Obituary of Lawrence A Olivas

Obituary Lawrence A. Olivas passed away on October 28, 2021, peacefully at his home. He was the eldest of seven children born on August 10, 1937, in Ft. Collins, Colorado to Mary Valdez and Adelaido Olivas. Lawrence spent his childhood learning how to hunt, fish and enjoy the wilderness which he later passed on to his own children. He also learned the values of integrity, character, perseverance, compassion, grit, and a strong work ethic at an early age based on necessity and circumstances. As a young boy, he worked in the fields picking crops with his family. Most recently, a paver was engraved with his name and graciously donated to Sugar Beet Park, acknowledging the historical contribution of the families of the “Tres Colonias”, where he grew up, to our Fort Collins community. Lawrence graduated from Fort Collins High School. Although the recipient of a small scholarship to attend college, he elected to pursue other options, including enlisting in the Colorado Army National Guard for nine years. Despite not attending a formal institutional of higher education, he was an avid lifelong learner, thirsty for knowledge, and always emphasized the value of an education. He later encouraged his own children to aspire to lifelong learning as he said that education was a gift which no one could take from a person. He also taught his children to be resourceful and learn lifelong skills that would help them be more independent, albeit repair vehicles, home repair, or something less complex. He valued earning what you have, caring for what you’ve earned, and helping others along the way. Faith, family, and sense of duty were an essential focus and sense of purpose for Lawrence, as exemplified, by enlisting in the U.S. Colorado Army National Guard in 1954. He spent time at both Fort Carson & Fort Riley while Eleanor kept home and hearth going during his absence. During his enlistment, he was federalized for response during the Berlin Crisis. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant in 1963. Lawrence married his high school sweetheart, Eleanor Rivera in August 1957 on his birthday at Holy Family Church in Ft. Collins! They had their first child and their first home in 1958. Lawrence and Eleanor had a total of 10 children with whom they shared the core values of faith, family, work ethic, grit, and community service. In later years they welcomed twelve grandchildren and then great grandchildren. Lawrence & Eleanor recently celebrated 64 years of marriage! Lawrence worked 11 years at Forney Industries after which he was recruited to work for Teledyne Water Pik as a Quality Control Engineer. He retired from Teledyne after 38 years of service. During retirement, he discovered the joy of bike riding on his Rockhopper with an occasional visit to nearby New Belgium Brewery. He also enjoyed photography and took many pics of Eleanor's rose garden & grandkids. His room was humbly decorated with family photos to include his grandfather who emigrated from Spain and his French grandmother. He recently expressed a regret at not visiting Girona Spain to see where his family had lived. After learning of his wish to travel to Spain, his children have promised to do so, in his honor. His children will walk in the light of the legacy left to them by the man whom they were honored to call “father". Lawrence was preceded in death by his parents, five of his seven siblings, his sons; Lawrence & Dominic and his daughter Ana. He is survived by his wife Eleanor, and children; Veronica, Elizabeth, Denise, Kathryn, Mary, Jesse, and Christopher. He is also survived by 2 sisters; Nina and Barbara. Services Visitation Monday November 1, 2021 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM Holy Family Catholic Church 326 N. Whitcomb St. Fort Collins, CO 80521 Recitation of the Rosary Monday November 1, 2021 2:00 PM Holy Family Catholic Church 326 N. Whitcomb St. Fort Collins, CO 80521 Funeral Mass Tuesday November 2, 2021 11:00 AM Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Fort Collins Graveside Service Tuesday November 2, 2021 2:30 PM Roselawn Cemetery Visitation Tuesday November 2, 2021 10:30 PM to 11:00 AM Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Fort Collins