John Roy Olson

John Roy Olson, age 74, of Manchester, Washington, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, July 11, 2026, due to leukemia. His last hours were peacefully spent at home, surrounded by his loving wife and sons.

John was born on March 13, 1952, in Janesville, Wisconsin, to Robert and Gwendolyn Olson. Early in life, he lived in Chicago, Illinois, and St. Paul, Minnesota, before his family settled on the family farm near Evansville, Wisconsin. Raised on the farm, he learned the value of hard work early on, earning extra cash by working on Alvin Francis’s dairy farm. He was the second oldest of five siblings: Shirley, John, Paul, David, and Ruth. After graduating from Evansville High School, John worked in a machine shop and drove a taxi cab. It was during his time as a taxi driver that John found Jesus, a moment that forever shaped the trajectory of his life and faith.

John proudly joined the United States Navy in 1977, serving honorably for eight years as a Yeoman. His first duty station was the USS Buchanan (DDG-14) out of San Diego, followed by assignment to the Navy Liaison Unit in Munich, Germany. While stationed in Germany, John attended a Bible study where he met the love of his life, Lisa Munger. The couple was married on February 19, 1983, in Bad Aibling, Germany. He went on to attend the University of Wisconsin, earning a degree in international journalism, before returning to Germany to work at Voice of America.

Upon returning to the States, the family eventually settled in Poulsbo, Washington, where John dedicated his career to local journalism. He worked for, and won literary awards, as a writer and editor for the North Kitsap Herald, Puget Sound Navy News, and the Bremerton Patriot, among other community newspapers around Kitsap County. After retiring, John and Lisa moved to Manchester, WA, where he thoroughly enjoyed his view of the shipping channel he so deeply revered.

John was a man of diverse passions. An avid sports fan, he passionately cheered for the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Mariners, and various German soccer clubs. He was a lifelong history buff and an insatiable consumer of current events, favoring the printed newspaper above all else. In his final days, regardless of their availability, he requested copies of the Seattle PI and the Kitsap Sun, even if it meant “going to the printing plant for one of their extra copies”. John was a formidable Scrabble player, a lover of historical non-fiction, and an adventurous road-tripper. He famously recreated the journey John Steinbeck took in Travels with Charley: In Search of America. Authoring his own book, Down John’s Road, he compared and contrasted what he saw around America fifty years after Steinbeck’s journey.

Later in life, his sons tracked down and restored the same model 1939 Allis-Chalmers tractor John drove on the farm in his youth. This gift brought him immense joy, prompting him to join the local tractor club, the Olympic Peninsula Antique Tractor & Engine Association, volunteering in their various annual events, towing the local garden club in Port Orchard’s Fathoms O’ Fun Grand Parade, giving rides to his family and anyone else who showed even the slightest interest. Above all, John adored his family. When his sons were young, he never missed a football game, band concert, or important school event. He found great joy in coaching his youngest son’s soccer team, the Yellow Reign, which he proudly managed to keep together for ten seasons straight, losing only one player that entire time due to a family relocation. In his later years, he relished his role as “GPA”, attending his grandchildren’s soccer games, taking them out for ice cream, and letting them dress him up in whatever costume fit the occasion.

John was a devout Christian, whose beliefs and actions were rooted in Scripture. On a daily basis, he read his Bible and Our Daily Bread. Up until his final breath, he possessed an unwavering certainty that his Heavenly Father was waiting to welcome him home.

John is survived by his beloved wife of 43 years, Lisa Olson; his three devoted sons, Phillip (Michelle), Nicolas (Kimberly), and Evan; his five cherished grandchildren, Coben, Camille, Kinsley, Evelyn, and Avery; his siblings, Shirley (Don), Paul (Pam), David (Mary), and Ruth (Marty); and his nieces and nephews, Breann, Josh, Leah, Ben, and Daniel. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Gwendolyn Olson.

Celebration of Life

A celebration of John’s life will be held on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at the Poulsbo Sons of Norway, located at 18891 Front St NE, Poulsbo, WA 98370.

Guests are welcome to arrive starting at 11:30 a.m., and the memorial service will begin promptly at 12:00 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres consisting of John’s favorite foods will be provided. While guests are welcome to bring their own hors d’oeuvres to share, it is not required or necessary. The family looks forward to gathering with friends and loved ones to remember and celebrate John’s incredible life.