PORTAGE | One of the city's first and finest died Friday.

Herb Olson, a former chief of the Portage Police Department and a former city councilman, died Friday in southern Indiana after a boating accident.

Mike Vaughan, Olson's son-in-law and Portage Police Department patrol captain, said Olson, 79, and his best friend had gone on a fishing trip to Vevay in Switzerland County. Family members are unclear as to what happened, but learned that both Olson and his friend ended up in the water. While both were rescued, Olson didn't survive the accident.

"He died doing what he wanted to do. He had a lot of passions, and that was one of them," Vaughan said of his father-in-law's love of fishing.

Olson, a U.S. Army veteran, was working in a local steel mill when he heard about the then-town of Portage forming its first police department in 1959. Olson was hired, becoming Portage Police Department Unit 5. Working his way up through the ranks, Olson served 32 years and was chief from 1988 to 1992. He retired from the department after stepping down as chief and then served one term on the City Council.

"Herb was a very gentle person, a very professional person. He was kind. People loved to talk to him," said Vaughan, adding that Olson, who was called "Poppa" by his family.

"It boils down to his love for people, and, through that love of people, it turned into a passion for the city," Vaughan said. Olson was the brother of the city's first mayor, Arthur Olson, and uncle to recent mayor Doug Olson.

Olson's love of his family knew no bounds, Vaughan said. He attended as many events involving his grandchildren as he could, traveling as far as California or southern Indiana for the milestones and other accomplishments in their lives.

Vaughan said Olson also will be remembered as a man who loved to garden and tend to his yard. He loved to cook, a trade he learned in the Army.

Olson is survived by his wife of 54 years, Jeanette, four children -- David Olson, of Corona, Calif.; Cynthia Hoffman, of Lawrenceburg, Ind.; Debra Davis, of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Barbara Vaughan, of Portage -- 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. at Rees Funeral Home, 5341 Central Ave., and funeral services are at 10 a.m. Thursday at the First Presbyterian Church, 6225 Lute Road.