Memories of Robert L. Olin
by Robyn Olin Warnke
Robert Lee Olin was born on the same day as Marilyn Monroe. He entered Marine Corps at age 17 an served active duty in the South Pacific in WWII. He was discharged with the rank of Corporal.
Bob worked for Honeywell for 25 years as a Systems Engineer and retired from 3M Co. in 1991. He traveled extensively during his career and developed a love for small foreign cars, Big Band music and fine French wines. His daughters remember him having them attend "Music Appreciation Nights" at home where they listened to the Classics, Broadway show tunes and Swing music. There were also guessing games when a song came on the radio--he would quiz us on the name of the song and who was singing it. We woke up many Saturday mornings to the sound of the 1812 Overture blasting through the house and he made sure we appreciate the live cannons used in the recording. Because of hits, we developed a lifelong appreciation and interest in all types of music.
He was a very intelligent man and every decision he made was based on pure logic and practicality. Lunch at home was a very synchronized system--one got the soup, another got the can opener, someone else got the pan, and Dad was always the "foreman" delegating each chore.
His favorite Saturday afternoon hobby was used car shopping. He could go from lot to lot for hours and terrorize the salesmen. He loved to dicker and argue, and most the time he wasn't even gonna buy a car.
I think all of us kids must have a memory or two of Dad taking us to some deserted parking lot where he would try to teach us to drive a 4-speed car. I remember this when I was probably about 1 years old. For some reason he loved doing that. In the last years of his life, his great joys were his grandchildren. He loved taking them out to breakfast when they slept over and there were trips to the Science Museum, the circus, movies, and boat trips on the Mississippi.
In spite of the devastating progression of his health, he was sure he was to get better. He had that hope right until the very end.
