Edwin C. Olen

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Edwin C. Olen, age 93, of Wayne, NJ. 

Edwin passed away peacefully on Friday, February 9, 2024 while receiving the loving care of his family.  Edwin was born in Jersey City, NJ and was the older of two children born to John and Geraldine Olen. He spent his formative years in Montclair, NJ and graduated high school in 1947.  Having great respect for the military, Edwin then enlisted in the United States Army.  While serving, he was a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, NC and received the Parachute Badge. 

After being honorably discharged from the army in 1950, Edwin worked for the next 42 years as a master carpenter with Damon G. Douglas Construction in Cranford, NJ, retiring in 1992. In the mid 1950’s, Edwin met his wife of 51 years, Dolores Mendez, and they married May 25, 1958. They settled in Wayne, in a home Edwin built himself with the help of a few handy friends, and lived there ever since.  There they raised their four children Joey, Randy, Nancy and Kara.

Randy fondly remembers the wiffle ball games played in the backyard with his brother Joey, and how the ball always went into the neighbor’s yard following a strike.  Edwin solved that problem by constructing a full-sized backstop in the yard for them.

Nancy fondly remembers asking her dad for a playhouse.  While she would have been thrilled to get a big cardboard box with a door cut into it, Edwin instead constructed a miniature house in the backyard…framed, sided and shingled to match the main house, and complete with electricity, a concrete front stoop, and shrubbery.

Kara fondly remembers going with Edwin every Sunday morning to the Packanack Lake shopping center: first stop was the hardware store for supplies for his basement workshop, and second stop was the drugstore for the Sunday newspapers.  The newspaper pickup always included Edwin buying a small toy for Kara, which 50 years later is still referred to as “The Weekly Toy.”

Edwin loved his home and kept it in top shape.  If he wasn’t working on home maintenance projects, he was mowing and edging the lawn (with a push mower and hand edger) with a precision that would rival that of the groundskeepers at Yankee Stadium.

After retiring from his career as a carpenter, Edwin most loved spending time with his young grandchildren. The grand kids always wanted to “play school” and Edwin and Dolores spent hours each week attending class, doing their homework, and bringing it back to class the next day organized in folders.  They were rewarded regularly with stars and stickers, and always advanced to the next grade at the end of the school year!

Edwin also picked up golfing after retirement. He loved playing at Passaic County golf course, making friends with the other retirees, and keeping meticulous records of his number of rounds played and scores. His record was 236 rounds of golf in one season, and scoring in the low 80’s at his best.  On September 8, 2015, he even shot a hole-in-one at Berkshire Valley golf course in Oak Ridge, NJ.

During his midlife crisis at 50, he purchased a Honda motorcycle and enjoyed riding it all around town, much to the dismay of Dolores.  Thankfully, he came to his senses about a decade later and his rides ended without incident.

Edwin and family enjoyed many years of summer vacations in Wildwood Crest. Favorite activities included eating out, golfing, renting bikes, and walking on the beach and boardwalk.  He also enjoyed other travels with his family over the years to Bermuda, Hawaii, Bahamas, and London.  Many road trips were also taken along the eastern seaboard from DC to Disney.  Edwin carefully planned each route using AAA TripTik maps to include frequent stops at Shoney’s, a favorite restaurant of his.

Edwin always loved his food. He took his family to lovely birthday dinners for too many years to count.  As his age progressed, his children turned the tables and treated him to nice dinners out more frequently so everyone could spend time together.  Favorite locations included Rails, Rare, Villa Verde, and Tavern 5.  At home, his favorite snacks were Ritz crackers piled high with peanut butter, butter and salt; and half a can of Reddi Wip atop a serving of butter pecan ice cream so large it was still in the shape of the Breyer’s box.  Whichever snack he chose, he would dutifully enter “Snack: 100 calories” in his nutrition notebook.

Edwin attended his AA meetings regularly and he received his 41-year pin in 2023. He enjoyed the company of friends he met there, as well as those he met as a long-time parishioner of Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park, NJ, where he particularly enjoyed their holiday musical performances and annual Easter Egg Hunt. 

Edwin and his wife Dolores cherished more than fifty years of marriage together until Dolores’ passing in 2009.  Edwin will forever be remembered as a quiet reserved man with a great low-key sense of humor.  He was loved by many and everyone would certainly agree: he had a good run.

Edwin is survived by his two daughters; Kara Campbell and her husband Charles of Teaneck, NJ, and Nancy Fitzgerald and her husband Michael of Hillsborough, NJ, one son, Randy Olen of Johnston, RI, five grandchildren; Kerri Fitzgerald and her husband John Garnier of Hillsborough, NJ, Kevin Fitzgerald of Charlotte, NC, Joseph Campbell of Teaneck, NJ, Olivia Campbell of Teaneck, NJ, and Marie O’Kleasky of Midlothian, VA, and one sister-in-law, Donna Edson of Wayne, NJ.  Edwin was predeceased by his wife Dolores Olen (2009), his son Joseph Bossard (1971), and his sister Virginia Arvidson (1957).

Those who wish to donate in Edwin’s name are asked to consider the Wounded Warrior Project.