William Lee Oliver

William Lee Oliver was born December 18, 1944 in Webb City, Missouri. He was the youngest of six children of Atlas and Charlotte Oliver. His mother was a postal worker and his father was a farmer who provided basically all the food for his family from the farm. Bill used to bale hay for one cent a bale back at a time when going to the swimming pool was 12 cents and going to the movies was 10 cents! Being the youngest, he was frequently picked on by his two older brothers and he often laughed at the stories of them scaring him in the dark. Bill was the life of the party both for his siblings and nieces and nephews as they were growing up. He was the fun uncle who always teased them and loved the Sunday afternoon card games and board games.
He attended Alba High School where he skipped a grade and subsequently graduated at 16 years old. He went to work at a nursery in town and loved that work until he was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War. He did not have to go to Vietnam because his two older brothers were already serving there. He served two years in the military at Fort Leonard Wood, and while he enjoyed the experience, that life was not for him. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in Joplin with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, with the plan to be a high school teacher. He furthered his education by attending Kansas State Teachers College (now known as Pittsburg State University) for his graduate degree.
He worked for Alliance Beverage for many years but his true enjoyment came from spending
time with his family. He played all kinds of games with his children and loved coaching them in Pop Warner football, Little League baseball and girls' softball. That competitive spirit was always with him. During his retirement, he loved spending time with his grandchildren, traveling to watch baseball games, March Madness games and Missouri Family reunions.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Cheryl and his four children – Matthew (Lisa), Michael (Brianne), Jake (Tylar) and Kelli (Weston), as well as his "adopted" son, Taju, and thirteen grandchildren. He was a loving Husband, Father, Brother, Brother-in-Law, Uncle and Friend and will always be thought of with a smile.
A visitation will be held at Best Funeral Services West Valley Chapel, 9380 W. Peoria Avenue, Peoria, Arizona on Saturday, December 7, 2024 between 2:00 - 4:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution may be made in his memory to Andre House of Arizona, either online or to P.O. Box 2014, Phoenix, AZ 85001.