Donald Olson was my Step-dad and holds a very dear place in my heart. Donald passed away last year on December 25th after a long battle with health complications, and this picture reminds me of the good memories we have of him. Donald was a funny, but stubborn man with a passion for family and motorcycles. Harley Davidson motorcycles to be exact. I remember him spending hours cleaning up his 1984 Harley Davison Roadster; it was his pride and joy. The motorcycle was an older version that he had owned for 17 years, but it was in favorably good condition given the age of it. Many of those hours were endured by rebuilding the motor on the engine carrying almost 50,000 miles. The gas tank was black with orange letters Harley Davidson scripted on the tank, it had a sleek, black body, and comfortable leather seat for two. Every time I think about the bike, the scent of gasoline fumes filling the air and the loud roar of the engine; it brings back memories of Donald and what the bike meant to him.
One of my favorite pictures of Donald is with my daughter, Grace sitting atop of his motorcycle. This picture is indicative of the simple things in life which held the most joy to a family oriented man like Donald. Donald had a slender frame, and stood about 5’6”, with sandy, light brown hair that had a feathered texture to it that glistened in the sunlight, although most often you couldn’t tell because of his love for wearing cowboy hats and bandanas. His goatee on the other hand, was starting to show the signs of his aging; flecks of silvery hairs were starting to overshadow his natural caramel colored whiskers. Cowboy type is certainly a good word to describe Donald. Perhaps he took his style inspiration from one of his favorite movies, Easy Riders. On this particular day his hair was covered by a black bandana with motorcycles on it, of course, which was fastened behind his head. His sky blue eyes were disguised by his large aviator style sunglasses adding to his “biker style” perfectly. Accompanying the look was a green and red button up shirt that complimented his fair, olive complexion, blue jeans, and his trademark brown cowboy boots.
Sitting on his
