Bruce B. Oliver

March 3, 1939 - July 24, 2026

Bruce Barton Oliver, 87, passed away peacefully Friday, July 24, 2026 in West Palm Beach FL.

Born in Clifton Springs, NY he was a resident of Groveville, NJ for many years, before retiring to Florida.

In his youth Bruce participated in civil air patrol and sang in glee clubs. He attended the Naval Academy at Annapolis, became a naval aviator, and flew missions during the Vietnam War.

While  in the Navy, stationed at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, he met and eventually married Jan Parks Oliver (April Jan Parks) December 15, 1960 and loved her to the end.

After his years of service ended, he, his wife and children moved to Groveville NJ, working day jobs and night school at Trenton State College. While he worked toward his degree, his day jobs included corrections officer, driving instructor, social worker, and eventually computer expert, creating his own job (the earliest version of IT), at Woodbridge State School for the Developmentally Disabled (Woodbridge Developmental Center). He was active in the Navy Reserve, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander before retiring.

As a man of faith, Church was an important part of his life. He served as an elder at United Presbyterian Church (formerly Yardville Presbyterian) and frequently helped at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. He was active in the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem. Civic minded, he served on Hamilton Township Planning Committee and was very involved in supporting local politicians over the years. He was an electronics enthusiast (gadget guy!) back when tape-drive was the only kind of computer memory available and VCRs were like giant tape recorders! He was a Phillies Phan and loved a good ball game.

Predeceased by his parents, Lewis M. and Lois Oliver; and his brother Ronald; he is survived by his children, Kim (Tom) Cole, Eric (Jeannie) Oliver, and Jason Oliver; his siblings, Lewis, Nancy, Allan, and Robert; grandchildren, Heather, Devin, Joe, Eleanor, Noah, Benjamin, Isaac, Spencer, Colin, Madelyn, and Victoria; great grandchildren, Lucas and Sophia; as well as many other relatives and dear friends.

Visitation for family and friends will be held on Friday, August 7, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Buklad-Merlino Yardville Memorial, 30 Yardville-Allentown Road, Yardville NJ.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the United Presbyterian Church, 12 Yardville-Hamilton Square Rd., Yardville NJ, 08620.

Interment will follow in Groveville United Methodist Cemetery, 430 Church Street, Groveville NJ.

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