Obituary of James L. Olsen

James L. Olsen of Chapel Hill died peacefully on August 15, 2024. He was 94 years old. Jim was born on June 8, 1930, to Emma and Harold Olsen in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His mother was a professional seamstress, and his father was a pharmaceutical salesman. He grew up in Minneapolis, spending summers with his grandmother on a family farm in Lake Bronson, Minnesota. After serving in the Naval Reserves for four years, Jim attended the University of Minnesota for both his undergraduate and graduate work, earning a PhD in Pharmaceutics. He worked for the pharmaceutical f irm Clark Cleveland in Binghamton, New York before joining the faculty at UNC-CH School of Pharmacy in 1968 as assistant professor and Director of the Drug Product Development Program. While at the School of Pharmacy, Jim and his lab manager, Henry Smith, established a program that supplied pharmaceuticals to UNC Memorial Hospital which generated revenue for the school. Jim delighted in his manufacturing students and was a mentor to many of them. In 1984, Jim and Henry left the school to start their own pharmaceutical company, Carolina Medical Products. Jim’s entrepreneurial career started early as he worked in a neighborhood drug store in Minneapolis. While there, he developed a rapport with one of the regular customers, his future wife, Jackie. They married in 1955 and had four children together, Elizabeth, Susan, Stuart, and Mary. Their home life was enriched by Jim’s dry sense of humor, which he kept his whole life. Jim loved big band music, good food, and was a lifelong Porsche enthusiast. He enjoyed travel, whether to Europe or on cross country road trips with his wife. An avid reader, he preferred books on international intrigue from Ian Fleming to Michael Connelly. In later years, he regularly played golf with his buddies, affectionately named the Amigos. When Jackie died in 2014, Jim adopted a stray pit bull puppy. The two had been fast friends for the last ten years. Jim is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren. He will be greatly missed. A celebration of his life will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill, on September 15 at 2PM. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the ASPCA.