Robert William Olson

Robert (Bob) William Olson passed away on December 25, 2022, at the age of 92. Bob was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 5, 1930, spent his childhood in Deerfield, Illinois, and moved to Bellevue, Washington in 1967 where he resided for the remainder of his life. Bob was an only child, and is survived by two daughters, one son, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

He served in the Army in Korea at the end of the war. Then stationed in Japan, he met and married Seiko Itoyama before moving back to the United States where they raised their three children, enjoying a marriage of over 60 years prior to Seiko’s passing in 2016.

Bob was a school counselor for over thirty years and helped initiate counseling standards in both Illinois and Washington state. A leader in youth and team therapy, Bob taught courses through Central Washington and University of Washington and published articles on counseling accountability and group counseling effectiveness.

He carried his writing passion into retirement where he published memoirs of his life and was a prolific author of poetry and short essays. Bob loved meeting and talking with people, always willing to lend any assistance he could to those in need. His last years in assisted living were some of his happiest, where he took pride in knowing everyone’s name, was active in Bible studies, and attended every activity he could.

Bob had a profound impact on everyone he met, and his memory will live on for those who knew him.