Joseph Olar, 92, of Pekin, died at 10:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, at home when his aged heart gave out. His son Derek and his son's family, who had cared for him in his final years, were with him when he passed.
Joe was born Dec. 4, 1927 at home in Portland, Ore., the 11th child of Alex and Rose Olar. He married Dolores Frances Shaw on Dec. 22, 1962, in Lombard, Ill. She preceded him in death on Nov. 10, 2007, in Dixon, Ill.
Joe is survived by his five sons, Ethan J. Olar of [central Illinois], Jason S. Olar of [central Illinois], Jared (Christina) Olar of [central Illinois], Derek (Kimberly) Olar of [central Illinois], and Caleb Olar of [Oklahoma]; 10 grandchildren, Alexander Olar of [Wyoming]; and Julia Olar, Joseph Olar, Elizabeth Olar, Stephen Olar, Anna Olar, Michael Olar, Sophia Olar, Andrew Olar, and Damien Olar, all of [central Illinois]; and a large number of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his brothers John, Michael, Max, Marion, Larry, Sam, Aurel, and Arthur; his sisters Lyn, Helen, and Virginia; a stillborn sibling; and a grandchild, T.S. Olar.
A child of ethnic Romanian immigrants, Joe was not yet a year old when the family moved in 1928 to Melrose Park, Ill., later moving to nearby Berkeley in 1931, where Joe and his siblings grew up during the Great Depression. His father got him his first job, as a golf caddy, when he was 12. He attended Proviso Township High School in Berkeley.
Three days after his 18th birthday in 1945, Joe registered for the Army draft. He tried to enlist in the Navy like his brother Aurel, but was turned down due to his slender frame. Joe was drafted into the Army's peacekeeping forces in 1946 and served as a Pfc for a year near Manila in the Philippines, being honorably discharged at San Francisco on April 25, 1947.
In 1947, Joe moved with his parents to a new house that his brother Larry helped build in Elmhurst. Joe had dropped out of high school about a month before graduating, but in the early 1950s he attended night school and got his diploma, then obtained a drafting certificate at Allied School of Mechanical Trades in Chicago. His drafting skills enabled him to find a good job that could provide for his wife and sons – he was hired in 1964 by the Greater Peoria Sanitary District, working there for 25 years until his retirement in 1989.
After marriage, Joe and Dolores lived in Elmhurst for a while, then briefly in Dixon and Peoria, then rented a house for a few years on Springfield Road in East Peoria. They bought their first house in Holiday Hills in Pekin in 1969. After 24 years in Pekin, Joe and Dolores moved to Dixon. Following Dolores' death in 2007, Joe returned to Pekin in 2009. When he couldn't live alone any longer, his devoted son Derek and Derek's wife Kim remodeled their basement so Joe could stay with them.
Joe joined the Radio Church of God (later called the Worldwide Church of God) in 1957. He later became a member of the United Church of God. His chief hope for his sons was that they would strive to keep God's commandments. By nature a shy and quiet man, Joe enjoyed crossword puzzles and liked to relax in front of his television set.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020, at Henderson Funeral Home in Pekin. Pastor Nathan Ekama will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at the funeral home. Burial of ashes and a graveside service was at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020, at Woodside Cemetery, Lee Center.
Memorials may be made to the United Church of God.
To offer online condolences, visit www.hendersonfuneralcare.com.