Albert Carlos Oliver Jr.

The Richmond sports world lost one of its 1950's high school standard bearers as Albert "Brown" Oliver passed away earlier this month. At Thomas Jefferson High School (TJ), Albert was an "All-City" athlete playing football, basketball and baseball. Following his graduation from TJ in '51, "Brown" accepted a full scholarship to play football for the William and Mary Indians. He was drafted while at William and Mary and honorably served in the United States Army. Albert married his high school sweetheart, Sharon Little, and returned to William and Mary to earn his degree. Upon graduation from William and Mary, he and Sharon moved to Richmond's West End to raise a family.

He was an active "force for good," sharing his sports knowledge as a coach of countless teams across multiple sports in the West End of Henrico. And if one of the three sons had an athletic event, there was a pretty good chance that Sharon and Al would be in the stands cheering them on. "Big Brown" (as he was called in the Richmond Newspapers) passed peacefully at his home on the Chickahominy River surrounded by his wife Sharon, three sons, Al, Gray, Erick, and nine grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his mother and father, Albert and Elizabeth Oliver, and sisters, Genevieve Oliver Hughes and Barbara Ann Oliver Sutton.

The Oliver family will receive friends for a "Celebration of Brown's Life" Thursday, February 27, from 4-7 p.m., at Bliley's - Central, 3801 Augusta Avenue, Richmond Virginia. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the JCBVFD Fire and Rescue 3135 Forge Rd., Toano, Virginia 23268.