Frank R. Oliver

Frank R. Oliver, a pioneer and innovator in the frozen food industry of Watsonville has passed away unexpectedly at Watsonville Community Hospital Sunday, April 22, 2012. He was 87.

Frank was an innovator in the Frozen Food Processing industry. He was instrumental in developing Freeze dried fruits for Post Cereal.  He owned and operated Frank S. Oliver and Son, a grower, shipper and processer of strawberries and other fruits and vegetables for many years.  

Frank was born and raised in Watsonville, just like the Oliver family has since the 1800s. He attended local schools, including, Moreland Notre Dame, E.A. Hall and Minte White Middle Schools, Amesti School, and graduated from Watsonville High School class of 1943. After graduating high school, Frank joined in the US Army for four years in WWII. He traveled to many places during his service to his country but spent a large majority of it in India. Frank attended Santa Clara University after he completed his service.   

In 1948 he married Shirley Ann Busch with whom he had two children, Lynn Marie Oliver and F. Michael Oliver. Sadly, Shirley passed away in 1984 from cancer. He married his second wife, Yvonne Meinberg Rader in 1989.

 Frank was very active in the community throughout his life. Even as a young child he was a member of the Boy Scouts and a number of groups in the schools he attended, such as the baseball and basketball teams and rally committee. This passion for being a part of an organization of change continued into his adulthood. He belonged to the Watsonville Chamber of Commerce for many years, Western Frozen Food Association, he was a founding father of the California Strawberry Advisory Board , and a member for over 25 years and eventual chairman of the Processing Strawberry Advisory Board  and belonged to the Elks Club to name just a few of the many. He belonged to groups through Assumption Church and Valley Catholic Church. At Assumption Church he was the president of the Men’s Club for two years and the organist for three years. He was also the organist at Valley Catholic Church for over 10 years.

Frank’s love of traveling to new and exciting places extended far throughout his life. He traveled all over the world to Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and all over Central America. He also enjoyed traveling all over the United States, not just for sightseeing but as a U.S. ambassador for developing food processing systems in undeveloped countries

Frank is survived by his wife, Yvonne Oliver; children Lynn Oliver Gonzalez her husband Bill Gonzalez and F. Michael Oliver and his wife Leandra Canion Oliver; sister, Marilyn Gile and her husband, Ron of Las Altos, nieces, Michelle Caston, Susan Beck and nephew, Todd Gile and families; step-children, Julie Anne Mattea, James Rader Jr. wife April and Andrea Marie Rader; grandchildren, Christy Gonzalez (Luis) Cabrera, William (Windy) Gonzalez III, BillyJ (Esmeralda) Oliver, Sarina Francesca Oliver, Justin Marshall, Nicholas Marc Mattea, Sam Mitchell Mattea, Peter Nicholas Mattea, Alexandra Rose Rader, Janelle Marie Rader, Constance Marie Rader, Ellen Catherine Rader, Alea Jones, Benjamin Jones and Brittney Jones; and numerous great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Shirley Ann Oliver and his parents, Frank and Elsie Oliver.

Frank was loved by all who had the privilege to meet him and will be greatly missed. He was a loving father, husband, grandfather and great grandfather.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been set up in Frank’s memory at the Monte Vista Christian High School. Please send donations to Monte Vista Christian High School c/o Frank R. Oliver Fund, 2 School Way, Watsonville, CA 95076

A memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Valley Catholic Church on Tuesday, May 1st at 11 a.m. Private interment services will be held at a later date. Mehl’s Colonial Chapel has been entrusted with funeral arrangements.

For the complete article see the 04-26-2012 issue.

Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 04-26-2012 paper.

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