Leonard Olsen

Died August 30, 2019.

Len was born in Liverpool, England during the Second World War. At the age of one week, his mother, Mae took him to Glasgow where they lived with family until Len was 5 years old, and they moved to Newcastle upon Tyne. They lived in a big old house which had been converted to small apartments. One of the other tenants in the building was Walter Rose and he taught Len to draw. Len attended St. Paul’s C of E school and upon graduation took up an apprenticeship as an auto body painter and repairman. On Christmas Day 1961, at a teen dance he met his future wife, Sheila Telfer, whom he married on July 26, 1963. At the age of 21, Len and his young family emigrated to Canada to join his Aunt Betty and Uncle Alec in Hamilton, ON. They settled in Guelph, ON where Len attended College and studied graphic and commercial art. Completing the courses, the family moved to Montreal, PQ, to Edmonton, AB, to Dawson Creek, BC and then to Victoria, BC as he followed his career path in the newspaper/printing industries. On October 15, 1972 after a traumatic experience, Len became a Christian. From then on, Len served Jesus. He studied at Eastern Pentecostal Bible College and eventually became an ordained minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, working in evangelism, drug rehabilitation and prison chaplaincy, mostly in the Vancouver area for 17 years. In 1991, Len became the Pastor of the Gospel Lighthouse in Lake Cowichan, BC.

Visiting Tucson, Len stopped in to visit Arizona Teen Challenge where he was asked if he would like to work with them. In June 1996, Len received his Permanent Residency card to live and work in the United States, and his children now grown, Len and his wife Sheila moved to Tucson. After working with Teen Challenge, Len moved on to teach auto body repair at Job Corps School, which meant another return to college, this time it was Pima College to study political science and earn his Arizona Teaching Certificate.

In late 1991, he began commuting to British Columbia, working as a legislative assistant to his friend Paul Nettleton. Later, Len would again work with Paul as a legal assistant (more schooling) in Iqaluit on Baffin Island in Canada’s far North.

Len loved working with young people and used his hobbies of art and archery and cars as a bridge to share his faith. Len held a patent on building bows out of recycled materials, which he used to work with the scouts, teaching them how to build bows and make arrows at a reasonable cost. He was a real handyman and could fix just about anything.

Len was predeceased by his mother Mary (Mae) Olsen, nee O’Brien, and stepfather, Oivind Olsen. He is survived by his wife of 56 years Sheila, and his children, Erik Olsen (Kathleen), Wendy Akkermans (Peter), and Jeffrey (Jeff) Olsen (Betty), eight grandchildren, (in order of age) David, Erin, Katrina, Cassandra, Danella, Annika, Arianna & Alexia, and 2 great-grandchildren, Ryan & Jessica, and his cousins, Jeanette, Louise (John) & Donald (Cathy).

Len passed on peacefully, in his sleep, at home in Tucson after a lengthy illness, and went to be with our Lord Jesus Christ on August 30, 2019.

The family would like to thank our church family and many kind friends who supported us through the last difficult months, and the Valor Hospice care team, especially his nurse Adelberto & nursing assistant Danitza who took such good care of Len.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Calvary Assembly of God, 4540 S Tucson Estates Parkway, Tucson, AZ on September 10, 2019 at 11.30 am.

Reception to follow in the church fellowship hall.