Masonry Magazine August 2000 Page. 8
FROM THE EDITOR
For Dick Olson, Retirement is Only the Beginning
Often times people refer to their thirties or forties as "their best years," the years where "it all happens...but after working alongside Dick Olson, editor of Masonry Magazine, we tend to believe that life doesn't truly begin until you've reached your sixties. At 65 years of age (give or take a few years), Dick has accomplished more in the last five years alone, than most of us will only dream of accomplishing in one lifetime. And it seems that with every thing he has ever tried, he has succeeded....uh, well, all but one thing his retirement. Ask him yourself and he'll tell you, "This is the third time I've tried to retire...let's see if I can get it right this time." In the short period of time working with Dick, we've come to discover some of the many interesting things he has done over the years, and it's no surprise to learn that, even after his retirement (that's if he can pull it off this time), he hasn't the slightest intention of slowing down.
Implementers, his home-based design company, a licensed pilot and member of the Vagabonds Flying Club, co-owner with his wife Joyce Olson of European Tanning Salon in St. Charles, IL, and a collector of antique cars. Included in his collection is a '49 Buick Roadmaster, a 56 Jaguar and a 36 Dodge. When he's not shining and restoring his antique cars, he enjoys bragging about them with his friends at the Buick Club whenever he has the opportunity. The rest of his time is spent with his best friend Brutus - a Labrador/ Retriever mix-who Dick has trained to pick up his newspaper from the bottom of the driveway every morning. According to Joyce, "Dick kisses the dog more in the morning than he kisses me!"
Yes, Dick has tried twice before to retire - to get back to those things that he enjoys so much in his "spare time"...but lucky for us - he could not manage to get it right. Lucky for us, Dick came on board with the MCAA back in 1996 at a time when our magazine had a dismal circulation of only 3,000 and annual budget losses of $30,000. Lucky for us, through his strong drive and dedication, he has built Masonry Magazine to a circulation of 15,000 and to one of the premiere mason contractor magazines in the industry today. Lucky for us, he has put the magazine on such a strong foundation, that the association looks to the future of Masonry Magazine with anticipation of becoming the number one magazine for mason contractors. Unlucky for us, Dick is really retiring.
For all of us, Dick's retiring from MCAA may seem like the closing of a chapter- the end of an era in the history of Masonry Magazine...but to him, no doubt, it's merely a check mark on his "to do" list. At sixty-something (given his energy level, none of us can pinpoint his exact age)...his life is only beginning.
Thank you, Dick, for your hard work and commitment. And congratulations from the entire staff at MCAA... you've really done it this time! It's been a pleasure working with you. Your presence will surely be missed.
gresnitstell
Debra J. Mitchell
Editor-In-Chief
MASONRY WALL SCRAPER
In addition to his role as editor of Masonry Magazine and the creative force behind most of MCAA's publications over the last five years, it seems that Dick has made a career out of having fun and getting paid for it! For starters, in the late '60's-early '70's, he and his wife decided to pack up their pick-up truck and leave Chicagoland to travel across the country selling oil paintings. They were set up only blocks away from Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX the very day JFK was shot. After life on the road, he decided to run his own donut shop back in Lombard, IL, which led to his next venture, where he partnered up with a couple of other "go-getters" to begin a design studio. Not long thereafter, he landed his first contract assignment from the Mason Contractors Association of America.
Aside from his responsibilities at MCAA, Dick is a freelance graphic designer for The
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