Obituary of Daniel Harold Ohlson

Daniel H. Ohlson passed away peacefully with his family by his side on January 1, 2017, in San Jose at the age of 98. He was born on August 22, 1918, in Rockford, Illinois, to Gustaf A. Ohlson and Sarah Steenberg Ohlson. Dan was the youngest of four children with two brothers, Emmert and Willard, and a sister, Clarice. Daniel grew up in Rockford, Illinois. As a young man, he worked summers as a machinist's helper, learning to work with lathes, drill presses, and electricity. He brought these skills and knowledge with him when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force on March 14, 1941, at the age of 22. During World War II, Daniel proudly served in various locations stateside, then onto Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. In August 1944, his unit followed the D-Day landings into France and Germany. After a short return to civilian life, Daniel re-enlisted in 1946 and was assigned to McChord Field, in Spokane, Washington. In 1947, while stationed in Medford, Oregon, Daniel met and married Doris Prince. They had their only child, Christopher, in 1948. During the Korean War, Daniel was deployed to Pusan, Korea from 1950 to 1952. In 1958, he was sent to Eniwetok Island in the Pacific to watch the testing of the atomic bomb. He was then stationed at Adak Island in the Aleutians, Alaska, from 1959 to 1960. It was at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, that he retired from the U.S. Air Force after serving more than twenty years. Upon retiring, Daniel moved his family to the Bay Area to be close to his wife's family. He held various jobs and retired at age 75 as a security guard up in Alameda Island after his wife passed away. He then moved to San Jose in 1994 to be close to his son's family. He lived independently until the age of 94. His favorite hobby was listening to and collecting music. His collection of old and rare vinyl records included classical music, Big Band era, and historical speech recordings. He also enjoyed building radios and speakers. Dan volunteered for many years at the American Diabetes Association of San Jose. Daniel is predeceased by his wife of forty-six years, Doris Ohlson. He is survived by his son, Christopher; daughter-in-law, Roberta Lam Ohlson; his two grandchildren, David Ohlson and Davinna Ohlson Kong, and their spouses; and four great-grandchildren. Daniel is loved and will be missed, but always remembered.