Eric Martin "Ole" Olson passed away on the morning of November 2, 2018 at the age of 89, after a short illness. He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 5, 1929 to Olaf William Olson and his wife, Olga Sedo Olson, and grew up on the family farm on Latimer Street. Eric graduated from Will Rogers High School in 1947 and went to work for American Airlines as a baggage handler. When the Korean War began, Eric joined the Air National Guard. The unit was activated and he found himself in the U.S. Air Force, along with a group of men who would become his lifelong friends. Eric and his first wife, LaVerne (Brittain) Durham had three children: Chris, Jeff and Kit. He was later married to Billie Petering Williams until her death in 1996. Eric loved airplanes and his job with the Air National Guard was a dream come true. He began as a mechanic and was thrilled when he was assigned his "very own" airplane to work on. He later became a flight engineer, flying over 6500 hours on the C-97 and C-124. He traveled all over the world, including an historic trip in the "Talking Bird" during the Cold War. He made many trips to Vietnam during the war and earned the Vietnam Service Medal and Meritorious Service Ribbon. He retired in 1976 as a Master Sergeant. After retiring from the Guard, Eric worked for many years for the Lutheran Brotherhood fraternal organization. As an LB representative, he visited churches and helped them access funds to do charitable projects in their communities. He loved making new friends and being in a position to help so many people. He found that he loved volunteering and gave years of service to Reaching Hands, RSVP, LIFE Senior Services, Meals on Wheels, and the American Red Cross. He was still working two days a week as a volunteer dispatcher at the Red Cross at the time of his death. Eric was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church and served on the vestry and in many other capacities over the years. He met his wife, Billie, when she was the choir director, and he continued to sing in the choir after her passing. He loved barbershop music and performed with the Founders Chorus, the Green Country Quartet and Never Too Late. Eric often said he had lived in the most interesting period of human history. While he lived through the Great Depression, three wars and the Cold War, he had also seen the evolution of the airplane and the automobile, advances in medicine, the invention of television and computers, and space travel. Eric was predeceased by his parents, Olaf and Olga Olson; sister, Mildred Schlupe; brother, Charles "Buzzy" Olson; wife, Billie Olson and son, Jimmy Williams. He is survived by daughters, Chris Gruszeczki, Kit Santiago (Hector), and Marsha Sanders (Richard); son, Jeff Olson (Suena); grandchildren, Jeff Gruszeczki (Christina), Melissa Ski, Tina Russell (Todd), Ralph Santiago (Kendra), Christine Santiago, Rick Sanders, Chris Sanders (Marie) and Jordan Williams (Katie); great-grandchildren, Cameron and Jordan Harrington, Danika Gruszeczki, Catalina and Isabella Santiago, and Owen and Ethan Russell; sisters, Ruth and Grace Silver; and his best friend and beloved companion, Ruth Kruse. Interment with military honors will take place Friday, November 9, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa. A party to celebrate Eric's life will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2018, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 1120 E 8th Street, Tulsa. Lunch and laughs will be served, with a short memorial service at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Eric's memory may be made to Meals on Wheels (12620 E 31st, 74146) or the American Red Cross (10151 E 11th St, 74128) This is a long obituary, and cost a lot of money. Eric would probably have preferred us to follow the example of his favorite joke we could have said "Ole died. Buick for sale." RIP Ole. Service: 11/09/2018 00:00 10:00 a.m. Memorial Park Cemetery 5111 South Memorial Drive