Obituary of Kay Ann Olson

Kay Ann (Pearson) Olson, 66, reached the end of her earthly journey on Saturday, March 19, 2022 in Duluth, taken too soon by cancer, but leaving behind fond memories, good stories, and cherished family and friends.

Kay was born a middle child in March of 1955 to John and Hazel Pearson and was a lifelong resident of Duluth. She attended Lester Park Elementary, Ordean Junior High, and graduated from Duluth East High School in 1973, then headed off to nursing school. She was a natural nurturer and caretaker and worked as a nurse in a variety of settings over the years, including St. Luke’s Hospital, Lowell Elementary, Summit School, Edgewood Vista Assisted Living, and Reflections Homes.

Kay will be remembered for bringing more food to gatherings than could possibly be eaten in a week, an excessive use of tape when wrapping gifts, a variety of colorful Jell-O and marshmallow salads, and her fiercely competitive spirit to win board and card games. She had impossibly neat handwriting, preserved on numerous handwritten recipe cards smudged with rhubarb or cranberries. She had perfect spelling and was a dedicated member of the grammar police. She never forgot a birthday or special date and left behind a unique collection of greeting cards so large as to leave us wondering if she had a secret side gig working for Hallmark. She enjoyed camping, bike riding, throwing rocks into Lake Superior, going tubing on the Namekagon River, square dancing, singing in a local choir, and recently took up kayaking. Kay appreciated the beauty of Northern Minnesota, often posting pictures taken by local photographers of the lake, ships, lighthouses, the Aerial Lift Bridge, and local wildlife.

She was a woman of faith, had a deep connection to her church communities, and took comfort in her creator’s plan for her life and death despite the health challenges she faced and persevered through. She left earth at peace and grateful for the many members of her faith communities that were at her side through all of life’s joys and sorrows. She had a quirky sense of humor, joking with a church friend at her side in her final days that we all might as well “enjoy the go,” referencing both her pending passing and a Charmin toilet paper commercial with a stone serious face, bringing laughter to both.

Left behind to sort through a dozen neatly stacked Top the Tater containers, enough Ziploc bags to fuel a small economy, and to make unfortunate grammatical errors are two brothers, two children, and two grandchildren. Kay’s brothers, Ross Pearson and Craig Pearson, reside in Duluth. Her daughter, Mira Green and daughter-in-law Laurie Green live in Baltimore, Maryland with her dearly loved grandchildren, August and Solveig Green. Her son, Andrew Olson and his partner Grace Riedel live in West Saint Paul, Minnesota, with her dearly loved granddog, Geordi. Kay also leaves behind her former spouse, Dean Olson of Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin, extended family members, and numerous dear friends. She joins her father, John Pearson, and mother, Hazel (Mather) Pearson in the great beyond.

A celebration of Kay’s life will be held on Sunday, March 27th at 6 pm at her church, The Vineyard Church on Arrowhead Road in Duluth, followed by a pie and coffee reception as befits a Northern Minnesota gal. (Let’s eat grandma!) Per her wishes, Kay’s ashes will be scattered at Brighton Beach in Duluth later this summer, a favorite place she visited often to reflect, pray, throw rocks with her kids and grandkids, or enjoy a picnic that always seemed to include string cheese and blueberries.

In lieu of flowers, please bake a pie or make a colorful Jell-O salad and sit to eat it with friends telling stories. Write a handwritten note to someone you haven’t talked to in a while and reconnect or make a phone call to an old friend to say hello. Do a random act of kindness, take a beautiful photo, try square dancing, sing a goofy song with abandon while riding a bike just because, or go on a canoe snafu adventure. To share a favorite memory or photo of Kay, please visit www.legacy.com and search for her obituary by name.