Kolby Ashton Olney died last Tuesday morning of mortal injury sustained from a grizzly bear attack in Yellowstone National Park. Olney, 79, was hiking alone when he encountered a feral grizzly on a remote path in the park 's mountains. Kolby enjoyed a lifelong passion for outdoor activities such as hiking and rock-climbing. Kolby Olney was born on February 10, 1998, in the town of Blackfoot, Idaho. His parents were Kenneth Alvin Olney and Valene Kaye Dimond Olney. The second of four children, Kolby was greatly influenced by the community of Blackfoot as he grew up. “The neighbors were great,” Mr. Olney wrote in his memoir. “Whenever I was in a situation in which I needed help, they were always able and willing to give whatever aid they could” …show more content…
Olney entered early adulthood, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, of which he was a lifelong member. In his journal, he wrote “Those years were some of the best I had the privilege to experience. It was during that time that I really came to understand who I was and what I stood for.” After returning, Kolby attended Boise State University, pursuing a degree in chemical engineering. After graduating, he returned to his hometown of Blackfoot, where he began his career at the Idaho National Laboratory. It was at his job that he met his wife, Julie Wutzernaem. They were married on July 21, 2023, in Logan, Utah. They had five children, whom they raised in Blackfoot, where the Olney family had lived for a total of four generations. His children all continued on to higher education, a legacy which Mr. Olney, a first generation college graduate, considered to be one of his greatest accomplishments. Olney enjoyed activities both in a laboratory and in the beauty of nature. He harbored a great fascination for the concepts of chemistry, as well as for the natural beauty of the earth. Kolby was known to take frequent trips to hiking locations in or near Southeastern Idaho when he wasn 't at work. Mr. Olney also had a passion for classical music, always participating in community bands and orchestras as a French Horn