OBITUARY – “LAWRENCE OLIVER, 90, DIES; RETIRED BUSINESS EXECUTIVE – Mr. Lawrence Oliver (aka. Lourenço Oliveira – ed.) of 815 Armada Terrace, a retired San Diego business executive, philanthropist, and leader of the local Portuguese Community, who worked his way up from a delivery boy to President of a company, died Monday in his home. He was 90 years old. A naturalized U.S. Citizen from Calheta Nesquim, Pico, Azores, Portugal; Mr. Oliver came to this country in 1903 (having paid $5 to be smuggled out when he was a 16-year-old – ed.) and worked in cotton mills in Massachusetts, and then on a farm in Chico, California, before arriving in San Diego in 1906. He received his education at the local public schools and worked for banking concerns, and later the Western Metal Supply Company (delivering, and now part of the third-base line of Petco Park, home of the MLB Padres – ed.) before going to AMERICAN FISHERIES, a wholesale fish market at the foot of E Street, again working as a delivery boy. He rose to the position of Manager of the company (now known as AMERICAN PROCESSING CO.), and later purchased an interest in the firm and became its President in 1922.
Mr. Oliver later served on the Board of Directors of several illustrious firms, including; the San Diego Gas & Electric Co., the local chapter of the American Red Cross, the San Diego Zoological Society, the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, and U.S. National Bank (now Crocker National Bank). He was also well-known for his raising of prize Hereford cattle at his Descanso Ranch.
A past President of the United Portuguese Society (U.P.E.C.? – ed.) of California, Mr. Oliver also was active in the San Diego Elks Lodge, Knights of St. Gregory, San Diego Rotary Club, St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, and U.P.E.C. (i.e. União Portuguesa do Estado da California, or Portuguese Union of the State of California – ed.) and I.D.E.S. (i.e. Irmandade do Divino Espírito Santo, or Brotherhood of the Divine Holy Spirit – ed.), the latter both Portuguese-American organizations (He was the 1940 founder and first President of the Portuguese-American Social & Civic Club, our U.P.S.E.S. Hall’s oldest tenant – ed.). Mr. Oliver also served in the U.S. Navy during World War I (and late in life, self-published his autobiography book “Never Backward”, a worthy read for several reasons – ed.).
Surviving are his beloved wife, MARY (MILLER) OLIVER, a daughter, Mrs. DORIS PORTO of San Diego; two sons, Mr. NORMAN OLIVER of San Diego, and RICHARD OLIVER of Colorado Springs, CO.; and a sister, Mrs. MARY L. BRUM of San Diego, and 12 grandchildren.
A celebration mass will be at 9:00 am today in Holy Cross Mausoleum Chapel with the most Reverend Leo T. Maher, Bishop of the San Diego Roman Catholic Diocese, as celebrant. Entombment will follow in the mausoleum under the direction of Goodbody’s Ivy Chapel.”
(*Source: San Diego UNION & Daily Bee newspaper – Thursday, September 29, 1977 – P. 14 w/Pic)
Editorial Comment: With apologies for yet another “insert” into this Obituary (primarily meant for respectful remembrance rather than a complete history), it is nevertheless necessary to mention that for 40 years (1922 to 1962) Lawrence Oliver sponsored the so-called “Downtown Festa”, an annual event centered in Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church “downtown” at the corner of State & Date Sts. This celebration occurred each year 1 week *after* our annual Pentecost Sunday “Festa do Divino Espírito Santo” event on Point Loma; and is said to have stemmed from the smaller, but perhaps older Portuguese-American colony that was then based “downtown” (the Manha brothers, various Fish Markets, boat builders, etc.). Nowadays, this “downtown” celebration is known as Trinity Sunday; and is celebrated at the U.P.S.E.S. Hall on Point Loma, in the Roseville neighborhood.