Loretta Jeanne Olson

Loretta Jeanne Olson’s (née Feltham) warmth and quiet strength deeply impacted all those that had the good fortune to meet and be loved by her. She passed away peacefully and was surrounded by loved ones on June 27, 2024, at the age of 83 in Denver, Colorado after a brief, but hard-fought battle with cancer. Her family, friends, and community were made better by her full life and full heart.

Jeanne was born in Port-Aux-Basques, Newfoundland, Canada on June 23, 1941. She was the third of seven children, and the oldest girl. In a whirlwind of youthful energy, Jeanne married Ronald Matthews and gave birth to her daughter Robyn Alexandria, after which time they emigrated to New York. She later moved to California, divorced and worked as a waitress and single mom until she met the man that would become her husband of 43 years. They married and as Jan Olson and his two children Diana and Steve “Mitch” expanded Jeanne’s family, they too discovered what it meant to be loved, deeply and unconditionally by this force of a woman.

No matter where Jeanne lived, California, North Carolina, or Colorado, she found and built a strong community showing her love in quiet but consistent ways. She was known for sending beautiful cards (sometimes two!) for even the smallest of holidays, never forgetting a birthday or anniversary.

One of Jeanne’s proudest moments was obtaining her GED at the age of 41 without cracking open a book. She volunteered at the Denver Botanical Gardens, was an active member of the West Ranch community, volunteered as a bell-ringer for the Salvation Army, and enjoyed packing shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse. Later on in life, she became a bell-ringer and energetic congregant at Heritage United Methodist Church. Beyond her fierce love for her family and friends, Jeanne loved the United States and proudly became a U.S. citizen on August 17, 2001. She also loved to travel, with one of her favorite vacations including the final flight on the Concord and a road trip through northern Europe. She made many treks home to Newfoundland, and the past few years enjoyed several trips to Florida and Atlanta. Her last trip was a (long delayed) riverboat cruise with her sisters and Robyn down the Rhine River in November 2023.

Jeanne is survived by her children Robyn (Tom) Fletcher, Diana (Steve) Norgord, and Steve “Mitch” (Judy) Olson; grandchildren, Nikki (Lance) Drake, Keaton (Kimberly) Fletcher, Heather (Drew) Klein, and Tyler Norgord; great grandchildren Evan and August Fletcher; siblings Gordon “Gord” (Sharon) Feltham, Shirley (Marion) Gammill, Mabel (Ken) Spencer, Dave (Glenda) Feltham, sisters-in-law Anne Charbonneau, Thelma McEvoy, and Jana Spicer; and the many nieces and nephews, friends and extended family members who meant so much to her and whose lives she deeply touched. She is preceded in death by her husband Jan Olson, her parents Alexander “Alec” and Dorcas Feltham (Née Keeping), her brothers George and Richard “Dick” Feltham, sisters-in-law Sharon Feltham and Nancy Keene , and brother-in-law Ken Spencer.

 Whether she was known as Jeanne, Jeannie, Jean, Loretta, Mrs. Olson, Mom, Mama, Grandma, or Grammy, Jeanne brought warmth and love into the details of every relationship she had. A funeral service to honor her life (reception to follow) is scheduled for Wednesday, July 10th, 2024, at 11:00 AM at Heritage United Methodist Church (7077 S. Simms St., Littleton, CO 80127). Any expressions of sympathy including flowers or donations to Heritage United Methodist Church (www.heritageumc.church) are welcome.