Roll Call Tribute

Published in TheAdvocate.com (Baton Rouge LA) from Nov. 20 to Nov. 23, 2015

Olin K. Dart Ph.D.
Born November 20, 1932, in Syracuse, New York, Olin died at home on Wednesday November 18, 2015. He was 82 and a longtime resident of Baton Rouge. Services will be at 6 pm Monday, November 23, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge, followed by an informal celebration of his life, a potluck dinner, immediately following in St. Luke's Pope Hall. Olin received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Cornell University and his doctorate from Texas A&M in traffic engineering. He was a professor of Civil Engineering at LSU from 1966-1983 and Professor Emeritus from 1984-1988. He was a member of Chi Epsilon, a national civil engineering honor society, from 1953-2015. He received the Director's Emeritus Award of the Alliance Safety Council after 40 years of service on the Board. He was a member of the Capitol Region Planning Commission 1975 to present. He was a traffic accident consultant, 1966 to present, in nine states and all 64 Louisiana parishes. He received the Louisiana Engineering Society award for Louisiana's Most Promising Engineer in 1968. He loved his church, St. Luke's Episcopal, so very much and was a member there since 1966. He sang in the choir every Sunday as a lifelong Episcopalian. An avid tennis player his entire life, you could find him on the courts three times a week. He participated in the Senior Olympics June 2011. Olin was also a member of Kiwanis Club of LSU, 1978 to present. He received Kiwanis's Walter Zeller Fellowship Award in 2012. He was a member of the Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus as a 2nd tenor from 1988-2011. He participated in the chorus's European Tour, summer of 1989. He was named the Outstanding Member in 2003. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Ruby Bloxom Dart, and daughters Catherine A. Dart and Felicia L. Dart, grandson Ryan C.D. Desselle and son-in-law Bruce Desselle, sisters Evelyn Douty and Carol Markham, brothers-in-law Robert Douty and Robert Markham, special aunt Lela Bloxom Alexander, sisters-in-law Ann Bloxom Smith and Patricia Vandiver Bloxom, nieces and nephews Steve Douty (Charline), Susan Kreitler (Jim), Paul Markham, Craig Markham (Elena), Jacob Smith (Sarah Jessica), Walter Smith, Amy Williams (Christopher), and Mary Katherine Grubbs (Larry). He also had numerous great-nieces and great-nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Olin K. Dart Sr. and Hanna H. Dart, uncle Roy Dart and aunt Margaret Dart, uncle James Alexander, and brother-in-law Charles Bloxom. In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Luke's Episcopal Music Department can be sent to 8833 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge LA 70806.