David LeClair Olgaard

David Olgaard, 65 of Houston, TX, died at home on July 9, 2021. Dave was born in Cooperstown, ND on February 17 1956, to Ralph and Senora Olgaard.  

He was a member of the class of 1978 of Cornell University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction. He was awarded a Ph.D. in Geophysics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985. Following graduation, Dave went to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich Switzerland on a fellowship. He then continued his rock mechanics research at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia before returning to ETH for an academic position in the rock mechanics lab for another 9 years. In 1998, after accepting a position at ExxonMobil as a senior research scientist, he returned to the US and remained there until he retired in 2015. 

He was an avid runner, completing many marathons and mountain races. He also enjoyed travel and cycling. He participated in the MS 150 bike ride multiple times and volunteered at Free Wheel Houston, an organization donating bikes to those in need. Baseball was a life long passion and he became an Astros fan after moving to Houston.  

He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Lisa Dell’Angelo, his daughter Isabella Olgaard, his mother Senora Olgaard, brother Paul Olgaard and sister Janece Ewart. 

A reception celebrating Dave’s life at Bradshaw Carter (1734 West Alabama) is planned for Thursday July 15, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Please consider a donation in Dave’s memory to one of these organizations, which were meaningful to Dave.

https://freewheelshouston.org/

http://www.drmarnierose.org/

https://giving.mit.edu/explore/schools/science/eaps?categoryId=DP%2CDPEP