Mary Eileen Oliva

MADISON - Mary Eileen Oliva, age 75, passed away Monday, August 17, 2015 at peace and surrounded by her loving family after a brief, courageous battle with cancer.

Mary was born in Madison, Wisconsin on June 22, 1940. Her parents were Archie A. and Edna (Stone) Stromer. Mary became united in marriage to the love of her life, Vito Lawrence Oliva on February 27, 1960. They remained inseparable in love until Vito's untimely passing in 1993. Mary and Vito had five children, who were a source of immense pride and joy.

Mary was employed by Meriter Hospital in a number of technician positions for over 28 years, retiring in 2003. Mary was also employed by Sam's Club for 19 years, retiring in 2010 as the leader of the product demonstration team. For a large part of her life, Mary filled the traditional roles of Wife, Mother, and Grandma. In her later years she developed a sense of adventure, and it was not unusual for Mary to take part in road trips with her family involving skydiving, space shuttle launches, or traveling the Midwest in search of collectable muscle cars. Her favorite activities were shopping road trips with her daughters and spending as much time as she could with her grandchildren, particularly her great grandchild, Harrison Guerra.

Mary is survived by her five children: Joseph, Joanne (Daniel) Guerra, William (Heather), Lisa Ayala-Oliva, and Steven, as well as seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, husband Vito, and her siblings: Laurine Hofland, Barbara Laskey, and Robert Stromer.

A memorial and celebration of Mary's life will take place Tuesday evening, September 8, at the Lussier Family Heritage Center, 3101 Lake Farm Rd. from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Family members and friends will be presenting a eulogy and tributes to Mary at 7:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in Mary's name to the American Cancer Society.

Mary's family would like to acknowledge and thank the doctors and nursing staff at Meriter Hospital for their exceptional care, as well as Heartland Hospice, whose support and guidance permitted Mary to find eternal peace at home with her family.