Joyce Mae Oliver of San Diego, CA, has passed away, leaving behind a family and community who loved her dearly.
A life remembered begins, simply, with the telling.
Joyce spent her working life as ['pharmacy'] — and was, by all accounts, loved by those who knew her best.
Time has its way of binding people together.
Joyce Mae Oliver passed away in Colorado Springs on April 26 2026 at 97 years of age. Beloved wife of John A. Oliver (d. 2017), mother of Mary and George, and grandmother to Shannon Khattak and Mackenzie Oliver, she was an attentive and often hilarious friend to all who knew her. Born in San Diego in 1928, Joyce became an interior designer, a career she pursued until she was 83. Joyce grew up in San Diego and graduated from Hoover High School. While in high school she competed in tennis where she was coached by Wilbur Folsom. A graduate from San Diego State University, she received her BA in the visual arts. She was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority and Mortar Board academic society. After college she worked at the San Diego Design Center where she learned interior design and continued working as an interior designer at Lloyds furniture.In 1954, she met John A. Oliver and they were married in December of that year. She and the children accompanied John to many cities as he pursued a high-level career in pharmacy. During that time, she used her interior design skills many times to create both lovely homes and a sense of continuity for the family. The couple were married for 63 years, until John's death, at age 92.Joyce held leadership positions in various charities and organizations like San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, Thursday Club, English Speaking Union and the Salvation Army. The State of California recognized Joyce as one of the “1991 Women of Dedication” for the vital role she had played as a volunteer in improving the quality of life in the local community.Joyce is survived by daughter Mary Oliver of Amsterdam, NL and son George Oliver daughter-in-law Diane Oliver, and granddaughters Shannon Khattak and Mackenzie Oliver of Colorado.
