MONTROSS—Eric Winfield Oliver, 81, of Montross passed away on Sunday, October 22, 2023, at home.
Born in Lancaster on July 16, 1942, he was the son of the late Luther Calvin Oliver and the late Myrtle Virginia Smith Oliver and the widower of Linda May Bethea Oliver, his wife of 46 years.
Eric was a retired mechanic and a proud veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. He was a member of Currioman Baptist Church, where he served many roles, including that of deacon.
Always active—even in retirement, Eric was never too busy to make time for the people he cared about. This included his family, of course; his neighbors and friends; church family; and his childhood friends.
A true country gentleman, Eric was always outdoors. In his younger years he enjoyed hunting and fishing, but in his 80s he was still firing up his tractor, doing yard work and cutting his own firewood. He loved taking walks in the woods with his granddaughter Emma and he and his grandson Eric enjoyed spending time hanging out and going for ice cream.
Eric was always the first one to arrive at church and his welcoming smile made everyone feel cared about. One of the most remarkable things about Eric was his commitment to keeping in touch with his friends from childhood. Throughout his Coast Guard service, his move to Montross and working and raising his family, Eric never lost touch with the people who knew him best. He was the glue that held these folks close and all of us are better for having him in our lives.
Chief among the many people who will miss Eric are his family, his son, William Calvin Oliver and his daughter-in-love Patricia “Tricia” Anne Oliver; his beloved grandchildren, Emma Grace Oliver and Eric Pryce Oliver; his brother, Luther Glenn Oliver; his nieces and nephews; his dear cousins, Ann Carter and William “Billy” Smith; his lifelong best friends, Willard Lee “Butch” Duval, Ralph Harcum, David Courtney, Thomas Hayden, Dan Courtney, Kaye Shelton, Thomas Clark, Johnny Clark, Joyce Williams, Malachi Stevens, Selena Lewis and Gayle Stevens; the members of his church family; and his neighbors in Montross.
A celebration of Eric’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 27, at Currioman Baptist Church with the Rev. Bobby Greene officiating and pastor Wade Wilkins as eulogist.
In lieu of flowers the family would really appreciate donations in Eric’s loving memory to either The American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or to the Richmond Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Hospital (made out to the Department of Veterans Affairs) at Center for Development & Civic Engagement 135, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard., Richmond, VA 23249.
