Willie G. Olage

Born November 25th, 1933, in Ontario, California to parents Cruz and Emilia, Willie Olage was one of nine children. Around 1940, Cruz and Emilia packed up the children and headed to the Central Valley, where they settled in Fresno. Willie attended Edison High School, where he met and fell in love with his future wife, Jessie Diaz. They later married on May 15th, 1955 and had 5 children: Diane, Patty, Dan, Gary, and Eric.

Willie had a zest for life and a love of cars, baseball, and the outdoors. He liked attending all kinds of auto races, from sand drags to NASCAR to 4x4s. If there was a race, he’d be there. He was able to take his passion for cars and turn it into his own business, Blackstone Auto Electric, serving Fresno and repairing cars for 30 years. He especially loved custom cars and loved working on them. One of his favorites was a new Land Cruiser that he bought and then customized with a Chevy engine, a car he held a lot of pride in.

Willie took his love of the outdoors and made sure his family loved it too. He and Jessie would pack up the kids in the family RV and travel up and down the North American West Coast. From British Columbia Canada in the north, all the way to Guadalajara Mexico in the south, and everything in between. He taught his kids to fish, camp, and travel. He and his buddies would even fly prop planes down to Baja just to have a chance at catching tuna or marlin. He spent countless weekends closer to home in the Sierra Nevada's fishing, camping, or 4-wheeling with his friends and family.

Willie loved baseball and his love of the San Francisco Giants is something he ingrained into his family. From Candlestick Park to modern day Oracle Park, he made sure his kids saw Giants greats, including Willie Mays, Tito Fuentes, Juan Marichal and countless other legends. If it was summer and you were at the house, chances are there was a baseball game on the radio or tv.

To know Willie was to know a true character. He had countless friends that he took with him into old age–a phase of life when most people lose touch, but not Willie! He earned many nick-names over the years, including the hilarious “Mr. Miyagi” or the affectionate “Wolfie” by his grand kids. He was always up for a good adventure and you could always count on him for a colorful story from his life. Up until his last hours, Willie was in good spirits, teasing and cracking jokes, the way everyone loves and remembers him.

Willie’s legacy lives on within his children, grandchildren, and now great grandchildren. Their love of camping, fishing, and the San Francisco Giants remains a family tradition. While our hearts are heavy as we say goodbye to him, we know he is resting with God and reunited with his cherished wife, Jessie. After 17 years apart, they are now together in eternity.

A viewing will be held at 6pm on Tuesday September 30th, 2025, the rosary will begin at 7pm at Stephens and Bean Funeral Chapel, 202 N Teilman Ave Fresno, CA 93706.

Memorial service will be held at 10am on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at The Shrine of Saint Therese, 855 E Floradora Ave, Fresno CA, 93728. Burial will follow at Belmont Memorial, 201 N Teilman Ave, Fresno, CA 93706. All who knew and loved Willie are welcomed to attend.