Olive Mclaughlin

Olive Ruth Walburn McLaughlin died peacefully in Fort Collins, Colorado less than a month shy of her 95th birthday.

She was born July 6th, 1928 in San Diego, California, the first child of Vera and Hugh Walburn. They had two sons also. When she was 11 years old her family crossed the Pacific to Shanghai, China where her father took over the management of the YMCA. When her father was interned in a Japanese Prison Camp during the war, the family moved back to California to await his release. During that time Olive’s youngest brother tragically died in a drowning accident.

Olive attended high school in Flushing, NY. Upon graduating she returned to China for a year, living among the “Y” and traveling to Zhaoqing, Beijing and Qingdao, and then returned to the United States to attend Whitworth College in Spokane, WA. She later transferred to the University of Oregon and graduated in 1952 with a degree in nursing. Olive worked at the Providence Hospital in Portland, Oregon and later moved to Los Angeles and worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital.

Olive married Burton McLaughlin in 1955, and they had three children: Karen, Todd and Brenda. Around that time, they moved to Buena Park, California where they stayed until the children were all grown.

When the children were in school Olive went to Cal State Los Angeles and got her master’s degree in nursing. She graduated in 1975 and began teaching at Biola College that fall. She loved teaching nursing and had a whole photo album of her nursing students.

In 2001, Olive and Burt moved to Covenant Village in Westminster, CO to be closer to her daughter, Brenda’s family. There, she was active in her church and sang in the choir.

In her life, Olive experienced much loss and suffering. Coming from a large, close family, she lost all her aunts and uncles. In 1984, her middle son Todd was killed in a motorcycle accident after he had returned from three years in Colombia, South America as a missionary. It was a devastating loss to her. In 2007, Olive’s older daughter Karen died of cancer, and the next year Olive lost her husband of 53 years. In that time Olive also had breast cancer, and broke both hips. Her faith carried her through all that loss, though it was very difficult.

Olive was always deeply religious, a life-long student of the Bible and attender of Sunday School in every church to which she belonged. Olive was thankful to have had the life that God gave her. After retiring from teaching nursing, she traveled with her husband, Burt, to see family and to tour interesting places. She felt a very special connection to mountains and loved driving through the Rockies, and loved Pacific Beach. She kept in touch with the next three generations of descendants and was generous in her support of them. Olive loved music, especially choral singing. She was a woman of strong opinions and strong character.

She was preceded in death by her brothers, Myles Walburn and Wayne Walburn. She is survived by her daughter Brenda McLaughlin Moore, eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Her grandchildren will remember her as generous and loving.

Services will be held June 24, 2023, 10:00 am at Covenant Living, Smith Hall, 9153 Yarrow St., Westminster, CO 80021. Graveside services will be in California at Olive Lawn Memorial Park in La Mirada on September 15, 2023 at 10:00 am.

Memorial Gifts may be sent to the  Benevolent Care Fund  , Covenant Living (9153 Yarrow St., Westminster, CO 80021)