John Paul Olds

August 18, 1950 to February 26, 2025 – John Paul Olds of Boring OR passed away in the early morning hours of February 26 at St. Mary hospital in Duluth, MN. He had been visiting Minnesota with his brother Jim over the holidays to be near family. He loved Minnesota in the winter and always sat near a window so he could watch it snow.

John was born in Portland, OR on August 18, 1950. He was a twin brother to Jim. He was the older brother by about 5 minutes. John grew up in Boring and attended Boring grade school and Sandy High School. He played basketball and baseball and enjoyed playing golf. Upon graduation from high school, he attended Whitworth College in Spokane, WA, graduating with a degree in accounting and political science. He furthered his education at the University of Oregon where he got his MBA and a master’s in accounting.

Upon graduation he went to work for Arthur Andersen in Portland, OR. After working for a couple of years as an auditor he decided to go back to law school. John scored a nearly perfect score on his LSAT’s for law school and was accepted at Yale, Princeton, Michigan State, and University of Washington. He selected U of W to remain close to the Northwest and his family. Once graduating from law school, John went on to teach accounting at Clackamas Community College and Portland Community College. He chaired the Accounting Department at Clackamas for many years. His students enjoyed John as a teacher because he could present the material in a way that was interesting which helped them retain the knowledge. In the early 1990’s John purchased our father’s accounting practice and did primarily tax returns for his clients along with teaching. With his law degree he was able to provide information on estate planning and related taxes to his clients. In the late 1990’s John invested and became half owner of Ramsay Sign Company located in Portland. He helped provide financial information for the company as well as their tax filings each year.

In 2005, one week after turning 55, John suffered a severe stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side and unable to speak. He was able to understand what was being said but was for the most part limited to his response in Yes or No. The doctors at Oregon Health Science Center said he would probably be bedridden for the rest of his life. John proved them wrong. He was able to walk carefully with a cane and was able to take care of himself. He moved into a retirement home called Vineyard Place in Milwaukee which allowed him independent living without having to worry about cooking meals. A significant change occurred within John following his stroke. He renewed his faith and found the Lord as his Savior. He attended church regularly along with bible study and would often be seen reading his bible when Jim came to visit him. At times they read the bible together and he would join John for bible study.

John is survived by his sister Hilde of Walnut Creek, CA and his twin brother Jim of Boring, OR and Grand Rapids, MN, his nephews Bryan (Taylor) of Plymouth MN, Michael of Grand Rapids, MN, and Steve and Mike Knutson of California. He will be missed by his friends including Dave Igl, Tina Moon, and cousin Kristi and Richard Gemmell of Seattle, WA along with those at Vineyard Place where he resided for nearly 15 years. He will be greatly missed by his brother Jim. A graveside service is planned at Lincoln Memorial at 11:00 a.m. April 25. In lieu of any flowers please donate to St. Jude Hospital, Shriners, or a charity of your choice.