Olaf Harken, 80

Pewaukee, Wis.

Olaf Theodore Harken, 80, passed away Oct. 21, 2019. He was born May 6, 1939 in Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia. Olaf died where he lived most of his adult life, in Pewaukee Wisconsin.

Olaf and his older brother, Peter, created the hugely successful rope handling business that bears their name, by working hard, delivering excellence, and having fun every day.

Harken, Inc. makes marine hardware, hydraulics and winch systems for racing and cruising sailboats of all types and sizes. Industrial hardware applications include the commercial marine, architectural, and rope access and rescue industries.

Olaf was born of Dutch and Swedish parents in Indonesia at the beginning of World War II. By 1946 the family had emigrated to San Francisco, Calif. After studying at Georgia Tech, Olaf took an engineering job in New York City, but in 1967 he returned to Wisconsin to help Peter build boats for the college market.

Inside the office were a couple of doors on saw horses used as desktops, an old typewriter, a telephone and a file cabinet. A plastic sheet separated the offices from the fiberglass and assembly area. Marketing consisted of all-night drives with Peter at the wheel and Olaf typing brochures in the back seat of an old Chevy wagon. That first year they made a combined $3,800. The Harkens aren’t sure exactly when the turnabout happened, but Olaf the engineer ended up running the business side of Harken Inc., with Peter the economist handling design and production.

Olaf is survived by his wife of 47 years, Ruth, three daughters, four granddaughters, and one grandson.