Peter Olson

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Our father, Peter Warren Olson, loved this quote from “Walden,” a book written by Henry David Thoreau in 1894. Dad made it a point to live his life purposefully, to choose his path independently, subject to his own reasons and no one else’s. A common theme in condolences to our family has been the fact that he lived his life the way he wanted to ... and here we are, to celebrate a life well-lived.

Peter passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 3, 2025, on his 90th birthday. He was born to Warren and Alice Olson on April 3, 1935 in Middleton.

Peter became involved in athletics and fishing very early in his life. He was a member of the 1948 Middleton Grade School football team that achieved an 8-0 record and outscored their opponents 215-4. That was the beginning of a life full of athletics and coaching. His fishing career began young as well, often fishing with his father Warren, getting started with a cane pole and bobber.

Peter attended Middleton High School where he was an exceptional athlete. He lettered in football, baseball and basketball all four years of high school and was named All-Conference in football and basketball for three years. In 1952-53, the first year of the Badger Conference, he led the conference in scoring with 255 points as a star prep player, also being named most valuable basketball player. In February 1953, his senior year of high school, his basketball career unfortunately came to an end when he suffered a broken elbow in a game against Edgerton High School.

He had wonderful memories of his youth in Middleton and often talked about the people he grew up with. Many of them have remained in touch and were lifelong friends. There is a cherished photo on the wall at home of the Middleton 1952 Home Talent Baseball League Championship team that he often looked at in his later years and reminisced about his friends.

It was at Middleton High School where Peter met Annette Biederman, his high school sweetheart who would become his wife. She was the perfect life companion and in 1959 they began their 65 year adventure. She remembers him in high school being a young man who thought for himself, knew what he wanted to do and didn’t care about the current trends of the time. He was a leader, not a follower. Together they raised three daughters, Maren, Inge and Tola, and are grandparents to grandson Peter and granddaughters Olivia and Genevieve. Peter took great delight in celebrating their achievements. From attending athletic events to encouraging their success in academics, he was there to give any advice that he could. You can’t be a family member of Peter Olson and miss out on any of the lessons. The conveyed values and wisdom will never be forgotten. He was a living example of hard work and striving for excellence in everything that you do, no matter if it’s academic, athletic, or just the mundane tasks that we all do everyday in our lives. He taught us to always strive to do everything to the best of our abilities. Excellence is something that is achieved by daily practice, over and again. Never stop, never give up.

Peter attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, playing freshman baseball and basketball, eventually earning a bachelor of science degree in physical education in 1957. He entered the United States Marine Corps shortly thereafter and his love of athletics followed him. He starred in the Marine Corps baseball league, playing shortstop and hitting at .362. Proving he was an all-around athlete, his bowling team won the Marine Corps Force Troops title in 1959. There are many well-known core values of Marines and Peter was proud to embody these traits and would teach future students and athletes these values in the hopes it would improve their lives. Integrity, knowledge, courage, dependability, initiative, endurance and enthusiasm were just a few. When his tour with the Marines ended Peter returned to school at UW-Madison, earning a master’s degree in 1960.

Madison Central High School was his first teaching experience. He taught physical education and driver’s education as well as biology and general science. He coached varsity baseball at Central for two years, and in 1963 his baseball team won the Big Eight Conference and was runner-up in the WIAA state tournament. Peter also assistant coached varsity football and was the JV basketball coach for three years while at Central. It was at Central where Peter met his mentor, Coach Bob “Boomer” Harris. Peter always appreciated Boomer’s influence on his life and coaching. Bob and his wife Ruth became like family to the Olson’s and they spent much time together.

In 1963 Peter made the move to Madison LaFollette High School where he taught physical education and driver’s education. While at LaFollette he coached varsity baseball for 12 years, was varsity assistant football coach, working with Otto Breitenbach, another Madison Sports Hall of Fame member, and was the varsity basketball coach for 30 years. During his tenure as varsity basketball coach, the LaFollette basketball team won four conference championships, 12 regional titles, four sectional titles and six Holiday Tournament titles. In addition to this, the 1977 and 1982 varsity basketball teams won Wisconsin State Basketball Championships. He was the 1977 UPI All-State Coach of the Year, as well as 1974, 1985 and 1986 All-Big Eight Conference coach of the year and Wisconsin State Journal all city coach of the year in 1970, 1974, 1980, 1985 and 1986. He coached six 1,000 point career scorers: Gary Anderson, Craig Anderson, Rick Olson, Steve Amundson, Mark Paulson, and Tony Giombetti.

In one article written about him, when thinking back over his career, Peter said, “I don’t think that basketball memories are the most important. My best memories are having some of the people I coached up to my cottage to go fishing with me as alums, college graduates, and good citizens in the community. I always told our kids that there are many more low points than high points during a basketball season. The way kids learn to overcome, that’s how they become successful as people.”

Peter was also involved in different aspects of sports than just coaching. He hosted Wisconsin Coaches Association summer clinics for several years, and conducted rules interpretation meetings for the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association for both baseball and basketball. He played Home Talent Baseball, enjoyed being a member of the sideline officiating crews at UW home football games, and he spent as much time as he possibly could out on the water fishing.

Peter loved coaching young people in basketball so much that when he and Ann decided to retire and spend winters in Clearwater, Fla., he stopped off at the nearby high school gym to find out if he could help. They welcomed him with open arms as an assistant coach and while he was at Clearwater, his team made it to the Florida Final Four in 1995, in 1996 they were undefeated in conference play and were county champions. Many more lifelong friendships began in the Clearwater High School gym.

Peter was inducted into several halls of fame between 1995 and 2016, several in sports and one in fishing:

Wisconsin Coaches Hall of Fame 1995

Madison Sports Hall of Fame 1997

Clearwater High School Hall of Fame 2013

National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame 2016

When he wasn’t teaching or coaching, Peter was fishing. He pursued many species of fish, but hunting the musky was his first love, fishing mostly in northern Wisconsin and Canada. He was called “The King of Musky Fishing” or simply “The King” by those who knew him. He caught multiple trophy muskies, with replicas, photos and awards found in many rooms of the house as a testament to his prowess. His largest musky was 55.5 inches, otherwise known as “the triple nickel.” He enjoyed fishing with family and friends, and many of Peter’s ex-players were good friends and fishing partners. We are grateful for the gift of their friendships as they gave Dad so much joy throughout the years. Thank you to all of them for bringing him so much happiness. Peter was just as proud of his fishing accomplishments and success as his athletic and coaching achievements. He felt that the prerequisites of patience and discipline were instrumental in his fishing achievements just as they were to his coaching and basketball success. He petitioned and received authorization to add a fishing course to the physical education curriculum when he taught at LaFollette. Fishing is a life long sport, it gets people outside in fresh air and by the water which is a source of relaxation, and it provides a supplement to the food supply. He felt it was a skill that provided innumerable benefits throughout a person’s lifetime.

Reading was another important hobby for Peter. He kept detailed records of all the books he read, grabbing a blank piece of paper and filling it with minuscule writing so he could fit as much information on one page as possible. These were not organized in any way, alphabetical or otherwise, but he knew what was on his lists. The Boulder Junction library was aware of his favorite authors and would set aside new books for him as they came in.

Peter’s life philosophy and values were the foundation of his success. His philosophy of coaching and teaching was that discipline wins. He always had high expectations for himself and all of his players ...  academically, socially, athletically. He believed in trying to achieve with good kids and students first and the desire was always to win by outworking and overachieving against more talented opponents. Winning with a solid work ethic and attitude were at the foundation of what he taught. Good character was stressed and he was always just as proud of the guys on the bench as he was the stars, because he knew all of the hard work they put in just like everyone else. Peter’s primary goal was to develop successful young men with good morals and ethics that would serve the community as role models.

Dad came across the following item in an obituary that he read in the newspaper, he cut it out and saved it to share. Wonderful words, and he is sharing them with all of you...

“Togetherness — Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. Whatever we were to each other, we still are. Call me by my old familiar name. Speak to me in the same easy way you always have. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it always was. There is absolute unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of your mind because I am out of your sight? I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner. All is well. Nothing is past. Nothing has been lost. One brief moment, and all will be as it was before — only better. Infinitely happier. We will be one, together forever.”

Peter is survived by his devoted wife of 65 years, Annette, daughters Maren Olson, Inge (Bob) Shaw, Tola (Craig) Neils, his grandchildren Peter Lundberg, Genevieve (Alex) Hammond, and Olivia Lundberg, brother Paul (Judy) Olson and nieces Pamela Bakken and Cindy (Mike) Lubahn.

There is so much more to share, there isn’t enough space here ... stories, memories, anecdotes, friendships. Please join us for a celebration of life service at Gunderson Funeral Home on May 3. Visitation will begin at 2 p.m. followed by the service at 3 p.m. and a continued visitation afterwards until 5 p.m. Gunderson Funeral Home is located at 5203 Monona Dr, Monona, WI 53716.

The family would like to thank Careview Rehab and Compassus Hospice for their thoughtful and attentive care of our father. Memorial donations can be made to the UW Carbone Cancer Center (cancer.wisc.edu) and Compassus Hospice (1571 Highway 51 North, Suite C, Arbor Vitae, WI 54568).

Online condolences can be made at www.bolgerfuneral.com.