Olga Alice Bloise

Olga Bloise, 84 years, 10 months, and 16 days, a longtime resident of Carmichael, California for over 50 years passed away peacefully on Friday, November 10, 2017 with family and friends around her. Her cause of death was acute hypoxemic respiratory failure as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although diagnosed in October 2015 with stage 3A lung cancer with prognosis of 12 to 18 months with treatment, she chose not to have chemo and radiation, and she instead chose essential oils therapy of frankincense and thyme, and after two years, at the time of her death the cancer was still in stage 3A remaining only in the lung it was initially diagnosed, and lung cancer was not the cause of her death. Olga was born on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts on Christmas day 1932 to Harry and Regina, and she was sister to Harry, Charles, George, Beverly, and Kenneth. Olga met Robert Bloise while he was stationed in the U.S. Coast Guard on Nantucket, and they married soon after. Olga and Robert were married for almost 65 years until Robert’s death in 2014. Olga is survived by her sons Robert Jr, Nick, and granddaughter Melissa all of Carmichael as well as brothers Harry of Pennsylvania, George of North Carolina, and Ken of Nantucket, Massachusetts and numerous nephews and nieces. Olga worked for the retailer W.T. Grants at the Country Club and Crestview Shopping center stores for nearly 25 years before their closure in 1975. In January 1976, Olga opened the Country Club Center Montgomery Ward store and worked in the personnel/ human resources department for 25 years until the store’s closure in March 2001. She was instrumental in hiring thousands of employees during her time at what later became known as Wards. In later years, she enjoyed traveling with her husband Robert to Disneyland, Yosemite, Bodega Bay, and Fort Bragg, California. Her favorite color was purple. Mom was careful what she ate, but she loved tuna sandwiches, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Cheetos, and cookies. She was active with her Word Search puzzles, Facebook, and gardening. She was so active in gardening in Spring 2015 Google Maps caught her in the act of watering from her walker! Olga loved everyone, and she was a bridge builder getting along with nearly everyone. After Robert passed away, Olga was very involved in her neighborhood, and she was instrumental in helping neighbors who didn’t know one another develop friendships with one another. Olga made many friends of her neighbors as well as their pets! The neighborhood dogs loved Olga as they knew she always would have a treat for them. She was often seen in her walker, her current walker a gift from a neighbor, walking the neighborhood several times a day. One friend said of her: “She’s the mayor of this neighborhood!” In the last year, mom greatly benefited from the Kaiser Pulmonary Rehab Center in Roseville, CA where she attended twice a week from January thru the early part of October. Olga was very strong in spite of her serious health issues doing 20 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the stationary bicycle as well as arm and weight lifting exercises. She loved the folks at the rehab center and credits her outliving doctors’ prognosis of her because of attending the gym. Unfortunately due to the rain, pollen, extreme heat, and extreme smoke Olga was not active in the neighborhood as much during this last year, and she really missed seeing everyone, and she hoped to get better to get out and walk again soon. Olga’s faith in Jesus was important to her. In this last year, mom’s favorite saying she learned from a close friend was: “I’ll do my best, and I will let Jesus do the rest!” Now Olga is with Jesus in heaven without any health issues, and visiting with her family and friends. She will miss all of us here on Earth for now, but as God is not dead, neither is she.