A celebration of life service will be held at a later date for Ward Arthur Olson, 96, of Davenport. Weerts Funeral Home, Davenport, is assisting the family with arrangements.
Mr. Olson died Thursday, April 16, 2020, at the Kahl Home, Davenport.
Ward Olson was born Dec. 5, 1923, in Clinton, the son of Fred and Marie Olson. He grew up near Chadwick, Ill. He attended the Federic Mizen Academy of Art in Chicago and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as an artist-in-residence aboard the Navy destroyer Samuel N. Moore.
He served as art director for Bawden Brothers Advertising Agency, and later as creative director of Advertising Communication Incorporated (ACI) in Davenport. Prior to his retirement in 1986, he had been active in the commercial art field for over 37 years, followed by 36 years of sharing his talents as a freelance artist. He is recognized for his portrait work and collection of nostalgia paintings in the Quad Cities.
His hobbies were traveling, spending time with friends and family, watching “Wheel of Fortune,” architecture and interior design, singing, and putzing in his yard.
Survivors include his daughters, Susie (Dana) Johnson, Alexandria, Minn., and Becki (Robert) Brown, Tracy, Calif.; a son, Dr. Tom (Robin) Olson, Bettendorf; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Beve, in 2009, and a grandson, Erikson Ward Brown.
Memorials may be made to Asbury United Methodist Church, the Kahl Home, or to Hearts of Harvest Foundation, founded in 2003 by his daughter Becki, in honor of his grandson who was born with a congenital heart defect, 793 S. Tracy Blvd. #149, Tracy, CA 95376. Online condolences may be made at www.WeertsFH.com.