Jean
Olson, beloved wife, mother and friend, passed away from advanced
ovarian cancer on June 6, 2025, three years after diagnosis. She felt
fortunate to pass at home with her loving family and close friends by
her side.
Born
in 1948 to Marguerite and John Remington, Jean grew up in Vermont at
a time and place that offered her a childhood full of opportunities.
The first few years were marked by tumult, as Jean and her sister
were sent to live with family in New Hampshire while their mother
spent two years recovering from tuberculosis in a sanitarium. The
family was reunited in 1954 and moved to Woodstock, Vt., where her
parents bought a 1791 farmhouse on Prosper Road. The local farmers
cautioned them against buying a 100-acre property with no running
water, electricity, central heating or indoor plumbing. But
Marguerite had a vision for her family and home and carried it out.
Her talent to realize the potential in the overlooked was a gift she
passed on to her daughter. Jean would later harness this gift in
service to her community throughout her life.
The
’50s and early ’60s were a magical time to be a child on a farm
in Woodstock. Jean and her two sisters spent their days playing
outdoors, riding, swimming, skiing and skating. One of Jean’s
favorite memories included getting her library card at the Norman
Williams Library by standing on a stool to sign the big book of
members. Another favorite memory was of her mother lightly penciling
the names of the piano keys on the old grand piano (a relic left in
the farmhouse from the Civil War, as it was too large to move) so
Jean could read and play. She subsequently took up the guitar, which
led to a lifetime of playing music with others, including 20 years in
a flute trio and later singing with Bob Kinzel and Leigh Seddon, the
Barn Band, into her last months.
Education
was central to Jean’s life. Her parents encouraged her to go to
college at a time when it was not expected for women. She attended
Skidmore and then Johnson State College, where she graduated with a
BA in music. In midlife Jean returned to education, earning her
master’s degree in education from Norwich University at Vermont
College and a doctorate in education from the University of Vermont.
Jean
met her beloved husband, George Olson, at Johnson State, and they
were married in July 1969. They lived in Montpelier, Vt., for a year
before George was drafted during the Vietnam War, which sent them to
basic training in Baltimore and then to Vietnamese Language School in
El Paso, Texas. Jean felt fortunate that George’s deployment orders
were changed from Vietnam to Europe as the war was winding down. The
couple left Texas for Dusseldorf, Germany, where Jean worked with the
British Army in the transport unit for displaced persons from World
War II. Her two main tasks were making tea and delivering mail around
the compound twice a day. The initial interview consisted of two
questions: Can you type? Yes. Can you make tea? No, I don’t drink
tea and don’t like tea. They hired her regardless and then enjoyed
plenty of jokes about the sad quality of her tea.
Upon
release from military service, Jean and George settled back in
Vermont. They were blessed with two beautiful daughters — Emilia in
1979 and Sarah in 1981. One of the big family adventures was the year
spent in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus in 1990, when her
daughters were just 9 and 11. George had a Fulbright to teach at a
Turkish high school, and Jean taught English to Turkish college
students. The family faced enormous challenges in Cyprus, and yet,
when they were encouraged to return to Vermont as the Gulf War began,
they agreed they had worked hard to build a life in an unknown place
and decided to stay. They finished the Fulbright year and also took
the opportunity to travel to Egypt, Israel and Italy.
Jean
was a treasured member of the Montpelier community. Over the years
she volunteered with the Barre Opera House, OUR House, the
Kellogg-Hubbard Library and the Montpelier Foundation and was elected
to the Montpelier City Council and the Montpelier Senior Activity
Center Advisory Council. She worked on the Enhanced 911 project and
in retirement for the House Clerk’s Office at the Statehouse. Her
fundraising work allowed Woodbury College to relocate to a much
larger location, currently the Community College of Vermont location
in Montpelier.
Her
20 years of teaching elementary and adult learners while volunteering
on local boards prepared Jean for the culmination of her professional
life when she became executive director of the Governor’s
Institutes of Vermont in 1994. In her 16 years at the helm, Jean
transformed the organization from one on the brink of bankruptcy to a
thriving institution. She moved the GIV office into her home to
control costs and expanded the number of institutes through savvy
fundraising. Jean believed in the transformative power of opportunity
and loved to see more and more students attend the institutes each
summer, which she described as “magic” while others viewed it as
a testament to her dedication. Today, GIV offers summer programs to
high school students ranging from the arts and science to civic
engagement and international issues.
Montpelier
has lost a visionary force, and Jean will be greatly missed, not only
by family but by her treasured community. Resilience, optimism and a
self-proclaimed “sturdiness” were just some of Jean’s faithful
traits throughout her life. These guideposts, along with her love for
her family and dearest friends and a lifelong appreciation for her
life in Vermont, sustained her to the end.
Jean
and her family want to thank her caregivers, all of whom offered
compassion alongside their professional expertise: Dr. Gamal and
Georgia Eltabbakh; staff at Central Vermont Medical Center,
especially Katie Hall; Dr. Rachel Gaidys; the hematology and
radiation teams; and BAYADA hospice, especially nurse Kat Placek.
Jean
was predeceased by her parents and her younger sister Diane
(Remington) Starr. She leaves behind her loving husband, George
Olson; cherished daughters and their spouses, Emilia Olson (Jacob
Rogen) and Sarah Olson (Josh Rudman); younger sister Mary Gulbrandsen
(David Gulbrandsen); niece, Justina Starr (Kay, Zac, Aziza and Musa
Kasanga); nephew, Isaac Starr (Megan Lizotte); and many other dear
relatives and friends.
A
memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 29, 2025, 1 p.m., at
Vermont College Alumnx Hall, 45 College St., Montpelier, VT.
Memorial
contributions may be made to the Jean Olson Fund at the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont.