Thursday, July 26, 2018
I am saddened to hear of the passing of Stephen Olson. It is hard to imagine a Belfast without Stephen's vibrant and colorful personality in its midst. Amongst his many attributes, I will fondly remember his love for stories- both his own personal stories and those of others. He was a good listener, and he had a keen ear for a good story- the more bizarre the story line and the more twists and turns in the story, the better he liked it! I will forever remember some of his descriptive sentences which so aptly captured a moment in time. I always suspected that he was collecting characters and material for a novel he would one day write. Frankly, I worried that some of the more unusual true tales that I shared with him would end up the subject of some chapter in his book! Stephen was a true adventurer, and he was always game for a new challenge. When I first met Stephen, in the late 1980s, he was living aboard his sailboat the Jessamine Rose in Belfast Harbor- and it was mid-winter! I remember he loved listening to Willie Nelson songs while drinking a cup of cocoa with a spot of rum added for extra warmth. Stephen was a one-of -a kind man . He was extremely bright, charismatic and creative. He was someone whose company I enjoyed sharing. My sincere condolences to his wife and children on the loss of this vibrant man.
