Gene Olson

Gene L. Olson, 78, of Oklahoma City, Okla., joined his Heavenly Savior Jan. 17, 2005.

He was born Jan. 10, 1927, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, to Lily (Lundberg) and Lloyd S. Olson.

During World War II, he proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy.

Following his graduation with a B.S. degree in mathematics from Southeast Missouri State University, Gene began a short career with J.C. Penney and Swift & Co. During his 22 years of financing activities, he was a manager of four Universal C.I.T. Corp. offices.

In 1956, he established the financing function of Butler Manufacturing Co. in Kansas City, Mo., and directed its activities for five years. Gene became director of commercial and industrial financing in 1963 and later was director of mergers and acquisition for Interstate Securities Co. and ISC Industries Inc.

In 1970, Gene was appointed vice president of STAR Realty Systems Inc., with offices at STAR Manufacturing Corp. headquarters in Oklahoma City. Gene was responsible for assisting STAR builders/dealers in financing their building sales, locating finance sources and conducting numerous finance seminars for STAR builder/dealers throughout the nation.

One of Gene's first successful ventures at STAR was the development of an industrial park complex in Phoenix, Ariz. His background also served him well in organizing the STAR Realty Fund and developing commercial properties nationwide.

He authored many articles published in the Metal Building Review, the major trade publication of the metal building industry. Gene retired as president of Industrial Brokers Inc. of Oklahoma City.

In 1976, he married Rebecca L. Diers and together they enjoyed 28 years of marriage.

He attended St. Luke's United Methodist Church and was a member of the South Oklahoma City Rotary since 1978, having received the 1988 Lee DesChamps Rotary Leadership Award for recognition of the high ideals of service he demonstrated. He was also a Mason and honored as a 50-year member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri and the Harold O. Grauel Lodge 672.

Gene was appointed by Gov. Frank Keating to the Oklahoma Bar Association Professional Responsibility Tribunal, serving from 1995 to 2001. Gov. Keating then appointed him a commissioner of the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission, serving from 2001 to 2004.

Gene was a Red Cross volunteer for five years at the Tinker AFB Legal Office. Throughout his lifetime, Gene enjoyed playing tennis, water and snow skiing, bicycle riding and playing poker with his friends. Most of all, Gene and Becky loved to travel. Their trips took them to many interesting hiking destinations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

In October 2003 they were volunteer lighthouse keepers at Brown's Point Lighthouse in Tacoma, Wash.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Keith, who died in World War II.

His memory will be cherished by those he leaves behind, his loving wife, Becky of the home; sons Keith Olson and wife Jayne of Fallbrook, Calif., Robert Olson and wife Ursula of Benbrook, Texas; a daughter, Lynda Kull and husband, John of Troy, Ill.; a brother, Lee Olson of Cape Girardeau; a sister, Joan Stout of Bay City, Mich.; three grandchildren: Justin Olson, Robert and Jackson Kull; and many other loving family and friends.

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, 2005, at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 222 NW 15th St. in Oklahoma City.

A committal service will be scheduled in April at Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau for the interment of his ashes, near his parents and brother.

Memorials may be made to the Lily V. Olson Endowed Scholarship, c/o Southeast Missouri State University Foundation, One University Plaza MS 7300, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701-4799 or the Oklahoma City Chapter of American Red Cross, 601 NE 6th St., Oklahoma City, Okla., 73104.

Services are under the direction of Vondel L. Smith & Son Mortuary in Oklahoma City.