Obituary of Roderick Neil 'Roy' Olsen

On Tuesday, Sept.13/22, the small, picturesque, tight-knit community of Glendale, Cape Breton lost an icon. RODERICK (ROY) NEIL OLSEN passed away just two days before his 75th birthday. He was well-known and greatly respected, and his loss will be felt far and wide. Roy was born in Sunnyside, and grew up there and in Melford. He briefly lived with his loving wife Kay in Point Tupper before settling in Glendale. Roy was a Cape Bretoner through and through, although he did tolerate the occasional trip to Halifax to visit his family. Roy was an upstanding, hardworking family man. In fact, all his hard work over the years was in order to provide a good life for Kay, and their four children Kim, Ian, Nancy, and Megan. Nothing gave him more pride than his beautiful family. Always curious, he grew up a tinkerer wondering how things worked. Whether it was taking apart the family clock and putting it back together again with leftover pieces, or building a homemade working gun, he frustrated his father to no end. Needless to say, he grew up to be a great mechanic and jack-of-all-trades. While on the one hand he would tell Kay to turn up the car radio to drown out the odd engine noise, on the other he spent countless hours fixing other people’s cars. Roy worked hard, but it was difficult to make a living at the time in the area. In the early 80’s he operated Roy’s Irving in Glendale which gave him great pride. Later on, he made the difficult decision to travel and work at different mines across the country to provide for his family. It was tough on everyone, but the pay was good, and he was able to provide a better life for his family. He was proud of his work, and made many life-long friends. With a wink, he’d tell you to refer to him as Dr. Roy, the drill doctor. He started a trend in Glendale and surrounding communities of travelling out west for work that continues to this day. Later in life, when Roy and Kay experienced the joy of grandchildren, Drew, Molly, Noah, and Johnny became the recipients of the warm, loving embrace of their beloved grandparents. They will always fondly remember Booboo and Mema. Kay and Roy had an open door policy. Whether you needed a drive, a meal, some advice, or a chat; the doors to the camper, Kay’s kitchen, or Roy’s garage were open and waiting for you. An open car door and a "come on in" or "jump in" and you were off for some fun or adventure or just a good old chat. Listen carefully over the next few days and you’ll be sure to catch a story or two that’ll get you laughing or crying (or both), or shaking your head. RNO enjoyed the outdoors. He loved camping, off-roading, and "hunting", and "fishing". Oh the stories he could tell. Roy, like Oreo, used up all of his nine lives. He heroically won the battle with Captain Morgan, survived being attacked by an angry beaver, almost crashed Robert’s 18-wheeler several times trying to figure out how to drive it, just about froze to death with Gordie in Ashfield, was saved by Fred who took an extra week off work to stop Roy, ¢yril, and Adrian from starving to death on a hunting trip, recovered with the help of "Dr." Bernie in Inverness, and his long swim and rescue from drowning in Lake Ainslie by Merle. Surviving all of this demonstrated Roy’s strong will and determination, with a little bit of luck thrown in. It gave his family, friends, and neighbours many more years to spend with him, and for this we are eternally grateful. On Tuesday, he made the brave choice that he was done with ambulances, hospitals, and doctors; and on his own terms chose his own path. Roy comes from a large family, and will be sadly missed by his brother Murdock and sister Rena. Countless nephews, nieces, and cousins will remember Roy fondly. They’ll never forget good ‘ole Uncle Roy. His son-in-law Jeremy is proud to be an honorary Olsen. He is predeceased by his parents Alfred and Annie, his brother Oscar, sisters Betty, Jean, and Marie, niece Nancy, wife Kay, and daughter Nancy. Special thanks go out to his caretakers over the last year, Erin, Loretta, Donnie, and Tara. The family couldn’t have done it without you. Roy will be accompanied on his final journey to lay at rest with Kay and Nancy by some of his beloved nephews and his grandchildren. Roy’s booming voice could make you stand at attention. Although he appeared gruff and tough on the outside, inside he had a heart of gold. He is now at peace with his beloved Mema and Nan, with Oreo warming his lap, Bear sitting at his feet, country classics playing on the radio, and a good card game to look forward to. Nothing was more important to Roy than family, friends, and good neighbours. Thank-you all for being a part of his life. Visitation will take place on Saturday, September 17, 2022 from 3 – 7p.m. in Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home, Port Hawkesbury. Graveside service will be on Sunday, September 18, 2022 at 11 a.m. from St. Mary of the Angels Parish Cemetery, Glendale with Father Duncan MacIsaac officiating. Reception to follow in St. Mary of The Angels Parish Hall, Glendale. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Canadian Cancer Society, St. Mary of The Angels Parish Cemetery or Grantville Cemetery. Words of comfort may be forwarded to the family at www.haverstocks.com Visitation Information Visitation September 17, 2022 Visitation Time 3 - 7 p.m. Visitation Location Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home, Port Hawkesbury Service Information Service Date Sunday, September 18, 2022 Service Time 11 a.m. Service Location St. Mary of the Angels Parish Cemetery, Glendale Burial Information Burial Date September 18, 2022 Burial Time 11 a.m. Burial Location St. Mary of the Angels Parish Cemetery, Glendale