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Webmaster's note: The following is only one of many, many emails I received about John Olsen's tragic death May 24. I am posting this remembrance of John written by Glen Ridge Road residents. I have known John all my life. My mother and his mother were close friends when they lived next door to each other in the Loch Raven Village Apartments. John's younger brother was my childhood playmate and best friend. I can hardly believe that he is gone now. I still expect to see him around the Village. - Joyce Smith In Memory of John Olsen I
felt it my duty to let everyone in the village know that on May 24th, 2009 we
tragically lost one of the most recognizable figures of John
left us suddenly while learning to ride his recently purchased motorcycle. John, who had his learner’s permit, was riding
along with his friends when he lost control of his bike at Conowingo Dam and suffered
fatal injuries. For
those who did not know John, he was our Village handyman, and we say that both proudly and
selfishly. The
fist sign of spring in the Village, besides the returning robins, was John’s pickup
truck with a full complement of ladders and an American flag waving in the breeze. When
I moved into the village 25 years ago, John was one of the first people I saw in the
village. With his long flowing beard, white
painter’s paints, and trademark bandanna, I thought “who the heck is that
guy”. John was truest example of
“you can’t judge a book by its cover” that we ever met. We
were quickly told by new neighbors that John was “the handyman”. Whatever you need done he can do it or knows
someone who can do it and they will not let you down. A
few weeks later I noticed John painting a neighbor’s railing several house down, so I
walked down and introduced myself as a new village resident and could he do some painting
for me. He did it that same day and we
became friends at that moment. Throughout
the years, John painted railings, cleaned gutters, patched roofs, painted the inside of
your home… you name it he did it or referred a friend to do the work. John
watched all our children grow up and move on to start their own lives. He shared in both our happy times and sad times as
well. Yes,
John will be sorely missed by all of us who knew what he meant to the Village. There will never be another John Olsen. In
closing, we just want offer our deepest condolences to John’s family and dearest
friends. We know that we speak for the entire Sincerely, Friends and
Neighbors of
Looking for a meaningful way to spend a few hours? For over fifty years now, folks have been calling Loch Raven
Village “home”. Maybe it’s the low-maintenance all-brick
exteriors and beautifully detailed interiors that feature plaster walls and hardwood
floors. Maybe it’s the location: convenient to major highways yet comfortably
suburban and very affordable. Or maybe it’s just the friendly Village
atmosphere that makes it an outstanding neighborhood in which to live and raise a
family. If you’re looking for a home but want more than just four walls and a
roof, come on over and see us...you’ll feel like a neighbor
already!
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The Village is ideally located in Baltimore County, just east of
Towson. It is within walking distance of many public, private, and parochial schools
covering preschool through high school. Towson University and Goucher College are
about 5 minutes from the Village. 
The
brick Georgian colonial townhomes are spacious -- inside groups 20 ft. x 30 ft., and end
homes 24 ft. x 30 ft., many with one or two wood burning fireplaces. Foundations are
concrete block, and the interior walls are made of plaster. The square footage is greater
than many individual homes of comparable price. Property values have remained high
due in part to restrictive covenants imposed on the Village by the developer to insure a
uniformly attractive appearance and to control professional activity.
Find out why we call it “HOME”!