Laurel W Oliver

Laurel Ann Weber was born in Seattle in 1927 and passed away at home on Bainbridge Island, nearly 98 years later. Her childhood and youth were affected by the Depression and World War II, but she felt she had “a very lucky life.”

At age 12 she dreamed of "having a box you could ask questions of, and it would give you the answer." She marveled she lived to see such a thing. Laurel graduated from Roosevelt HS (Seattle) in 1944 and from the UW in 1948. As the story went, she met Bob Oliver (Bainbridge HS 1942) on a ski trip, where she caught his eye when she bought her own cup of coffee. She cycled through Europe, studied at the Univ of Mexico, and followed Bob to Boston. They married in 1953 after she had typed his graduate school dissertation--Bob claimed he married her for her typewriter and the $40 in her bank account. They spent 10 years in southern California, then moved to Bethesda, Maryland where their kids grew up.

Laurel was independent and ahead of her time, raising her children to "Do what you want, but make sure you can care for yourself and anyone you are responsible for." No one loved going to school more than Laurel. While raising 3 children she obtained two master’s degrees and a PhD in psychology (Univ of MD). She also did all the homemaker things—was a Girl Scout leader, cooked breakfast every day, and with Bob packed the car for camping and extensive road trips, taking the family all over the US, Canada and Europe. Her professional career didn’t begin until she was in her late 40s, but she thrived as a research psychologist at the Army Research Institute. She was kind and generous, ate dessert only if it involved piles of whipped cream, and could outwalk anyone. She and Bob went to many places in the world, once traveling to see the 2001 total solar eclipse from a boat off Madagascar. They cheered on their grandson and the Bainbridge 2001 Little League World Series team, retired to Bainbridge Island, and saw two grandchildren graduate from BHS.

A voracious reader, Laurel was a longtime volunteer at the BI Friends of the Library. She treasured Bob for 60 years and missed him “every minute of every day” after his death in 2013.

Laurel is survived by her children Lynn (Sam Sharar) of Bainbridge Island, Diane, Jim (Brigitte Kanter), grandchildren (Rudy, Rebecca, Claire, Henry, Hayden) and great-granddaughters (Malia, Simone, Noemi). In her memory, read a book or read one to someone you love. She was the best, and we were lucky to have her.

Arrangements entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island, WA.