John Clarence Oliver entered this world on 10/20/1948, lived life to its fullest, and departed from it - to heaven - on 5/24/2012, with his family at his bedside.

His story began in Lincoln NB where he was born to William Stephen (Bill) and Dorothea Mathilda (Moluf) Oliver. The family moved to Denver, CO, Great Falls, MT, and finally Sacramento, CA, where John entered 7th grade. He graduated from Luther Burbank High School in 1966.

Many friendships formed in high school carried on through all these years, with many more added from his involvement in the Sacramento Capital Strokers Car Club; serving in the Vietnam War; civilian life in Sacramento as a college student, government proof reader, cooper, bus driver; in Whidbey Island WA as a baker, 'Save the Trees' organizer; in Mt. Shasta, CA, as a ski condition reporter, and many more places and occupations too numerous to mention here. John married Patricia Knowlton in Sacramento, and divorced several years later.

Riding the rails was Johns usual form of interstate transit, though when finally confined to a power wheel chair, he experienced far more perilous excursions. He played the guitar, fiddle, and bass, especially enjoying bluegrass and jazz music. He loved to cook, taking truffle making and vegetarian cuisine to new heights. John was an accomplished photographer and loved writing; he was published in Readers Digest, and won a computer in a writing contest. He delighted all with his wide ranging vocabulary and charming sense of humor, always interested in others and never doting on himself. This gracious lifestyle in the face of such a crippling disease inspired all who crossed his path.

The disease, Multiple Sclerosis, was first diagnosed in the late 80s. In 1996, John became very ill, and moved to the adult family home owned by his sister, Carol, in Shelton, and became an active member of the local MS Support Group. He later moved into an apartment and attended Olympic College. As the advance of MS required increasing levels of care, he moved to Maple Glen Assisted Living, then Harstine Island Adult Family Home, and finally, over three years ago, to Shelton Health and Rehabilitation Center. The loving and excellent care he received in each setting, and the encouragement of his close friends in his Christian faith greatly enhanced the quality of John's life as he faced mounting health issues.

On May 24th, John was airlifted from Mason General Hospital to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where a massive kidney infection took his life. His family and friends are so grateful for the very skilled, loving, and respectful care that John received as his life slipped from him.

John was so loved and admired by all who knew him, especially by his family. Those who remain are his mother Dorothy Oliver, and his siblings: Edward Oliver and wife Joyce, Carol Silva and husband Allen, all from Shelton, WA, and Jerry Oliver and wife Maggie Jamison from Sequim, WA.

John was also a beloved uncle to his nieces and nephews: Nichole Kerksieck, Chris Howland and their son Sebastian (Shelton WA), Mike Oliver and his wife Britney (Tumwater WA), Monica Wood, her husband Stephen and their children Jonathan and Simona (Seattle WA), Monte Silva and his wife Anita (Nashville TN), Mark Silva and his children Christina and Christopher (San Rafael and Santa Rosa CA), Mike Oliver (Oroville CA), and Kevin Oliver and his children Chloe and Riley (San Diego CA). He is also survived by his aunt Harriett Probst (Long Beach CA), and many cousins living all over the United States. John was preceded in death by his father William Stephen Oliver and his great nephew Franklin Micah Wood.


'John Stories' may be sent to: thesilvas [at] q [dot] com