Gordon W. Olsen Obituary (1934 - 2021)

Funeral services for Gordon Olsen will be broadcast on Friday, January 22, 2021 beginning at 1:00 PM MDT. To watch the service, please click on the wording "View Funeral Webcast" below. View Funeral Webcast Gordon W. Olsen passed away on January 18, 2021 in Herriman, Utah of natural causes. Gordon was born in Emery, Utah on December 7, 1934. Gordon promised his parents he would graduate from college before he married, so in 1957 he graduated and married the love of his life, Peggy Ruby Fisher. Gordon graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering which was a fitting career for dad who was a fantastic engineer. Gordon is survived by his wife, Peggy Ruby Fisher Olsen, and all eight of their children: Toni Holm (Tom), Dennis Olsen (Nancy), Denice Apgood (Dave), Cheryll Straub (Kurt), Craig Olsen (Andrea), Kenny Olsen, Douglas Olsen (Allison), Darren Olsen (Ronnette), 30 grandchildren and 60 great grandchildren, and by his siblings: Mark Lee Olsen (Verna), James Fred Olsen (Carol), Linda Elizabeth Bradshaw (Lynn), and Judy Ann Sparks (Adrian). Gordon is preceded in death by his parents, Weldon Olsen and Ruby Christensen Olsen, and two brothers, Gaylen F. Olsen (June) and Preston H. Olsen (Cheri), and by grandson Casey Holm. Gordon and Ruby resided in the Idaho Falls area where they were married for 62 years and raised their eight children. Gordon was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he was a High Priest, served on the High Council for seven years, and served a mission with his wife in Morristown, New Jersey. Gordon’s hobbies were playing basketball, wood working in his shop, carving wood with his pocketknife, fishing, and hunting elk—but mostly he just liked to walk in the mountains or anywhere for that matter. Gordon loved to watch his children play sports and other activities. We could always count on dad being in the stands no matter how far away. Gordon loved to teach his children and grandchildren how to do the things he loved such as fishing, playing basketball, and solving a textbook engineering problem. Gordon worked as an engineer at Idaho National Engineering Labs (INEL) for more than forty years where he worked on control systems for nuclear reactors and worked on engineering projects for the shuttle as well as data management systems at Hill Air Force Base. The family would like to thank the Nuclear Care nurses as well as the hospice nurses and aides who took such good care of Gordon during these last several months. Memorial services will be held on Friday, January 22, 2021 at 1:00 pm at Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Home in South Jordan, Utah. The burial will be Monday, January 25, 2021 at 1:00 pm at Fielding Memorial Cemetery in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The memorial service and graveside service will be broadcast. (www.jenkins-soffe.com).