Keith Olson, 66, of Lake Quinault, Wash., passed away on May 18, 2017, in his home with his family at his side, after his two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Keith leaves behind his beloved children, Annie and Andy; step-children, Misty, Hannah and Logan; grandchildren Kai, Tieander, Angus; step-grandchildren Anzio, Matthew and Jacoby; loving sisters, Janice and Barb and estranged wife Hiedi. He was a devoted father/grandfather, coach, teacher, friend, and a genuinely inspirational person.
Born Keith August Olson on Sept. 27, 1950, to John and Gertha Olson, he was raised in the Quinault Valley, excelling in football, basketball and track throughout school. He graduated from Lake Quinault High School in 1968 and was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corp right out of high school serving in Vietnam from 1968-72. He returned home and played football while attending Central Washington University (CWU) from 1974-79. Keith married Penny (Sawyer) Lutz in 1973. Keith earned his teaching degree at CWU and returned home to Lake Quinault where he began his longtime career as a skilled Timber Faller. Keith and Penny welcomed their son Andy into their lives in 1974 and their daughter Annie arrived in 1979. Shortly after this, Keith’s enjoyment and appreciation for sports, hard work and kids culminated into the beginning of what would become a lifetime dedication to coaching football and basketball. He began coaching at Lake Quinault in the late 1970s. Keith also introduced, created and led an outstanding power lifting program at Lake Quinault during the 1980s. Later in his life, Keith went on to coach at Hoquiam High School and Grays Harbor College as well.
Keith worked as a Timber Faller and Teacher throughout his lifetime and always found time for coaching. Keith suffered a catastrophic logging accident on Dec. 3, 2014, resulting in a stint at the Harborview ICU and eventually the loss of his left leg. He retired from Timber Falling at the age of 64 after the accident.
Keith’s childhood inspired his lifelong love for hunting, hiking and fishing. He was raised on his parent’s family farm and loved animals. He eventually built a home on the family property and always maintained cows and at times had horses, pigs, and chickens.
Keith’s integrity, coupled with his wild sense of humor and commitment to his community were some of his most striking qualities. He believed in preserving the community and livelihood of his hometown area. He ran for County Commissioner in 2014 and staunchly opposed the Wild Olympics; he played a significant role in organizing the campaign against Wild Olympics. Keith will be remembered by all who knew him as the hard working, generous, charismatic and yet humble man that he was.
Memorial Service will be held at Lake Quinault School at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Potluck, so please bring a favorite dish to share.
