Sherman Olson

Sherman Brian Olson, 87, of Lenexa, Kansas, passed away Friday, January 3, 2014.
Sherman was born July 1, 1926 in Dwight, IL to Adelbert and Bessie Mae (Berg) Olson. He graduated from Westport High School in Kansas City, MO in 1944 and entered the U.S. Navy.
After leaving the service and at the encouragement of his mother, he attended a broadcasting school and started his career as a disc jockey in Illinois, Texas, Missouri and Kansas. He was a former announcer and program director for WDAF.
In 1975, "Sherm", as he was known by his friends, started his own advertising agency, Olson Advertising, which later became Olson Outdoor, Inc.
Sherm enjoyed volunteering as a lay minister with a nursing home ministry for many years.
Sherm joined the Olathe Chamber of Commerce in 1992, and became an Ambassador in 1993. Sherm was honored at the Chamber's annual banquet each year for the following prestigious awards:
1996 - Olathe Chamber of Commerce Spirit Award "In grateful appreciation of spirited service to the Olathe Chamber of Commerce" presented February 22, 1997.

1997 - Ambassador of the Year
Membership Achievement Awards:
The highest annual award presented in recognition of at least $4000 or 25 new members recruited in a given year(and Sherm usually doubled or tripled the $4000.00 required to earn the award!) The award was renamed in Sherm's honor in 1999, as the highest producing membership volunteer in the history of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce- also earning the award more times than anyone in the history of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1921. Only 13 individuals have ever received this honor more than once, and Sherm earned it 15 times. Only 38 individuals have ever earned this honor in the entire history of the award.
1995-1998 Bartlett Membership Achievement Award
1999- Bartlett/Olson Lifetime Membership Achievement Award
2000-2010 Bartlett/Olson Membership Achievement Award
Sherm was awarded the Membership Sponsor of the Month 30 times from 1994-2000.

Sherm was preceded in death by his parents and infant sister, June Olson.
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Doris, daughter Linda Olson Carter (Dennis) of Marshall, MO, sons Larry (Marsha) of Wichita, KS, and Jeffrey (Dianna) of Spring Hill, KS, six grandsons, 1 grand-daughter, 2 great-grandsons, 4 great-granddaughters, 3 step-children, 7 step-grandchildren, 7 step-great-grandchildren, and 1 step-great-great-grandson, his brothers, Lloyd (Sally) Olson, of Ft. Scott, KS, and Delmar (Ann) Olson, of Raytown, MO, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Memorials are suggested to Heritage Baptist Church.13500 W. 13th N., Wichita, KS 67235 or to the Lakeview Village Foundation, 9100 Park Street, Lenexa, KS 66215.