University of Minnesota Athletics
Funeral Details for Equipment Manager Bonnie Olein
10/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
After a two and a half year fight, Gopher equipment manager Bonnie Olein lost her battle with colon cancer. Olein passed away Tuesday night at her home in Roseville, Minn., surrounded by her friends and family. Olein, a 30-year member of the Gopher family, was 56. Olein's visitation and funeral will be held Saturday at the Roseville Lutheran Church at 1215 Roselawn Avenue in Roseville. The visitation is scheduled for 9:30-10:30, followed by the funeral at 10:30 a.m. A fund has been established for Olein and her family.
The Bonnie Olein Fund
Affinity Plus Credit Union
2520 University Ave. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Olein worked for the University of Minnesota for 30 years before retiring in the summer of 2007. She was the hockey equipment manager since the inception of the Gopher program in 1997-98 and continued that role until her retirement. A former softball student-athlete, Olein graduated from Minnesota in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health. Along with her hockey equipment duties, Olein served as the manager for various sports including the men’s and women’s tennis teams, women’s basketball, softball and volleyball.
The Gopher women's hockey team will be holding a cancer awareness night at their Friday night game in memory of Olein. The event, which was planned prior to her passing, will honor Olein and her family in the first intermission with a short on-ice ceremony. During that time, the Gophers will officially change the name of their unsung hero award to the Bonnie Olein Unsung Hero Award as well as naming the Ridder equipment room the Bonnie Olein Equipment Room. The Gophers will also display a colon cancer awareness ribbon on the Gopher helmets for the remainder of the 2007-08 season. Along with the ceremony, a number of activities will also be available on the Ridder Arena concourse. The student-athlete advisory council will sell cancer bracelets, hold a raffle drawing for an autographed women’s hockey jersey, provide face-painting and have autographed posters. All donations will go towards cancer research in Olein’s name.
