PROVO, UT Ollie was a well-known athlete in his native land of Finland. He was a nationally ranked boxer, a professional soccer player, a P.E. teacher, and ice hockey coach. He led his hockey team to the Finnish Junior National Title. Upon his arrival in the States Ollie was instrumental in starting the BYU soccer program. He has been associated with the Brigham Young University athletic department for thirty years. First as a student trainer and then as a full-time athletic trainer/faculty member since 1975. Ollie was world-renowned in his profession. He was a member of four different Olympic teams. He participated in several Track and Field World Championships. He was well known in the international sports medicine community.
Ollie enjoyed spending time with his wife and family. He enjoyed playing tennis and golf with his boys and traveling back to his homeland with his wife. They also enjoyed visiting children and grandchildren. Ollie was actively involved in serving others in the community through his church service and volunteered much of his personal time to assisting those in need.
Ollie was very dedicated to his work. He enjoyed spending time one-on-one with athletes and had a profound effect and influence on many of them, as he did with all that knew him well. He will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and associates.
He is survived by his wife, Leena, Provo, UT; four sons and their wives, Juha (Cammie), Midway, UT, Matti (Gay), Lacey, WA, Harry (Terri), Riverton, UT, Mark (Camille), Provo, UT; and eleven grandchildren, Errin, Brian, Sam, Aubrey, Rachael, Christopher, Anthoney, Dominique, Sydney, Emiley, Haley. He was preceded in death by his parents, Antti and Elsa Julkunen, Kuopio, Finland.
Friends and family are invited to pay their respects at a viewing to be held at Berg Mortuary, 185 E. Center St., Provo, UT Monday, April 24 at 6 p.m. Services will be Tuesday, April 25 at 11 a.m. at the Provo South Stake Center, 610 W. 300 S., Provo, UT. The burial site will be announced at the funeral.
Ollie's family wishes to express gratitude for the support and sympathy shown by the Brigham Young University athletic department and special thanks to Ollie's friend and co-worker, George Curtis. Thank you to all of Ollie's associates at BYU, friends, and neighbors that have been generous in their support and sympathy. Thank you to all that knew Ollie.