Dana Oliver

Dana lived life to its fullest, and she always led with her heart. She was an avid reader from the start – she entered school at the second grade instead of the first, impressing the principal by reading from a memo on his desk, upside down. The middle child, with an older brother and younger sister, she quickly learned to hold her own by always capturing and remembering the good, and accepting the bad as “that’s part of life, leave it behind and keep moving forward.”

Always open to change, she entered college as a business major, and graduated with a degree in chemistry. Along the way, she made life-long friends that, like herself, were never part of the “in crowd.” She loved animals, and provided a loving home to strays as she made her career as an environmental chemist along Louisiana’s industrial river belt.

It was during this time that she met the love of her life, David Oliver. He describes her as “A true Renaissance Woman. Strong, fearless, able to both stand on her own and be an equal partner in marriage. The embodiment of the feminist ideal.” She not only loved to read, she loved to write, and for a time she wrote for the South Baton Rouge Journal. To her, being published was a much higher accomplishment than anything she did as a chemist. Family always came first: she and David raised two amazing sons, shifting careers so they could home school them when the public system proved inadequate.

They moved to Kentucky and started a tax preparation business together, acquiring a bedding store from a customer along the way. Her positive attitude toward life guided the family through her battle with colon cancer, after which she lived another 14 active years until its recurrence. Through it all, she and David were always inseparable. According to her niece “They’ve always been such lovebirds through every season of life. Their love is something that should be written about. Honestly seeing them love each other my entire life has showed me what is deserved and nothing less. I know she’s probably hanging on with everything she has just for one more smooch with her man.” Should everyone be so lucky.

She had a plethora of hobbies besides reading. She enjoyed weekend trips of adventure whether just keeping company with David as he went to a training camp or seeing local and distant sights. When the children were young she was often the driving force organizing many camping trips, many only an hour away. Before marriage she enjoyed painting and was an avid scuba diver. Once married she enjoyed hiking, crafting stained glass and bicycle rides. Her longest bike ride was 40 miles. She earned a certification to captain a 30’ sailboat. She approached cooking as she approached art and life, recipes were merely suggestions, jumping off points.

Dana S. Oliver passed away on Monday, January 26, 2026. She was born on June 25, 1956 in Port Sulphur, LA, the daughter of the late Oliver G. and Maxie R. (Harper) Salinovich. She is survived by her beloved husband David, their sons Nicholas Oliver (Jade) and Thomas Oliver, her sister Libby Martin, her niece Danica Collins (Luke), her nephews Theo Martin and Tony Martin, and her grandnephew Landon Collins. She is preceded in death by her parents, and her brother Jonathan Salinovich.

The family would like to thank Baptist Health Louisville, especially her Palliative care team and Hosparus Hospice for their amazing supportive care. A celebration of Dana's life will be held Friday, February 13th at Centerpointe Christian Church, 865 Greendale Rd, Lexington. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 o'clock with the service immediately afterwards.

No flowers please. Instead of flowers or plants please make a donation honoring Dana to Baptist Health Louisville Palliative Care:
https://tinyurl.com/DanaPalliativeCare A Visitation will be held on February 13, 2026, from 01:00 AM to 03:00 AM at Centerpointe Christian Church 865 Greendale Rd. Celebration of Dana's Life held immediately afterwards