William R. Olson, Jr.

William “Bill” Olson Jr., 84, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota passed away on Saturday, March 29, 2025.  Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Friday, April 4, 2025, at George Boom Funeral Home and On-Site Crematory in Sioux Falls.  Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 5, 2025, at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for a future designation to the YMCA Camp Leif Ericson in Sioux Falls.

William “Bill” Olson was born to Edith and Roscoe Olson on July 16, 1940, in Exira, Iowa. He moved to Sioux Falls during his sophomore year and attended Washington High School. Bill excelled at basketball and baseball, and was recruited to play both sports at Augustana College where he pursued his Bachelor of Science degree. He cherished his time as a two-sport athlete at Augie and held onto many relationships with his teammates. Bill was inducted into the Augustana Sports Hall of Fame as a two-sport athlete in 1991.

During his time at Augustana, he married his high school sweetheart Nancy Waggoner. Over the years, Bill and Nancy shared many stories of those early marriage days which included a heavy Cambells soup diet. Following his graduation, Bill enrolled at George Williams College in Chicago, IL to pursue a graduate degree which prepared him for a career in the YMCA. Bill was a Youth program Director for the Downers Grove, IL YMCA, and Sioux City, IA YMCA. His talent for working with others was soon recognized, and he was recruited in 1969 to the Sioux Falls YMCA. One of Bill’s most valuable skills was in recruiting and maintaining a valued volunteer base. These volunteers were key to his successful career in the YMCA. Bill trained countless numbers of loyal volunteers who in turn helped serve thousands of youth from the Sioux Falls community. In his “heyday”, Bill had 4500 students participate annually in the YMCA Recreation Basketball program. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, he had 320 teams in the annual YMCA Tri-State Basketball Tournament. This tournament was recognized as one of the largest in the world for youth. Bill retired as Vice President of the YMCA in 1995. Bill and Nancy loved to travel and journeyed to many states and countries during their life together.

Grateful to have shared his life are his wife, Nancy Olson, Sioux Falls, SD; and four children Phil (Myra) Olson, Sioux Falls, SD; Brad (Susan) Olson, Hickory, NC; Melissa (Dan) Guebert, Brandon, SD; and Andy (Karin) Olson, Chanhassen, MN. Twelve grandchildren, Jordan (Katelyn) Harrison, Kaycie (Geno) Maule, Kiley (Damon) Vander Maten, Jackson Olson and girlfriend Isabelle Elrod, Rebecca (Kyle) Kim, Alexa Olson and fiancé Juan Lopez, Jenessa Olson, Drew (Jacey) Guebert, Madison (Thomas) McMacken, Macy Guebert and fiancé Tyler Tsagalis, Anneli Olson, and Kaj Olson; nine great-grandchildren, Jace, Cayden, Reese, Josie, Jones, Auden, Parker, Scout, and Teddy; one brother, Wayne (Phyllis) Olson; brother and sister-in-laws, Chuck (Judy) Waggoner and Marilyn (Bill) Bradfeldt; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Bill was proceeded in death by his parents, Roscoe and Edith Olson and parents-in-law, Lewis and Hazel Waggoner.