Francisca “Margot” Olsen

Dec. 3, 1936 – Oct. 18, 2015

Francisca “Margot” Olsen was born in Linares, Jaén, Spain, on Dec. 3, 1936, to Fernando Cortés and Manuela Sanchez. They were casualties of the Spanish Civil War when she was a very small child, and she was raised in an orphanage in Guadalajara.After graduating from high school she was employed as a seamstress in Madrid and then joined a traveling dance troupe, where she mainly danced flamenco.Margot met Glen Olsen in Rota, Spain, and they were married there Dec. 7, 1968. They moved from Rota to the San Diego, Calif., area, where their son Dan was born on July 1, 1970. The family moved to Naval Air Station Lemoore in California and then in 1975 to Guam. In 1979, the family returned to Rota, Spain, and lived there for eight years.[caption id="attachment_10724" align="alignright" width="258"] Francisca “Margot” Olsen[/caption]When Glen retired from the Navy in 1987, he and Margot moved to Falls Church, Va., and Dan started college at Northwestern University. Glen and Margot moved to Indianapolis briefly, but then settled down in Glen’s hometown of Lovell.On May 28, 2006, Dan married Dr. Vanessa Baxter, and on Nov. 25, 2010, Margot (who loved babies) was ecstatic to welcome her first grandchild, Sofia Diane Olsen. In 2011, Glen and Margot moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to be closer to Dan and his family. Her grandson Xavier Glen Olsen was born April 30, 2013.Margot was a loving mother. Her son Dan was the apple of her eye. She was a wonderful homemaker and an excellent cook. She also did volunteer work wherever she was, usually with the Red Cross at Naval hospitals. She was the quintessential “Navy wife.” She was always very positive and made friends everywhere she went. She loved to talk with people and was usually smiling or laughing.Margot was a very hard worker. After Dan went away to college, she took a job working at a store that required a lot of physical work and being on her feet all day.Margot loved to dance and listen to music. She had lots of energy and was very determined when she put her mind to something. She took up running in Rota and quickly became famouson the base for her long daily runs. She also worked hard to earn her U.S. citizenship, of which she was very proud.Margot died Oct. 18, 2015, in Palo Alto, Calif., and her ashes were scattered at sea. She is survived by her husband Glen, son Dan, daughter-in-law Vanessa andgrandchildren Sofia and Xavier.