Robert Marion Oliver III

September 13, 1968 - November 9, 2016

Born in Santa Clara, California, Rob was the elder child of Robert Oliver Jr., and Lauretta (nee Yager) Oliver.

Rob was a gentle giant, always kind and friendly. He was a scholar, athlete, chemist and coach. He was straight-talking, loyal and stoic, a genuine person who strove to do his best in every situation. Rob was a graduate of Clayton Valley High School, the University of California-Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, and Sacred Heart University with a Master of Science in Education.

Specializing in synthetic organic chemistry, Rob was an accomplished scientist who was well-respected by his peers and leaders. He started his chemistry career at Zeneca Agrochemicals where he worked for eight years. In 1998 he moved to Connecticut, where he worked for Pfizer Global R & D for 18 years. He contributed to projects seeking to deliver new medicines for arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and infectious diseases. Among his many scientific achievements, Rob was a coauthor or co-inventor on more than 25 papers and patents.

In his other vocation – athletics – his accomplishments were also impressive. Using his toughness, size, finesse and intelligence Rob was a 3-year starter on his high school varsity basketball team in the ultra-competitive California Interscholastic Federation. He capped his playing career in college, earning the varsity letter at UC-Davis. He followed these successes on the court by coaching; “he was a very gifted coach,” and taught and mentored numerous young men. He was an assistant coach at East Lyme High School for over a decade. For three years he was the head coach at Wheeler High School, where he coached the Lions to the Connecticut state quarterfinals in 2007. For the past three seasons, Rob was the lead-assistant coach for the University of Connecticut-Avery Point’s men’s basketball team. In all of these places, he was respected by officials, valued by his fellow coaches, and loved by his players. Rob cast a long shadow.

Rob passed from this life, suddenly and unexpectedly, but peacefully. All of us who knew him loved him, and we shall miss him dearly.

He is survived by his parents, his sister Stephanie Woolley (Scott), nephew Sean and niece Kelli, as well as many friends from the multiple facets of his life.

Farewell, until we meet again, our dear son, brother, uncle, friend, teammate, colleague and coach. “God needed a power forward and called you home early”

A public memorial service is being planned.

In lieu of flowers Rob’s family requests donations to the UCONN Foundation Avery Point Men’s Basketball (fund #21762)