James E. Oliver, Sr

James “Jim” Oliver, Sr. passed away on Friday May 6, 2022, at the age of 82 in his hometown of Methuen, Massachusetts at Holy Family Hospital. His battle with serious medical issues in recent years showed his courage in facing life challenges with a smile. With his passing, all his family and friends had the same comment: “He always made me laugh,” and that was his legacy until the end.

Jim attended Woodbury High School in Salem, NH, where he was an avid baseball and football player. There, he met his beautiful wife Mary, who was a cheerleader, and they remained married for over sixty years. After leaving high school, he became a cabinet maker. Later, he became platform supervisor at the Boston Herald, working there for over thirty years to retirement as a proud Teamster. Jim was a devoted father and grandfather - retirement allowed him to spend more time with his family, which he loved most of all.

Jim enjoyed the simple pleasures of life – in his case, ice cream (of varying flavors, but especially buttercrunch), Coke (not just any brand – the ORIGINAL Coke), and Seinfeld (to the point where he knew every episode by heart). He also enjoyed the thrill of gambling – not so much the winnings but the fun atmosphere of the racetrack, or the hope of the slot machine, and even the joy of scratch tickets which gave him immense delight.

Jim was predeceased in death by his parents William and Elsie Oliver.

Jim is lovingly remembered by his wife Mary, and his two sons James, Jr and his wife Penny Oliver and Michael  and his wife Kathy Oliver. Jim is also survived by his four grandchildren Alexander, Zachery, Garrett, and Matthew.

Family and friends are invited to visitation from 10 am to 11 am on Thursday May 12, 2022 at the Goundrey & Dewhirst Funeral Home, 42 Main Street, Salem, NH. Funeral services will follow the visitation at 11:00 am on Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery, Salem, NH. To leave an online condolence, please visit Jim’s tribute page at www.goundreydewhirstfuneral.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James E. Oliver, Sr, please visit our floral store.