Dorothy L. Oliver of Montclair, New Jersey died on Election Day, Tuesday November 6, 2012, at Lexington Health Care Center in Lexington, MA. Mrs. Oliver gave over 30 years of service to the League of Women Voters, serving on the Board of Directors in Philadelphia, PA and Sparta, NJ before her election as the first African American president of the LWV of Montclair NJ in the National League’s 75th Anniversary Year. She also served as treasurer and chief financial officer of the New Jersey League of Women Voters, as State Director from 1997 to 1999, and as statewide membership chair. Mrs. Oliver was also chairperson of the Montclair voter registration project that won the “Special Project Award 2003-2005-Making Democracy Work”, from the LWV-New Jersey.

Born on September 20, 1935 in Elmore, Alabama, she grew up in Springfield, Mass. She held a B.S. in Accounting from Hampton University 59′, an M.B.A from the Fairleigh Dickinson University Graduate School of Business and a certificate for post-graduate work at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. As a career accountant with the U.S. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service, New Jersey District, she conducted on-site income tax examinations with Fortune 500 corporations. Mrs. Oliver also worked as an adjunct college professor for Gibbs College and Corporate College Services in addition to serving as a tax consultant.

Dedicated to ensuring fairness and equal education for children of all races in public schools, she served as an elected member of the Byram Township, N.J. Board of Education. She received a Distinguished Achievement Award as a Citizen Volunteer in 1985 from the Montclair, N.J. Board of Education. She was a Trustee for the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1999 and active member of the First United Methodist Church, Montclair. As a member of the Board of Directors of the Montclair North Essex YWCA from 1970, she served terms as vice president and treasurer.

She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; and in 1984 became a charter member of the AKA’s Omicron Xi Omega Chapter in Montclair that was dedicated to social change projects including voter registration drives.

She is survived by her former husband, Dr. Henry Oliver Jr., daughter, Sherryl D.Taylor and her husband Michael Taylor; sons, Stephen D. Oliver; and David Oliver and his wife Chiranit Prateepasen Oliver, and three grandchildren, Joshua Taylor, Jessica Taylor and Nyles Oliver.

The Funeral Service will be from 11AM-12Noon on Saturday, November 17 at Dickinson-Streeter Funeral Home, 303 State St., Springfield, MA 01105. The viewing will be from 9 AM-11AM, prior to the service. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery, Springfield, MA. The repast will be from 3:00-6:00 PM at Trinity United Methodist Church, 361 Sumner Ave., Springfield, MA 01108. Condolences: Oliver Family c/o 750 Belmont Street, Watertown, MA 02472. Memorial contributions may be made to the League of Women Voters Montclair, NJ at http://montclairarea.nj.lwvnet.org/ donate_form.html or to LWV-Montclair Area, P.O. Box 43294, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043.