Dorothy (Adams) Oliver

"The End Of A Perfect Day"

In Loving Memory Of Dorothy Adams Oliver
December 25, 1938 - December 25, 2019
"A Perfect Beginning -- A Perfect End"

On Wednesday, December 25, 2019, Dorothy Adams Oliver, proud, loving mother of two beautiful daughters, and GRANDmother of six -- passed away after 81 well-spent years of life. And so today, we are moved by the holy spirit to celebrate the completion of her earthly journey.  Her much deserved eternal sleep now affords her a chance to reunite with family and friends she has not seen in a long time: her parents, Marcellus and Louise Adams; husband, Robert Louis Oliver; brother, Luther Edward Grier; and Grandson, Xavier Ontario McFarlin.

On December 25, 1938, God in his infinite wisdom staged the perfect beginning of a new life -- commanding the sun to rise on Dorothy Adams, daughter of the late Marcellus and Louise Grier Adams.  Only an all-knowing God would choose the same day Christians the world over remember the birth of Jesus, to bring forth such a bright star;  to have her sojourn here; touch the lives of her children, grandchildren, church, and community; and ultimately summon her home on that very same day exactly 81 years later.  December 25, 2019 was the perfect conclusion to this extraordinary life… The End of a Perfect Day...

At the dawning of her day, she was born beautiful and intelligent; a rare and precious gift from God to our little corner of the world.  Perhaps one of her proudest accomplishments was graduating from Randolph County Training School in 1957, the Salutatorian of her class; gifted with a strong mind, she would later graduate from West Georgia Technical College in 1994.

Around mid-morning, she found true love in the late Robert Louis Oliver and married him on August 4, 1962.

As morning transitioned to mid-day, "Dot" as we lovingly called her, was well on her way on the journey into motherhood... dedicated to rearing two fine daughters, Alesia O. McFarlin and Robin O. (Felix) Bell who both reside in Roanoke.  God also saw fit to equip her with a heart big enough to make room from an adopted son, Dennis L. Baker.   

Dot was not the kind of woman who let the grass grow under her feet.  At noonday, she was in the prime of her life, laboring on two fronts -- the commercial and the spiritual.  As she held down jobs with the Palm Beach Company and Roanoke Health Care Center she was also serving as Financial Secretary and Assistant Clerk at Saint Paul Baptist Church and in later years as a member of the Senior Choir, Vice President of the Missionary Society, and Church Announcer at Canaan Missionary Baptist Church.      

Along the way, Dot made a lot of friends who adored her.   Among her many friends two of them -- Sharon Joiner and Janice Roper -- had a special place in her life.  

In the afternoon of her life -- when many are slowing down -- Dot was still hard at work being a loving grandmother to Raven D'Janeen McFarlin, Kawana (Pastor Terry) Tucker, Felix (Mary) O'neal, Jason (Tiffany) Bell and Xavier McFarlin (deceased); and great-granddaughter A'Neilya McFarlin. 

Other family members who also share in this tremendous loss to this family are a sister-in-law, Annette Oliver, several nieces and nephews and a very special great-great-nephew Jaxon Ryan Lovette.

As evening overtook the day, Dot probably realized that "It's getting late in the evening and the sun is going down." But she was not ready to conclude her day yet.  She persisted in general, working with several community organizations, and in particular the Randolph County Training School Reunion. 

As late evening drew near, Dorothy continued to love reading and learning; to keep her mind alert by enjoying facebook games; to love her alma mater and to revisit school days. It can truly be said of her that the only thing she loved more than R.C.T.S., was her family

Dot enjoyed facebook, and just as an example of how her giving spirit was always reflected in everything she did; last year, at Christmas time, she held a birthday fundraiser on Facebook for St. Jude Children's Hospital.   That's just the kind of person she was.

Dorothy A. Oliver was looked upon with favor by everyone around her, and everyone who knew her; and her daughters Robin and Alesia and each of her grandchildren are a perfect reflection of her.

One might ask: “But, how would Dorothy want us to remember her;" and how will Dorothy be genuinely remembered by those who loved her?  We catch a glimpse in the words of the poem "My Granny" so sweetly penned by her granddaughter, Raven.  Raven speaks of her granny's touch, her smile, her love, her eyes, her laughter, her words -- warm and wise; joy -- kindness -- and compassion in her embrace.   These are the things we will all remember about "Dot."

Instead of being sad that she had to transition, we choose to rejoice in her having lived a full life-- one that spanned well beyond the promised threescore and ten.  Now, she is at peace.  And it is well with our souls.

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