Dennis P. Oliver

Dennis P. Oliver, age 75, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Dennis was born in Passaic and raised in Bloomfield.  He was one of four children to Edward and Sabina Oliver.  While growing up in Bloomfield, Dennis attended St Thomas grammar school, and  Essex Catholic High School - graduating with the class of 1964

Following his graduation from high school, Dennis found work quickly in the field of telecommunications  joining a company called Western Electric.  Dennis worked for Western Electric as a senior economist for approximately thirteen years. During that time, Dennis attended night classes at Rutgers University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree.  Upon graduating Rutgers Dennis continued taking night classes, this time at New York University - where he earned his Master’s Degree in Finance and Accounting and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

In 1979, he accepted a position at AT&T in Morristown, NJ.  Dennis quickly worked his way up to a management position in business sales and marketing.  He eventually left AT&T in the late 80s, and accepted a position with The Rockefeller Group in New York City where he became Senior Vice President of Business Development.  Dennis held this position until his retirement nearly twenty years ago.

As a young man, Dennis enjoyed hanging out with his friends and playing cards.  One night while out with his buddies in Bloomfield, an attractive girl named Rosemary Sulli caught Dennis’ eye.  He was very taken with Rosemary and was extremely persistent about getting her to go out with him.  Rosemary ultimately agreed, and she and Dennis started dating.  Dennis and Rosemary fell in love and were married in 1969 at St Bonaventure Church in Paterson.  The couple honeymooned in Bermuda and settled briefly in Paterson.  While living in Paterson, they welcomed the birth of their first child.  Shortly thereafter, Dennis and Rosemary moved to West Paterson where they purchased their first home.  Dennis and Rosemary welcomed their next two children while living there.  The family then moved to Wayne in 1979 and called it their home for the next forty-two years.

Ever since Dennis was a young boy, he always had a special admiration for the classic cars of the 1950’s and 60’s.  His dream car was the “57 Chevy”.  Dennis loved attending local car shows with his son Marc and his son-in-law Al.  He enjoyed golfing, traveling, and watching movies of all types and genres.  However his greatest passion was spending time with his family.  He and Rosemary cherished fifty-one years of marriage until Rosemary’s passing in December of 2020.  Dennis loved going to fun places with his family on vacation destinations such as Disney, Italy, and Hawaii.  He and Rosemary often took their children camping when they were younger, typically joined by other close friends and their families.  He also frequented amusement parks with his family where Dennis would have just as much fun as his kids!  Over the years, he enjoyed utilizing his company’s corporate tickets to bring his family to sporting events; especially attending many NY Yankees games. While Dennis liked following sports, there was nothing he enjoyed more than coaching little league and practicing sports with his sons.  He loved watching his children’s sports and never missed a single game…he was sure to come home from work early to watch them play!  Broadway shows were another favorite family tradition, usually followed by a special dinner in NYC at Carmine’s or Del Frisco’s.  Holidays and family events were things that Dennis truly looked forward to and often hosted.  He took great pride in his pool..constantly cleaning it, and keeping the water crystal clear. He was always enticing his family and friends to “come swimming - the pool is 88 degrees!!!”

A veracious reader,  Dennis loved to learn about American and world history, science, and the Bible.  He was not only dedicated to his family,  but also to his Christian Faith.  He was raised Catholic, and later became an active member of the Abundant Life Worship Center in Lincoln Park with his wife,  where he was an usher and sang in the church choir on special occasions. He was always willing to lend a helping hand (and crack a joke whenever possible.)

Quite the comedian, Dennis was always the life of the party.  He enjoyed engaging people with his storytelling and wisecracks, bringing laughs and smiles to everyone around him. His family and friends became all too familiar with his one-liners and after awhile could often beat him to the punchline.  Dennis was truly a one of a kind person with a big personality.  He was devoted to his family, and wanted nothing more than to spend time with his children and grandchildren.  Recently he was still mourning the loss of his beloved Rosemary and while we are comforted in the belief they are reunited, he will be sincerely missed by all that knew him.

Dennis is survived by his daughter Taryn Buglione and her husband Albert of Wayne, two sons; Marc Oliver and his wife Hillary of Lake Hiawatha, and Michael Oliver and his wife Alexandra of Maplewood, eight grandchildren; Amelia, AJ, Sierra, Elaina, Isla, Addison, Makenzie, and Everett, two sisters, Helene Jung and her husband Harty of East Hanover, and Elyse Schulze and her husband Richard of Colorado, many nieces, nephews, and life-long friends.  He was predeceased by his brother Edward Oliver in 1963.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a donation in Dennis’ name are asked to consider Abundant Life Worship Center, 103 Jacksonville Rd, Lincoln Park, NJ 07035.http://www.alwclp.org