Carl Michael “Mike” Olsen, age 71, peacefully passed away on Nov. 2, 2014, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Mike was born on Aug. 22, 1943, in Los Angeles, Calif., and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served our country from 1964 to 1969, stationed at Camp Pendleton.
He married his high school sweetheart and moved to Visalia, where he and his wife raised their three sons. The family lived in Visalia for 35 years before settling in Santa Barbara, where they have lived for the last eight years.
Mike enjoyed a lifelong career as vice president of Nash de Camp, a produce brokerage in Visalia, until his retirement after more than 34 years. He was a devote Catholic and attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Santa Barbara, where he and his wife, Pam, were married in 1966.
Mike was very active in the Santa Barbara community and held many board positions, including Casa Serena (president), Council of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and Teen Court (judge), and actively participated in the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury, Friendship Center and St. John of God (Los Angeles). For the last several years, he has volunteered with The Knights of Malta in their effort to rebuild homes for underprivileged families in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Mike had an affinity for boating and helping those in need. He cherished family time and walking his beloved dog, Lollipop, on Butterfly Beach.
He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Pam, and their three sons and their spouses: Tim and Erin Olsen from Spokane, Wash., Ted and Ida Olsen from Fort Worth, Texas, and Ty Olsen from Los Angeles. He is also survived by his parents, Dorothy and Kenneth Olsen; siblings Chris Olsen, Patricia Smith, Paul Olsen, Jodi Kelly, Ken Olsen and Steve Olsen; and his four grandchildren; Michele and Marisa Olsen and Gibson and Sophie Duwe.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 10 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Montecito.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Mike Olsen’s honor to Teen Court, 232 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.