Judith (Hardy) Olson

WORCESTER - Judith Hardy Olson, 99, passed away on Friday, November 18, 2022, at Sunrise Assisted Living in Leominster, after a short illness. She was born in Andover, in 1923, daughter of Roy E. Hardy and Helen Knowles Hardy. She resided in Worcester for many years before retiring to the family summer home in West Dennis.

Her husband of 69 years, Norman R. Olson, passed away in 2018. She is survived by their four children; Karin Schein (Frederic) of Chicago; Robert H. Olson (Ivette Reyes) of Rutland; Cynthia Oliver (James) of Fort Garland, CO; and Elizabeth Ashcroft (David) of San Francisco; her sister, Virginia Moser; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

She attended Andover’s Punchard High School and graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a degree in Physical Education, in 1944. After moving to Worcester for work, she met Norman on a blind date and they married several years later, in 1949. Through the years, Judith supported Norman in the family business, Olson Manufacturing Company, while tending to home and family.

Judith was active in Trinity Lutheran Church and the Auxiliary of Fairlawn Hospital, both in Worcester, followed by many years as an active member of St. Peters Lutheran Church and volunteering at a local foodbank in Brewster.

She was a sports enthusiast all her life and a devoted fan of the Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots as well as following both professional tennis and candlepin bowling. Judith was an avid sportswoman herself, active in school sports when young, and a lifelong tennis player and downhill skier. Her other interests included knitting, sewing, embroidery, reading, playing bridge and candlepin bowling.

Norman and Judith were founding members of the West Dennis Yacht Club where they engaged in competitive Beetle Cat sailing and, later, enjoyed sailing their cruising sailboats up and down the New England coast.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at All Faiths Cemetery, 7 Island Road, Worcester. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452. Arrangements are under the care of the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. To share a memory or offer an online condolence, please visit our “Tribute Wall”