Obituary of Imogene Idol Oliver

Imogene (Jean) Idol Oliver Durham, NC - Imogene (Jean) Idol Oliver, 89, died Friday November 29, 2013 in the early morning hours at UNIHEALTH Acute Care in Raleigh, NC. Jean was born in Washburn, TN to the late H. D. and Lottie Atkins Idol. She moved to Middlesboro, KY where she graduated from Bell County High School. She then moved to Knoxville, TN to attend business school. That is where she met the love of her life, H. B. Oliver who she married on November 22, 1947. She worked for over 12 years as a Dental Assistant for Dr. Chester Crider in Knoxville, TN. She spent most of her adult life in Chapel Hill, NC and Durham, NC where she was a member of Amity United Methodist Church. Jean was a housewife for 8 years before returning to work at the University of North Carolina in the Math Department. She held several jobs at UNC including the Medical Foundation and ultimately retiring from the UNC School of Medicine. She was preceded in death by her husband H. B. Oliver; Sisters Nell I. Evans and Lucy I. Acuff. Survivors include her daughter Cathy Oliver Terrill (Harry) of Wake Forest, NC; Sister-in-Law Betty Weaver of Richmond, VA; Step-Granddaughter Elizabeth Paitsel (Ed) of Tulsa, OK and Step-Grandson Adam Terrill (Karen) of Raleigh, NC. She is also survived by her nieces Charlotte Medley, Crossville, TN; Giselle Redmond (Susan) of Hopkinsville, KY; Rebecca Riley (Bill) of Lenoir City, TN; Ashley Cooper of Knoxville, TN; Nephews The Rev. Dr. C. Edward Deyton (Pat) of Cape Cod, MA and Phillip O. Lawson (Janet) of Knoxville, TN; great-grandchildren Ben, Austin and Eric Paitsel and Cameron Terrill who she enjoyed spending time with. Even though Jean only had one child she became a surrogate mother to many: Ann Ussery (Robert) of Raleigh, NC; Becky Brown (Frank) of Cary, NC; Laura Johnson of Columbia, SC; John Senter (Cooki) of Carrboro, NC; Phil Davis (Carol) of Butte, MT; and a godmother/grandmother to Melanie Johnson White of Charlotte, NC. Jean left behind many friends that she thought of as her family: Sylvia and Ancel Mewborn and their daughter Melissa Rincon who were her dear friends for over 51 years; Joyce and Jack Harless who were her neighbors and friends who looked after her during her later years while she was still in her home by bringing in food and spending a lot of time visiting with her; Eva Click and Sue Ellen Heirs who spent many hours with her talking and sharing food and laughter and Dave and Lisa Morley. Dave always brought her mail to her so she wouldn't have to walk down the driveway to get it and was there to fix things so she would not have to call in a handyman. All of these people were such good friends to her and the whole family. The family would like to express their thanks to Comfort Keepers of Cary and their wonderful staff. The women that stayed with Jean through the last few weeks of her life were wonderful to her and her family. They really cared about her and spent many hours holding her hand and seeing to her every need and that made it easier on the family as they went home to rest. The family will never forget their kindness and the love that they showed Jean. There are too many to mention here but they know who they are. They are truly angels. The family would also like to express their thanks to Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department in Durham, NC. H. B. was a member of the fire department for many years before he passed away in 2000 and they continued to help Jean in any way they could right up to the end. The family will receive friends on Monday, December 2, 2013 at Walker's Funeral Home at 120 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. Services will be held at Amity United Methodist Church, 825 N. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 at 2:00 PM Tuesday December 3, 2013 with Pastor Donnie Jones and The Rev. Dr. C. Edward Deyton officiating. Memorial contributions can be made to Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department at 1409 Seaton Road, Durham, NC 27713 or to Amity United Methodist Church, 825 N. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. The family will receive friends at Jean's home in Durham at all other times.