Bruce Enar Olson

Bruce Enar Olson left this world in August 2026, leaving behind a family who adored him, a lifetime of stories, and more than a few opinions that he would have been perfectly happy to continue debating.

Born in October 1944, Bruce began his university career at Southern Methodist University, where he proudly managed to flunk out after discovering that fraternity life was considerably more entertaining than attending class. Undeterred—and perhaps a little wiser—he went on to Oklahoma State University before eventually earning his Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Texas. Something his family never held against him.

Before beginning his professional career, Bruce spent time as a forest firefighter in Washington State. He was later drafted into the United States military during the Vietnam War and served two years of active duty in Air Traffic Control on Monkey Mountain.

Vietnam would shape the trajectory of Bruce’s life in ways he could never have imagined. While on military leave in Australia, he met a young woman named Kerry.

And that was that.

After the war, Bruce brought his bride-to-be home to Fort Worth, Texas, beginning a love story that would span more than five decades. Bruce and Kerry were married for 55 years, building a life together through all the ordinary, extraordinary, wonderful and occasionally chaotic moments that come with loving someone for that long.

Bruce built his career in the airline industry and was one of the founding minds behind the electronic ticketing technology that eventually evolved into the e-ticket systems millions of travelers now take completely for granted every time they check in for a flight. So, the next time you breeze through an airport without clutching a paper airline ticket, you can quietly thank Bruce. Or curse him, if you’re like his daughter who can never stick the bag tags on without causing serious flight delays.

He was a kind soul with a curious mind and an enormous heart. He was also fiercely passionate about his politics—and anyone who knew Bruce will understand that “passionate” may be doing some heavy lifting in that sentence. He was a constitutionalist and you did not want to get into a debate if you failed to come armed with the exact words of the constitution- which to this very day, remains next his favorite chair in the living room for easy access.

Bruce believed in thinking, questioning, listening and learning. His mind and his heart remained open to new ideas, new people and a changing world. He loved deeply, accepted generously and quietly took care of the people who mattered to him.

Above everything else, Bruce loved his family.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Kerry Olson; his son, Ken, his wife Kellianne, and their daughters, Kennedy and Kendal Olson; his daughter, Jenna, her husband Mark, and their sons, Mitch and Caleb Coventry; along with the many family members (especially Cricket Wicket Holmes) and friends along the way whose lives are immeasurably better because Bruce was part of them.

Bruce lived a life that took him from fraternity houses to forest fires, from Monkey Mountain to Australia, from the airline industry to a family that became the center of his world.

He was clever. He was kind. He was opinionated. He was open-minded. He loved fiercely. He annoyed the heck out of us all! Most of all, he was our Bruce Olson, one of a kind and a friend to man.

Gone, but never forgotten.