William 'Bill' Oliver

William 'Bill' Sherwood Oliver, of Minneapolis, passed away early Tuesday morning, July 29, 2025. He was 56 years old.

Bill was born in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 2, 1968. He graduated from Mayo High School and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, earning bachelor's degrees in psychology and history. Once he arrived at college, he never left the Minneapolis area.

He thoroughly enjoyed the parks, art fairs, the Minnesota State Fair, antique shows, music and especially hiking along the Mississippi River with friends. He also loved biking, camping, gardening, grilling and home renovations.

Bill worked as a hospital psych associate, group home director and crisis intervention counselor-roles he said prepared him for his next career as a real estate agent, which he began in 2012. He always went above and beyond to help clients buy and sell homes: painting walls, assisting with moves, landscaping and even staging homes with his own furniture.

In 2015, Bill bought a houseboat and impressively taught himself everything he needed to know to run and operate his 42-foot boat, Lucy, named after his grandmother. Many friends and family had the unforgettable experience of spending an afternoon on the Mississippi River with Captain Bill-seeing the dam at Fort Snelling and downtown St. Paul from the water was magical, and Bill loved it every time.

After a family trip, Bill fell in love with Hawaii and all things tiki. His boat contains more tiki artifacts than most island bars.

Bill had a rascally sense of humor that included pulling pranks on his parents, telling the same bad jokes for years (despite frequent requests for new material) and generally delighting in being with and entertaining family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, William Newton Oliver, in 2018. He leaves behind his loving mother, Sharon Peterson Oliver; his sister, Jennifer Oliver; his uncle and aunts, Warren and Mary Peterson, Anne Cummins Peterson and Nancy Oliver Tyree; many cousins; and Caitlyn Brenden, who has been like a daughter to him since she was 3 years old.

A celebration of life will be held at Ranfranz & Vine Funeral Home, 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester, MN 55901, on Friday, August 8, 2025. Visitation begins at 1 p.m., with the service at 2 p.m. and a meal to follow.

The celebration will be Hawaiian-themed. We encourage everyone to wear Hawaiian attire or joyful colors to help us celebrate Bill.

Ranfranz and Vine is honored to be serving the Oliver family, to share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com.