Brian L. Olsen ’64

Brian died March 2, 2024, in Santa Cruz, Calif.

He came to Princeton from Palatine Township (Ill.) High School, where he was class president. Majoring in religion, he spent spare time as an announcer on WPRB, which sparked an interest in the media.

After graduation, Brian began as a TV cameraman at WGN in Chicago. Finding that it didn’t pay well, he shifted his career to furniture sales and manufacturing, founding several companies and becoming an early adopter of RTA (ready-to-assemble) furniture (so you can thank him when you are putting together that IKEA bookshelf). He ended his career with a shift back to media, as director of North American sales for DirecTV.

Once retired, he could indulge a lifelong passion for travel with his wife, Nancy. Their adventures took them to every continent but Antarctica and included voyages on the Amazon, car-camping trips north of the Arctic Circle, and six-week self-guided safaris in southern Africa. Wherever they went — Africa, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, China, Japan, Australia, or elsewhere — they were keen bird-watchers and art collectors.

All who knew Brian appreciated his sense of fun, spontaneity, creative energy, humor, and gift for building and fixing almost anything. He will be deeply missed by his daughters, Kirstin ’87 and Erica; and his grandchildren.