Obituaries

Kenneth Charles Olsen (né Bryant), a man whose impact on his family, community and planet are too great for this page, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2024. Beloved husband of Sandra Olsen (née Kisslinger) for 64 years, loving father of David A. (Staci) Olsen, Jennifer (Alan) Polniak, Kenneth M. Olsen, grandfather to Christopher Olsen, Megan Polniak and Madison Polniak and great-grandfather to Calla and Kendrick Olsen, son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and friend to many. A native of Queens, NY, Ken graduated from Stuyvesant High School, then served in the Air Force for 4 years, including in Germany, where he developed his lifelong enthusiasm for beer, and at Scott AFB, where he met his beloved Sandra. He graduated from Washington University and St. Louis University. A lifelong lover of the natural world, he was a dedicated high school Biology teacher for more than 30 years in the Hazelwood school district. An early champion of environmentalism, he recruited high schoolers in the early 1970s to participate in recycling drives and stream clean-up efforts in North County, for which he was awarded the City of Florissant’s key to the city. Private family interment at Bellefontaine Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to Forest ReLeaf, where Ken volunteered for many years, or to the charity of choice.

"To him who in the love of Nature holds / Communion with her visible forms, she speaks / A various language." - William Cullen Bryant