We have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from our family, friends, and community after the unexpected passing of our beloved Theresa--wife, mother, grandmother. Many of you have asked for a way to support the family with food, etc, so we wanted to create a space for getting support to Dean and Daniel.

Theresa loved to cook and found joy in making meals for others. She collected recipes from family, printed recipes online, and religiously watched Food Network--she was reading Ina Garten's recent memoir. Food was one of the many ways that she showed love to others, and casseroles were always flying out the door for a new neighbor who moved in, a friend who was ill or had just experienced a loss. Eggplant parmesan was her favorite comfort meal to make--a nod to her Italian heritage.

Thank you for your love and support--it means the world. Dean and Daniel will benefit greatly from this meal fund in the weeks and months to come.

*****

Theresa Grimaldi Olsen, 65, of Springfield, Illinois, died unexpectedly on May 13, 2026, at Springfield Memorial Hospital.

She was born in Chicago on Aug. 1, 1960, to Geraldine (Rudnick) and I. William Grimaldi. She married Dean Olsen in 1985 after they met as journalism students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Survivors include her husband, her mother, three children: Crystal Olsen of Chicago, Kyle (Anna) Olsen of Athens, Illinois, and Daniel Olsen of Springfield; sisters Margaret (Michael) Grimaldi Junker of Sacramento, Calif., and Cynthia (Timothy) Spiegel of

Park Ridge, Illinois, as well as her beloved grandchildren Addison and Blake. Preceding her in death were her father and brother Victor.

Theresa graduated in 1978 from Proviso West High School in Hillside, Ill., where she was band president, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1982. She earned a master’s in public affairs reporting at

the University of Illinois Springfield and worked as a journalist at newspapers in Chicago Heights, Lafayette, Ind., and Peoria, Ill. She was a freelance writer and taught journalism at Bradley University and Illinois State University. She also worked as a fundraiser and public-

relations professional for Purdue University, The Salvation Army and The Autism Program. Her life was dedicated to serving others, but she considered her most important job to be mother. She nurtured, tutored and advocated for her youngest child, Daniel, as he completed the Blackburn and Beyond program for students with disabilities at Blackburn College in 2025.

Theresa was a vivacious, passionate, smart and loving person who treasured her family and friends. She loved red roses, playing the clarinet and swimming. She used her deep faith in God, warm hugs and easy smile to lift up and encourage everyone around her.

Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. May 20 at Butler Funeral Home and Cremation Tribute Center at 900 S. Sixth St. in Springfield, followed by a funeral service at 4 p.m. officiated by Pastor Micheal Drake. Memorial contributions may be made to Special Olympics Illinois. You can

support the family with meals through GoFundMe at https://tinyurl.com/OlsenMeals.