Obituary: John Olsen

John Olsen

John Olsen

John Olsen peacefully passed into the arms of his savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, March 19, 2017. He then promptly went dancing with his wife Ann, who passed in 2014, and after that will go heavenly skiing.

John was born Sept. 2, 1923, on a small dairy farm south of Littleton, Colorado. In his youth, when he wasn’t doing chores or going to school, he would spend many hours exploring, and would often ride his bike from Littleton to Denver to visit cousins for an overnight, or head up the Platt River for hours at a time fishing or swimming, or just in search of beaver dams.

He attended Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now Colorado State University) from 1941-43. His college career, however, was interrupted by World War II. He attended Northwestern University’s Naval Reserve Midshipman’s School and honorably served as a Navy officer, mostly in the South Pacific. By September 1946, he returned to Colorado A&M, joined Sigma Chi Fraternity, served as student body vice president, and graduated with a degree in agronomy.

The following year he returned for a teaching certificate in vocational agriculture and met the love of his life, Ann Fornara from Prescott. They married in 1949 at the old Sacred Heart Church and came back to the Prescott area for good in 1951, to raise a family, and to develop the JCJ ranch in the Big Chino. His career shifted in 1972 to farm management and consulting. He spent 16 years as an elected county supervisor and, in 1979, helped start Olsen’s Grain, where “Good Enough, Just Isn’t.”

The essence of the man was “service,” which he loved almost as much as his family and his Catholic faith. As a longtime pilot and aviation enthusiast, he was an early adviser, advocate, and supporter for the creation of Embry-Riddle’s Prescott campus, served on their Board of Trustees and Visitor’s Bureau, and was recently named an Honorary Alumni. He also served with the Chino Winds Natural Resource Conservation District, the board of Catholic Charities, the Elks Opera House Foundation Board, the regional hospital board, and was a long time member of Yavapai Cattle Growers. In 2005, he was named Prescott’s Man of the Year.

John is survived by his children, Kathy (Steve) Sischka, Mike (Sherrill) and Dan (Barb) Olsen, and Marie (Steve) Cobb; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren and one on the way.

In lieu of cards and flowers, please send donations to Catholic Charities, 424 W. Gurley St., Prescott, Arizona 86301, and/or Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 3700 Willow Creek Road, Prescott, AZ 86301, to create a permanent honor to John Olsen at the Prescott Campus in the form of a John Olsen Classroom at the new STEM Center. Note “John Olsen Classroom Fund” on the memo line.

There will be a visitation on Sunday, March 26, at 5 p.m. followed by a Rosary at 6 p.m. at Hampton Funeral Home, 240 S. Cortez St., Prescott. The Funeral Mass will take place at Sacred Heart Church in Prescott, Monday, March 27, at 10 a.m.

Information provided by survivors.


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