile could change your day. Rest in peace Patrick. Prayers to the family.
Terry & Cyndee Engberg
Sorry to hear of Pat’s passing. Prayers of comfort to you and your family.
I heard many a stories about Pat from his Mom, Chuckie, when I was at Agassiz. To paula and his family know that I will be remembering Pat in my thoughts and prayers. may he rest in peace.
I am sorry to hear about Patrick’s passing. During my high school days at Shanley, he was a great person to be around—my thoughts and prayers to Tony and the rest of the family.
Paula, Jennifer, Lindsay, Michael and Tony… my heartfelt condolences and prayers. Patrick was a very special person, something I’ve known since 1969.
So very sorry to hear about Pat’s passing. He was a lovely guy!
I am so sorry for the loss of Pat. My condolences to the family.
I’m so sorry to hear of Pat’s passing; he was a great guy. We played football together at Shanley (1972 state champions) and we graduated in the same class (class of 1973). He garnered fame and attention in high school as a running back but he nonetheless remained appreciative of teammates in the O-line, like me. We stayed in contact intermittently while I played football at Moorhead State. Unfortunately, I largely lost touch with Pat after I graduated from MSUM and left Fargo-Moorhead for medical school. My condolences to his family. I have kept him in my prayers.
If the Nativity Chargers had a Hall of Fame, Pat Olsen would surely be in it. Pat was a fierce competitor and a very good football player. I had the good fortune to coach Pat and watch him play at Nativity, Shanley, and Wahpeton Science. I got to know Pat’s mother (Chucky) and his two brothers (Michael and Tony) Pat and Tony both helped me coach at Nativity. Chucky often suggested that I should become a public school teacher which I eventually did. The Olsen family had a great influence on my career. I will miss Pat and our sports conversations which were always informative and entertaining. Some day in the future I hope to be in a huddle with Pat up in the sky.