Velyn Dee Olson Nation
Beginning life in Rexburg, Lynn’s journey took her to Utah, California, Hawaii, Oregon and New Mexico – and finally back to Salt Lake City, where she remained until her passing.
A dedicated believer in education, knowledge and new discovery, friends and family described her as genius, gifted, kind, fun, tenacious and firey, with an infectious laugh. A student of Olympus High School, she attended Westminster College in Salt Lake, earning her Bachelors with top grades.
Lynn made waves in her career life, first, as an executive assistant in Utah State Government, and after her marriage to Wayne Hall, as a bookkeeper for the opening of The Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii; her mid-career time took her to San Francisco, where she worked on a stock exchange floor. Moving back to Salt Lake City with her eldest son, David, after divorce, she worked as a dental assistant; a few years later, she married James Nation and had 3 more wonderful children, whom she focused on raising for many years. One of her more exciting career projects happened later in life: she opened her own fine arts gallery in Salt Lake City called Zia Galleries, which featured such notable 20th century artists as William Lumpkins, Nancy Kozikowski, Douglas Kent Hall, Peter Vanderlaan, Curtis Zabel, and Mary Bonkemeyer.
In semi-retirement, Lynn spent much of her golden years walking her precious fur-family, Schnauser Clifford and Greyhound Lacy, all over Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she managed a compound of residences in the Railyard area. After over a decade in the sun and vibrant culture of the Southwest, Lynn moved back to her home to be close to family and her beloved grandchildren, Gregory, Aiden, and Hudson.
Lynn is survived by children; Allyson, Katheryn, Ryan, and David, daughter-in-law Erma Nation; son-in-law Mohammed; grandchildren Gregory, Aiden and Hudson, sisters; Mary, Alice, Rainy, Liz, and brothers; Lew, Charlie, and Pete;
Lynn was preceded in death by Robbie and Danny – All were Beloved.
In accord with her final wishes, Lynn was not one for ceremony or pretense and desired no formal gathering to mark the occasion of her passing; she leaves this life with gratitude for those she shared it with, filled with love and appreciation for all of nature’s wonders. Instead of flowers, please donate to a preferred nature or pets charity.
Lovingly,
Velyn D Nation Family