Tony Lee Olson Obituary

Tony Lee Olson, of Boise, Idaho, passed away unexpectedly on December 19, 2021 in the hospital after a fall at home. He was 74 years of age.

Tony is survived by his wife, Nancy Olson; his children, Shani, Dustin, Lars, Nick, Jared and Lindy; his grandchildren, Drex Robison, Jace Robison, Jacob Olson, Kaylee Olson, Emily Olson, Zachary Olson, William Olson, Vince Olson, Dominic Olson, Maeve Olson, Jax Olson, Graham Olson, Brynlee Olson, Olivia Olson, Maia Olson, and Emma Jaderholm; his brothers, Larry and DeeRay Olson as well as his sister, Loya Olson. He is predeceased by his brothers, Gaylon and Parker Olson and his parents, Merlin and Verla Olson.

Tony was born on May 7, 1947 in Boise, ID, to Merlin and Verla Olson. He was taught the value of hard work by his parents, and excelled at helping his parents with the family business. Fixing small engines became second nature to him as his parents continually reinforced the importance of hard work and saving money where possible. Tony was raised as a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, serving a 2.5 year mission to Sweden as a young man from 1966-1968. He took many important life lessons away from his mission, but ultimately his sense of selflessness and service propelled his decision-making throughout his life.

Upon returning from his mission Tony attended Brigham Young University to further his education. While at a BYU sporting event, Tony spotted a beautiful honey blonde named Nancy Lynn Newman, made a bold move, and the next 50 years are etched in Olson history. Tony and Nancy were married July 23, 1971 and sealed in the LDS Logan, Utah Temple for time and all eternity, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this past July 2021.

Tony graduated from BYU with a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology. After doing some graduate work in Psychology, however, Tony realized this particular field wasn't his passion. He was more attuned to a life of securing trust and working hard for others. Tony then began his sales career, pursuing different areas of interest where it wasn't all about the sales and helping himself, but more importantly it was about serving people with essential needs. Tony and Nancy settled permanently in Boise, ID, in 1980 and he continued to be successful in different sales positions with various companies over the years.

While he loved his work, his main focus was his family. Tony was devoutly keen on keeping the family unit strong and loved his wife and his children more than they could ever know. Tony and Nancy had 6 children between 1972 and 1990. He was a man that made sure his children had every positive experience in life that they could. Trips to Yellowstone, Redfish Lake, and Payette Lake were a regular occurrence and brought much joy to Tony as well as his family. Additionally, through excellence at work he was able to earn several trips and cruises for Nancy and him to enjoy seeing and experiencing new places.

The supportive and selfless side of Tony showed during his attendance at his children's many sporting events and activities and he sacrificed all that he could to provide them with these opportunities. Ballet, soccer, basketball, horseback riding, or whatever was important to his children, Tony was there and engaged. It wouldn't be an uncommon occurrence for referees to bring Tony's ire upon them, shouting "Come on ref!" regularly. This was not paternal bias, the referees knew they were making incorrect calls, and Tony let them know about it.

In his later years, Tony did whatever he could to continue his successful business while also caring for those closest to him. He enjoyed the slower pace of sailing, hosting family and friends, and going to most Boise State football and basketball games as a season-ticket holder. Tony and Nancy have lived in the same house for over 41 years, and despite his advanced age, Tony was easily able to keep maintenance afloat on the house while continuing to work diligently at his business. He was still physically able to do all of the things he loved, and continued that until the day that he passed.

Tony's great passion was his family and extended family. As he is survived by 6 children and 16 grandchildren, his name and legacy will carry on as a positive light for the future, with one eye always on hard work, selflessness, and dedication to those he loved. He will be missed by the many that loved him and called him husband, dad, brother, uncle, grandpa, and friend.