Dick Elton Olmstead

OLMSTEAD, Dick Elton passed away peacefully on October 22, 2026, at the age of 91, surrounded by the love of his family. He leaves behind a legacy of resilience, deep curiosity, and an enduring connection to the natural world.

Dick possessed a brilliant, analytical mind and an insatiable love of learning. If you asked him a question, he always had an answer, taking the time to carefully explain exactly how things worked and why they were that way. He read the world around him with incredible sharpness, channeling his intelligence into his passions as an avid gardener, outdoorsman, craftsman and artist. There was not a plant he could not make thrive, nor a creature in the woods whose name and habits he did not know.

He was the ultimate teacher to his grandchildren, tailoring his wisdom to exactly what each one needed. For his curious granddaughter, he would sit up late into the night, using beautiful sketches of wildlife to quiet her restless energy, telling her vivid stories of his childhood and life while teaching her how to see the beauty in nature. For his grandson, he passed down his love of the wilderness through shared hunting and fishing trips, filling those quiet hours with powerful storytelling and lessons in tracking.

Dick was a man of quiet depth, quick wit with an easy laugh, and a playful spirit, who loved nothing more than a good game of poker at the kitchen table, betting with jellybeans and cinnamon disks. He walked a long, winding, beautiful trail on this earth, dedicating his life to taking care of his family and fulfilling every promise he ever made. He held on with incredible strength until the very end, waiting to share one last quiet, perfect connection with those he loved most before finally laying his heavy burdens down.

Dick is survived by his wife, sister, his son, daughter-in-law, his grandchildren, great grandchildren, and nieces & nephews, who will forever carry his lessons, his strength, and his love for the wild, open woods in their hearts. 

A burial and graveside service will be held at Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Flint, on Monday, October 26, 2026 with visitation from at 12pm noon and services starting at 2pm. 

Graveside will be at Flint Memorial Park, where he will be laid to rest under the open sky he loved so dearly.