Weldy Olson Obituary, Death – Weldon (Weldy) Olson, a two-time Olympic gold and silver medallist, had his final buzzer sound. He was a brother, wife, uncle, father, and grandfather who married Helen (Robertson), his next-door neighbor and love of his life, 63 years after his last Olympic performance.
Weldy, a native of Marquette, Michigan, and long-time Findlay, Ohio resident, died on May 13, 2023. He was born on November 12, 1932, as the youngest of eleven children to Ida (Anttila) and Frank Olson. His parents, seven brothers (Wesley, Allan, Paul, Gordy, Eddie, Roy, and Ted), and two sisters (Ruth and Virginia) before him in death. His wife, Helen, one brother, Mark, three sons, Scott (Lynn), Greg (Cheryl), and Keith (Toni), and seven grandkids survive him. Weldy and brother Mark celebrated their 185th birthdays (90 and 95, respectively) in October 2022 with 79 relatives.
Weldy went on to play every hockey game at Michigan State University (1951-1955), where he was selected MVP and Co-Captain and set the school scoring mark with 125 points. He won a silver medal with the Italian Olympic hockey team in Cortina, Italy, in 1956. He went on to play on three national teams before winning a gold medal with the 1960 Olympic squad in Squaw Valley, California…the United States’ first gold medal in hockey.
Following his Olympic career, he worked at various levels as an ice hockey coach, referee, official, board member, and league administrator. He has been inducted into six Halls of Fame. Findlay, his adopted community, honored Weldy Olson night on November 2, 2018. When asked about his favorite hockey game, he always said “the 1966 game in Pekin, Illinois”…the only time he played on a team with his eight brothers and six nephews, defeating the Pekin Stars 14-5 in a March of Dimes benefit game.
Friends may call at Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services on Saturday, June 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Rev. Kevin Taylor will preside. There will be a reception in the funeral home reception room following the service. The service will be held at Park Cemetery. Online condolences may be conveyed at fassbenderswansonhansen.com. Donations can be made in Weldy’s memory to Bridge Home Health and Hospice, 15100 Birchaven Lane, Findlay, Ohio 45840.
