Good
morning. 

Thank you all for braving the
heat and the traffic to gather here today. This is a difficult time
for many of us, but it’s comforting to see how many people knew and
cared for my father. 

I think it’s natural to reminisce
during times like these and following Dad’s death,

I certainly had a few trips
to the memory machine. For me, little snapshots bubbled to the surface
of my consciousness: I remember a time in Saudi Arabia. On our way to
a neighbor’s house, we were playing tag. I was “it” and running like
crazy to catch Dad. I just managed to grab his hand as he was running
to avoid getting tagged, and the next thing I knew, I was being whisked
along at a speed I never knew possible—I felt like I was flying. 

Erika would like me to relate
the overall feeling of comfort Dad gave her. He was the first person
she would call, be it good news, bad news or to just simply talk about
the day. She even had to suppress the urge to phone him to tell her
how upset she was that he had died.

In a similar fashion, I was
only able to relay to him on his deathbed how upset I was that I would
not get to see more of him after his planned move to Colorado. And I
still am dealing with the disappointment that he (and my mom) will never
get to know me or Erika’s future children. 

After his death, Sandy, Erika
and I were all amazed at how much more we came to learn about Dad after
his passing. So many new stories came in letters, e-mails and phone
calls. There was so much more to Dad than Dad! Did you know he was a
champion square dancer? Most of all, the stories confirmed what everyone
here knows–that he was a warm, funny, gentle, loving human being. Charles
Ernest Olson was many things to many people: Dad, husband, Uncle Chuck,
friend, neighbor, the squirrel King, El Bosso Supremo. He was a truly
courageous man who fought for life until the end. As we leave here today
and meet up in a little while, please take time and share a little bit
of who he was to you. It will make him more alive than ever in our hearts
and our minds. 

We love you Dad.