Leif Olsen Obituary

Longtime Glen Ellyn and Wheaton resident, Leif Eric Olsen Jr., passed away. A Chicago architect since 1947, Leif was a partner in the firms of Olsen & Urbaine and also Loebl, Schlossman & Hackl. Buildings to his credit include the Small Mammal House at Brookfield Zoo; Pick-Staiger Concert Hall at Northwestern University; Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, Water-Tower Place and the King Faisal Cancer Research Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Born September 6, 1918 in Newport, Rhode Island, he died Sunday, January 17, 2010 at Wynscape Nursing and Rehab in Wheaton of complications of Alzheimer's. Leif grew up in the then Norwegian neighborhood of Humboldt Park in Chicago and in Glen Ellyn, IL. He was graduated from Glenbard High School in 1936. In 1940 he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana. During WWII he served as an Army Cavalry and Corps of Engineers officer, rising to the rank of Lt. Col. Leif married his childhood sweetheart, Jean Vinje in 1942. After the war, he returned to Glen Ellyn to start a family and a successful 44-year architectural career. Leif served his community and country in many ways. He served as an active Army Reservist, was on the Glen Ellyn District 87 School Board and served on the Board of Trustees for DuPage Bank & Trust. He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn, the American Institute of Architects and The Chicago Presbytery. He also volunteered at the Walk-In Ministry for P.A.D.S. Leif was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 63 years, Jean, in 2005. He is survived by his children, Kristin L. Olsen, Leif E. (Kay) Olsen III and Jennie C. Olsen; grandson Leif E. Olsen IV and brother Donal A. (Evelyn) Olsen. A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn on Friday, January 29th at 11am. Burial at Forest Hill Cemetery, Glen Ellyn, will be private. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Central DuPage Pastoral Counseling Center, c/o The Jean V. Olsen Endowment Fund, 507A Thornhill Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188. Arrangements were entrusted to the Leonard Memorial Home in Glen Ellyn. 630-469-0032.