Obituary of Olaf Olsen

Olaf Olsen was born on July 17, 1932 in Festhaelen, Norway. He passed away on April 10, 2020, at the age of 87. He is pre-deceased by three sisters, Randi, Astrid and Anna Olsen and his brother, Roar Olsen. He is survived by three children,John Olsen,Laura Olsen Burke and her husband, James Burke, Olaf Joseph Olsen and his wife, Margaret Wheatley Olsen. He is also survived by his wife Dorothy and three step-children, Sandra Cioffi, Kerri Cioffi Gerson and her husband, Gregg Gerson, Kevin Cioffi and his wife Andrea Tumminia. He is also survived by two nieces, Charlotte Olsen and Carine Olsen. At age 17, he was faced with the tragic loss of both of his parents when their boat capsized and they both perished at sea. He became a Merchant Marine and then joined the Norwegian Navy and was able to see many countries in the world, before coming to the United States on March 9, 1959. He was a loving husband,father and step-father. He loved Dorothy's grandchildrenSalvatore, Gregg Ryan and Timothy, Joseph and Nicholas very much and they brought him the biggest smiles. When he first arrived in the United States, he worked as a carpenter framing homes and eventually became a Dockbuilder with Local Union 1456 which is now Local Union 1556. He was respected for his workmanship, and was well liked by the members of the Union and the companies he worked for. He retired in 1995and continued to keep himself busy helping his children and step-children with whatever hecould. When they thanked him, he would say "don't thank me, thank God". His wife said Olaf was strong, yet gentle, talented and able to do many things, yet humble, a true gentleman, kind and loving who gave from his heart. He was thankful for everything he had, however big or small. He enjoyed the little ones, and was so happy to see them whenever they were near. He enjoyed travelling to Norway to visit with family and relatives and he and his wife Dorothy vacationed in many parts of Norway and in the United States. In his spare time, he enjoyed sports and was a huge Mets fan and often talked about the Mets with his son John who is a huge Mets fan also. He was a homebody who enjoyed his home and family. He was loved by family and friends and everyone who met him instantly took a liking to him. When it came to cooking, he always said "you have to cook with love if you want it to come out right",and his wife said she thinks he felt this way about everything in life. Some family members referred to him as the Gentle Giant and the Man with the Golden Hands. He was a silent leader, always promoting the children to be their best and do their best. . He was known to be a hard worker and a perfectionist. For all of the families who have lost a loved one to the Coronavirus, his wife said she likes to think that God has come down to Earth and taken some of his chosen people to bring them to heaven where they can rest in peace. She will miss Olaf dearly and hold him in her heart forever and she has faith that they will meet again in heaven. In Lieu of Flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Seaview Hospital 3rd Floor, East Wing or Feed America.