David D. Oliver

David Donovan Oliver, age 71, of Little Chute passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 following a nearly two-year battle with lung cancer. Dave was born on May 3, 1953 to Walter ‘Don’ and Joann (Colville) Oliver. He married Diane Andres on March 26, 1977 at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Little Chute.

Dave was born in Chicago, IL before moving to Menasha, WI where he attended school. He later joined the Navy as a cook and was fond of saying “I served in the Navy, but never set foot on a ship”. In his later years Dave became increasingly proud of his service and the veteran community, capped off by taking part in the Old Glory Honor Flight in 2023 with his son, Josh.

Dave had a long and successful career in a variety of roles including auto technician before co-founding Andres Machine Service, Inc. in Kaukauna, WI. Throughout his career Dave had a way of embracing younger workers to teach them the trade and offer countless tips and tricks.

Dave was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. Dave was particularly fond of vacations with his family, some of which included trips to Florida, Hawaii and a train tour in Canada. He also enjoyed ‘Boys Trips’ with his two sons to Las Vegas, New Orleans for a Packer game and Breckenridge, Colorado for a hot air balloon ride of a lifetime. Whenever asked if he was excited for an upcoming event he would quip “I don’t get excited”, but when the time arrived you could always see the smile in his eyes. This was especially true when reconnecting with old friends and when he got the opportunity to visit his son and grandchildren in Florida.

Over the past 15 years, anybody who knew Dave would also likely know about his Camaro. He enjoyed driving to car shows throughout the region to experience different parts of our state, but what he enjoyed most was being able to take people for a ride. Dave quickly ran out of room on his shelf to display the dozens of trophies he won, with ‘Bumblebee’ being as appreciated by the kids as the avid car enthusiast.

Dave will be greatly missed by his wife, Diane; children: Joshua (Jacqueline) Oliver, Ashwaubenon and Nickolis (Sarah) Oliver, Boca Raton, FL; grandchildren Wesley, Lila, Grant and Ashton Oliver. Dave is further survived by his sister Ann (Lou) Lepore, Menasha; Diane’s siblings: Lynn Van Asten, Kimberly, Steve (Lori) Andres, Little Chute, and Peter (Lynn) Andres, Marco Island, FL. Dave is further survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents, Don & Joann; his sister, Dale; his brother-in-law, Doug Beard; his in-laws Dave & Shirley Andres; and his brother-in-law, Mike Van Asten.

Visitation for Dave will be held Saturday, December 14, 2024 at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church (411 Vandenbroek St, Little Chute) from 10:00 am until time of Mass at 12:00 pm. The Rev. Ron Belitz will officiate.

The Oliver family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at St. Elizabeth Cancer Center and Unity Hospice that have done all in their power. The sincere kindness they showed is greatly appreciated