In Memoriam - Ralph Nils Olsen

On May 24, 2026, Ralph Nils Olsen, longtime resident of Palisades, NY and beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, architect and friend, passed away at the age of 86. He was married to his childhood sweetheart, Marge (nee Bruni) for 63 years, a marriage filled with many blessings.

Born in the Bronx in 1939, Ralph attended PS 72 and Evander Childs and continued his education at Westchester Community College and Pratt Institute where he graduated in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture.

Ralph and Marge were married while still in college. She taught school and supported him while he completed his degree. Ralph became a registered architect in 1968 and worked for several prominent firms before taking a position at Columbia University where he advanced to Assistant Director of Architectural Services and Design. He retired from Columbia in 2010.

In 1972, Ralph designed and built his house in Palisades, a home filled with love, laughter and learning. He was a dedicated family man who loved spending time with his sons Keith and Gregory, his four grandchildren, Jessica, Olivia, Jaclyn and Luke, and his great-granddaughter, Cora.

In his retirement years, architecture turned to visual artistry where he specialized in wood carvings and assemblages, exhibiting his work in libraries and art galleries throughout the Hudson Valley. He loved canoeing on the Hudson and taking photographs along the shoreline to include in his artwork. He hiked and biked in Tallman Park and considered himself lucky to live close enough to walk to such natural beauty.

Deeply involved with the Catholic Church all his adult life, Ralph was a lector, choir member and Eucharistic minister. In 2000, he and Marge became members at St. John’s in Piermont. True to his giving nature, among other commitments, Ralph organized and headed a team of parishioners in a breakfast program at Grace Church in Nyack, serving those in need of both community and nourishment.

All will miss his humor, generosity and the love he shared so freely.