Lolita Alice Olaine
Jan. 14, 1905-June 15, 2011
Palo Alto, California

In her 106 years of life, Lolita made an impact on almost every person she met; either through her artwork, her fun and feisty personality, or her ability to inspire and strengthen others. She had a strong, independent spirit, and was always ready for a good laugh.

She was born Lolita Alice Jones in Los Angeles, Calif., and studied art under Walter B. Currier at Lincoln High School. She worked as a commercial artist in L.A. until she met Francis Samuel Olaine through a local hiking club and married him in 1933.

Francis' job at Standard Oil moved them to Portland, Ore., where they had their first son, David. A short time later they moved to Seattle, Wash., where Lolita was able to showcase her art in local galleries. They soon returned to Los Angeles, which Lolita was so happy about she attributed the birth of their second son Norman to it.

With the onset of World War II, Francis got transferred to San Francisco and they settled in Francis' hometown of Palo Alto in 1941. They later moved to Redwood City in 1959, after both boys graduated from Palo Alto High School. She lived there happily with Francis where they tended their garden together and hiked throughout the area until Francis' death in 1985. She continued to live there independently until 2000 when at the age of 95 she decided it was time to move to Lytton Gardens. As a child Lolita was frequently ill and survived the measles, mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox, and an almost fatal case of the whooping cough when she was seven years old. Her doctor told her to climb hills to make her stronger after missing much of her early schooling, and she never stopped. Avid hikers and campers, Lolita and Francis would frequently camp and hike trails throughout California as well as the western U.S. She would find a vista, set up her easel, and paint the oil and acrylic landscapes that she became known for.

She also had a love of gardening and painted watercolor portraits of her roses, orchids and lilies. For a time Lolita painted from a studio in the well-known Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, and in the 1960s started and managed an art gallery at the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto where Lolita had been a member since moving to Palo Alto. She later sold 45 of her paintings to raise money for a church elevator. She was a member of the Rebekah Lodge for many years, the walk-about club of Palo Alto, as well as a life-long member of the Sierra Club.

Lolita surpassed the longevity her relatives enjoyed, with her brother Reg living to 100, her mother to 98, and her grandfather to 100. However, she was surprised to wake up after turning 100 and still be alive. She told people that God wasn't ready for her yet and that she still had something to do but wasn't sure what it was. At that time she had yet to see any great-grandchildren and she thought perhaps that was the reason she needed to stick around. The rest of the family is in agreement when we say that she probably was right.

Two years after she turned 100 she met her first great-grandson Boden, and when she turned 105 she met Boden's brother Zeke and the Olaine triplets; Miles, Evan and Aislin. She is survived by her two sons, David and Norman Olaine, her two grandchildren, Jason Olaine and Joanna Hess, and her five great-grandchildren. She died peacefully at Lytton Gardens on June 15, 2011.

Lolita's family would like to thank Asilia Taufoou for her love, devotion, and excellent care of Lolita during her last couple years of life.

Tags: arts/media