Mary Ellen Oliver

Born on September 24th, 1963, in Boone, Iowa, to Billy Ray Ryan and Dona May Schrecongost Ryan, Mary was raised in Boone with her three older siblings, Kathleen Marie, Teresa (Terry) Ann, and Robert Jay. As the baby of the family who was doted on and smothered with much affection by her older sisters, brother, and parents, Mary would later apply such excesses and then some to the members of her own family.

After graduating from Boone High School in 1982, Mary studied at National College in Rapid City where she earned an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in 1984. Shortly thereafter, she accepted a job with Continental Airlines at the Colorado Springs Airport where she worked for several years, before transferring to DIA.

Mary met a young musician who asked her to dance at a nightclub one evening, and he fell, hard. On November 23rd, 1996, Mary and James (Jim) Leonard Oliver were married. Five years later, on March 8th, 2001, the happy couple welcomed Miss Sydney Nicole into their lives. Mary’s sister, Terry, recalls how overwhelmed Mary was over Sydney’s birth, repeatedly saying, “I can’t believe she’s mine,” as though Mary felt she wasn’t worthy of such a beautiful blessing.

In 2010, Mary, Jim, and Sydney moved to Casper, WY, to be closer to family. Mary continued in her role as a TSA agent at the local airport and, more importantly, as a loving mother, wife, daughter, and sister. Aside from spending time with family, Mary enjoyed gardening, cooking, boating, traveling, genealogy, movies, road trips, and (more recently) birdwatching (she loved the burrowing owls), along with rowdy poker nights at Grandma Oliver’s house. She also enjoyed listening to Jim play music and following Sydney’s accomplishments in pursuing her dreams to travel, to receive her music degree, and, now, to pursue another college degree as a dental hygienist.

Mary is survived by her husband, Jim; daughter, Sydney; sister, Terry Rasmussen; niece, Jessica Ferguson, and husband, Tony, and their children, Riley and Isaiah; nephews, Ryan Rasmussen, Adam Lee, and Daniel Weber; brothers’-in law, Matthew Millard and Ron Rasmussen; mother-in-law, Margie Oliver; brother-in-law, William Oliver; sister-in-law, Gail Odell; sister-in-law, Lori Rymer; along with numerous additional nieces and nephews.

Mary will be remembered for her warm and beautiful spirit, her sweet and patient disposition, and her eagerness to generously give of her time and energy to others. She will also be remembered for her calm composure during life’s various trials (the baby of the family assumed the role of the “big sister” on more than one occasion). Over the past decade, Mary faced her greatest trial, bravely living with cancer without complaint, putting on her happy face and still placing others’ needs above her own, relying on her faith to guide her until her passing during a lengthy and difficult surgery at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver.

Mary’s light will endure, not just in the raindrop glistening on a single blade of grass, the leaves shimmering on an aspen tree, or the stars piercing the night sky, but in the treasure troves of memory carried by family and friends. In parting, Mary reminds us all of life’s most difficult lesson – to know such grief is only possible because of the depth of our love.

A memorial service will be held for Mary at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11th, at First Christian Church, 520 CY Avenue, in Casper, Wyoming. Any donations to a neuroendocrine cancer research nonprofit of your choice would be appreciated.