Marilyn "Lynn" Kolbe Olsen

After a long and well-lived life filled with joy and the love of family and countless friends, Marilyn “Lynn” Olsen, died peacefully at her home in Hilton Head, South Carolina on May 30, 2025. Lynn was born on December 2, 1931, to Mathew Howard Kolbe and Ruth Anna Marguerite (Strempel) Kolbe. She spent an idyllic childhood in Rocky River, Ohio, among friends and her many cousins. In high school, she developed her sense of style that was a lifelong passion. She was an accomplished seamstress, participating in local fashion shows with her creations.

Upon graduating in 1949, Lynn attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where she met her soulmate and future husband, Neil Olsen. Their only child, Connie Lynn Olsen, was born in 1951.

For the next 40 years, Lynn and Neil built a life in Cincinnati, Ohio, and later retired to Hilton Head. Outgoing and social, Lynn easily cultivated lasting friendships in a number of social circles. She was a natural hostess, bringing her warmth and welcoming energy to the many parties she threw. An incredible cook, Lynn drew inspiration from her mother, always exploring new recipes and perfecting old favorites. Cherished family memories revolve around “Granny Lynn” at the holidays where her kitchen was the hub of the festivities, filled with enticing aromas, warmth, conversation, and laughter. Her cheesy wafers were always in demand by her grateful great-granddaughters.

Lynn’s enduring Christmas legacy is the stunning stockings that she created for each family member. Each taking months to complete, Lynn meticulously embroidered intricate holiday scenes and sewed thousands of beads and sequins into works of art.

A lifelong lover of bridge, Lynn was a formidable card player with a sharp mind who brought both strategy and joy to every game. She perfected her game while living in Rome, Italy where she played duplicate bridge. Competitive in the best way, she played to win—but always with warmth, humor, and grace. Her keen memory, quick wit, and love of connection made her a cherished partner and a worthy opponent.

Lynn discovered her passion for golf as a member of Oyster Reef Golf Club in Hilton Head, where she enthusiastically engaged in both social and golf activities. Her golf exploits were capped off by a thrilling hole-in-one on Hole 11!

Regardless of how people encountered Lynn, from close friends to the bag guys at the golf course, landscapers, bridge partners, and the amazing women who cared for her so lovingly in her last year, Lynn was loved and admired for her fun-loving nature, generosity, capability and kindness. She was beautiful and youthful, always looking to the future.

Lynn will be greatly missed by her daughter, Connie, her grand-daughters Julia Cantzler and Meghan Mangan and their husbands Chris and Steve, her four great-granddaughters Isla and Coraline Cantzler, and Charlie and Elle Mangan, her brother Austin Kolbe, and countless friends that she has made along the way. She is preceded in death by her parents, Mathew and Ruth Kolbe, her dear husband of 46 years, Neil Adrian Olsen, and her loving companion of 10 years, Denny Osmer.