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, including their two sons Keith (Moriah) and Gregory (Deirdre).

Ralph was born in the Bronx in 1939, the second of three sons, to Sigurd and Josephine Olsen. He attended PS 72 and Evander Childs, Class of 1957. He continued his education at Westchester Community College graduating with an associate’s degree in Construction Technology and then Pratt Institute where he graduated in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture.

While he was still in college Ralph and Marge were married. Marge was a school teacher who agreed to support him while he completed his degree. He became a registered architect in 1968 after “acing” his NYS exams. He worked for several prominent architectural firms including Marcel Bruer, Edgar Tafel, and Sert Jackson before taking a position at Columbia University as an administrative architect. He rose to Assistant Director of Architectural Services and Design. He was responsible for numerous alteration projects over the years, until retiring from Columbia in 2010.

In 1972, he designed and built his own house in Palisades, New York. A home filled with love, laughter and learning. He was a dedicated family man who loved spending time with his sons, 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. He became quite accomplished, exhibiting his works in many local libraries and art galleries throughout the Hudson Valley.

He was a collector of antique bottles, including those from dairy farms in Palisades. He loved canoeing on the Hudson; especially embarking from Piermont and paddling North to the Bridge and South to the Palisades. He loved taking photographs of the Hudson and the houses along the shoreline to include in his artwork.

His competitive nature came through when Ralph played tennis and racquet ball. While at Columbia, he played racquet ball almost every “lunch hour” and did so into his 70s. As a tennis player he organized tournaments at the Palisades Swim and Tennis Club. He loved hiking and biking in Tallman Park and considered himself lucky to live close enough to walk to such natural beauty.

He was very involved with the Catholic Church all his adult life. He was a lector, choir member, Eucharistic minister and a member of the parish council at St. Anthony’s in Northvale for many years. While there, he wrote parodies and performed in skits for “Cursillo” and his portrayal of Father Sarducci is legendary.

In 2000, he and Marge became members at St. John’s in Piermont where he joined the choir, the Men’s Club and was a member of the Parish Council. For a time, he served as head of the Men’s Club and ran the parish picnic for many years. True to his giving nature, he organized and headed a team of parishioners who participated in a breakfast program at Grace Church in Nyack, serving those in need of community and nourishment.

He is preceded in death by his brothers, Robert and James.

All will miss his humor, generosity and the love he shared so freely but none as much as his devoted wife Marge. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to People to People of Rockland or to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.