Betty K. Olson
July 15, 1933 – January 25, 2025
Betty Kinney Olson, age 91, passed peacefully and unexpectedly in her home on January 25th. She was a kind, joyful, and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and community member.
Betty Jean Kinney was born on July 15, 1933 to Bessie and Edward Kinney in Washington D.C. and raised with her younger brother, Ron Kinney, nearby in Arlington, Virginia. Despite being born with a malformed leg and suffering from severe childhood asthma she was an active, strong, and happy child. Betty was 9 years old when World War II began which influenced her values of hard work, sacrifice, and political awareness. Throughout her life, she loved animals and reading. Caring for a sick dog when she was a young child sparked her interest in becoming a nurse.
In order to contribute to her college education, Betty learned practical secretarial skills in high school. One of her first jobs was taking dictation for the Department of Foreign Aid in the Pentagon, which she found very interesting. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (now University) and worked in a Virginia Mason ENT clinic after moving to Seattle. In 1958 Betty took a break in her nursing career to start her family of three children, and then returned to work when her youngest child was in school. Betty had a passion for the health care of children, and worked for the Seattle School District as a school nurse for 25 years. She continued her education while working which enabled her to work more independently and make more positive changes in public health care. At the age of 43 she completed her certification as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and at the age of 54 she earned a master’s degree in Health Administration from the UW. Betty was a pioneer in the establishment of school-based health clinics in Seattle Public Schools, successfully operating the pilot program at Rainier Beach High School in 1988. She also helped open a children’s clinic at Harborview. Betty served her last two years of work as a Health Services Supervisor for Seattle Public Schools prior to retiring at age 60.
Betty met Seattle native Donald Olson while he was working in Maryland and they married in 1955. Upon completion of her education, they moved to Seattle where they raised their family and engaged in the beauty and activities of the Pacific Northwest including hiking, camping, skiing, and kayaking. After retirement, they enjoyed traveling to many places around the world together until Don died in 2014 after 59 years of marriage.
Betty loved being involved in Fauntleroy Church for her entire life (since moving to Seattle) where she served in ministries and committees including the pastoral search committee, the Caring Ministry Team, and the Choir.
In 2018 Betty decided to sell her house and move to Judson Park (JP) Retirement Community. It did not take long before she was involved in many aspects of the community, leading not only to the enrichment of her own life, but also that of many others. She participated in the College of Intellectual Inspiration Advisory Committee (CII), the Resident Advisory Committee, the choir, and a bridge group, among other resident activities. Betty made many friends at JP, and in particular she met her final close companion in life, Joe Grillo. She continued to travel, returning to Cannon Beach, Hawaii, and enjoying small-ship expeditions to the Arctic, around the UK, and up to Canada.
Being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother was a great joy for Betty. In the midst of pursuing excellence in healthcare for children and participating in community involvement, she always made her family a priority. She shared with her children her love for the ocean with many camping trips to the Washington coast. After her children became adults and started their own families, she and Don treated the entire family to annual trips to Cannon Beach, Oregon, for 20+ summers, which will always be a treasured memory for her children and grandchildren. After moving to JP, she continued to enjoy travel, and she embraced spending time with family and friends whenever the opportunity arose. She of was an example of joy, peace, love, and hard work, and has been an inspiration to many.
Betty is survived by three children, Eric Olson (Kim), Michael Olson (Jackie), and Susan Underbrink (Jim), ten grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, two dogs (Gibbs and Kenna), and many friends.
A memorial service will be held at Fauntleroy Church on Saturday, March 1st at 1 p.m. and at Judson Park on Sunday, March 2nd at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family welcomes memorial donations to the Fauntleroy Church endowment fund.
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