Florence Lucille Olson

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, Florence “Mickey” Olson. She passed away at the age of 90 on February 24, 2023 in Mansfield, Texas surrounded by her family and friends.

Florence Lucille Olson was born in South Gate, Los Angeles County, California, on October 11, 1932 to her parents Daniel Anthony Manders, Sr. and Florence Mae Veon. of Toledo, Ohio. It wasn’t long before her family began calling her Mickey; a more fitting name for their increasingly tomboyish sister.

Mickey graduated from El Monte High School in 1949 where she excelled in lending her beautiful alto voice to a ten member, all-female acapella choir known as The Chansonettes.

She loved to dance. It was at her favorite dance club where she met and danced with Eugene Pepper. The two would eventually marry on July 9, 1955 in El Monte. From their marriage, Kevin and Diana would join their family. While that marriage would eventually end in divorce, she met a young Marine

—John A. Olson—and would later remarry, adding John Jr. to complete her family.

She spent most of her life in Las Vegas where she was an insurance adjuster for Wynn properties. Her primary responsibility was to ensure the Wynn casinos and hotels weren’t paying out fraudulent personal injury claims. And, she was very good at her job. She especially enjoyed “sticking it”, as she would say, to people who thought they could pull cheat the system or who underestimated how proficient she was at detecting lies and discovering the truth. One of her bosses described, “Her sense of humor, her ability to connect with people, her uncanny sense of settling a claim when no one else thought she could, and that I-know-I’m-right twinkle in her eye when she had someone on the hook” as some of her best qualities. Another colleague said her personality, perseverance, and perspective made her an absolute legend. And, one of her closest co-workers and friends remarked that she, “Was loved and respected by everyone she met in Las Vegas from the CEOs to the valets…she was the brightest light to ever shine in Las Vegas”.

But, for all her professional accomplishments she was most proud of her family and that is the legacy she’d want to be remembered for.

While outspoken, opinionated, hardworking, generous, and loyal she could also be fierce, feisty, and funny. She also had a special gift for storytelling. She was not the typical doting grandmother, but she loved all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren with the same passion and commitment as she did everything in life.

Our mother will be greatly missed, but we take comfort in knowing that she lived a truly remarkable life. She is survived by her 3 children, Kevin Pepper Sr (Terri) of Mansfield, Texas, Diana Alvaro (Frank) of Valrico, Florida and John M. Olson (Patti) of West Columbia, South Carolina. Her legacy will live on forever through each of her three children, twelve grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren.

Mom was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.