John B. "Jack" Oliver of Rochester, Vermont, passed away peacefully
of natural causes at the Residences at Thomas Circle, a geriatric-care
facility in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2010. He was 91 years old. Jack
Oliver was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 27, 1919, the
son of Augustus Kountze Oliver and Margaretta Wood Oliver.
He attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated
from Yale University, in the class of 1941, where he was the captain of
the squash team. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy aboard the
<MI>USS Plunkett<D> in World War II and entered the U.S.
State Department after the war. Shortly thereafter, he took a job as an
analyst for the fledgling Central Intelligence Agency, where he worked
until 1970. After that he worked briefly for Ralph Nader and the
Investors Responsibility Research Center before retiring to Vermont in
1980.
In his leisure time, he enjoyed playing golf and tennis, a game in which
he was known for a particularly nasty backhand slice. He also enjoyed
sitting on the deck of his Rochester home and watching the sun set
beyond the mountains of central Vermont.
He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Nancy N. "Bobbie" Oliver, four
children - Gus, Lisi, Peter, and John B. Jr., also known as Bim - as
well as three stepchildren, Lisa, Nina, and Chip Chapin and two
grandchildren, Lily Oliver and Matthew Oliver. A memorial service will
be held in Rochester, Vermont.
