Keith W. Oliver Obituary (1938 - 2016)

Keith Walter Oliver, age 77, of Menomonie, WI passed away on the morning of January 23, 2016 at the Neighbors of Dunn County Care Center. Keith was born February 16, 1938 in Milwaukee, WI to Walter and Lucille (Halpin) Oliver. He lived in Milwaukee until the 2nd grade, when he moved to Menomonie. After high school, he moved to Minneapolis. Keith graduated from Menomonie High School in 1956, where he was elected senior class president. He was also given the Alumni Award, considered to be the highest honor granted to a high school student. This achievement was particularly remarkable for Keith, as he had to overcome considerable obstacles in his early and teen years. From there he served proudly in the Wisconsin National Guard and the United States Air Force, receiving an honorable discharge after four years of dedicated service. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business at the University of Minnesota in 1969. Later, he was president of the church council of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in north Minneapolis for six years. Keith enjoyed a long and successful career. He worked as a field maintenance engineer at Honeywell for five years. He then moved on to become a defense systems diagnostic programmer at Unisys. He finished his career as a quality systems manager at both Unisys and Computype before retiring in 2000. He married Bonnie Wyss of Boyceville, WI in 1958 and they have shared their lives for 57 years. They lived in Brooklyn Center, MN for 36 years before returning to Menomonie. The Olivers owned a cabin on Pine Island Lake in Cushing, MN. The cabin was a home away from home, where everyone that traveled there was made to feel like family. A guest book kept there was filled with messages of appreciation for the wonderful food, sunset pontoon cruises, campfires, and company. Keith was a teacher and a protector; a wise and kind father. He could usually be found reading something – it could be a recipe for lamb, a science fiction book, or beginning calculus. He took interest in a wide variety of subjects, even taking up the saxophone in his 60s. He was a man of integrity, intelligence and great humor. He will live on in the hearts of all who knew him, and will be greatly missed. Keith is survived by his wife, Bonnie of Menomonie; daughters Kaye Oliver of Brooklyn Center, MN; and Amy Oliver of Becker, MN; son, Martin Oliver of Monticello MN; grandsons Hayden Oliver and Jack Oliver of Monticello, MN; granddaughter, Grace Oliver of Becker, MN; half-brother Tom Wilda of Eau Claire, WI; and his grandsons’ mother and family friend, Julie Hollenbeck of Monticello, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers John Oliver and Richard Oliver, and half-brother Charles Vasey. Visitation will be on Thursday, January 28th from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at Olson Funeral Home, 615 Wilson Ave., Menomonie, WI and at the church one hour prior to the service on Friday. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am Friday, January 29th at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1039 Nordveien Drive, Boyceville, WI.