A Life Story

Mr. Dana Stevens Oliver passed away peacefully on October 4, 2024. Dana was born January 22, 1942 at Telfair Hospital in Savannah, Georgia. He was a descendent of a prominent old Savannah family. He is preceded in death by his father, Lt. Colonel, Francis McDonald Oliver, Jr., a hero of WWII killed in action while in France, his mother, Corinne Stevens Oliver Johnson, stepfather Colonel Victor L. Johnson, Jr., and brothers, Francis McDonald (Mac) Oliver III and Victor L. Johnson III. Surviving are his loving wife of 59 years Linda Young Oliver, sons Dana Stevens Oliver, Jr. and his wife Elizabeth of Seabrook, Texas and Frank McDonald Oliver and his wife Sarah of Grapevine, Texas; four grandchildren: Katelyn Elizabeth Oliver, David Stoney Oliver, Madeline Rudgard Oliver, and Frank McDonald (Mac) Oliver, Jr.; sister Anne Johnson Porter; brother Henry Stevens Johnson, and many nieces and nephews.Dana was in Human Resource Management with Union Camp Corporation (11 years) and Miller Brewing Company, Fort Worth, TX (5 years). He opened Dunhill of Southeast Fort Worth, an executive search firm operating nationally and internationally specializing in the food, dairy, beverage, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Dunhill was the second largest search firm in the industry. In 1994, he closed the business and moved back to Savannah to open Dana S. Oliver & Associates, Inc, a Human Resource consulting and search firm for the trailer manufacturing and dairy/food manufacturing industries. Dana retired from the search industry after 20 successful years and opened a hobby/retirement business, Golf Carts of Savannah, which he operated until he moved to League City, Texas in 2022.Dana loved the coastal region. He was raised on the bluff at Isle of Hope and has lived his entire life either on or very near a body of water. He loved to boat to offshore islands, fish and crab the creeks and rivers, cast for shrimp and just be on the water. He taught his sons and grandchildren the joys of saltwater activities. He knew the rivers and sounds from Hilton Head to Ossabaw Sound like the back of his hand. He was never without a boat in the water. Dana never met a stranger. He could talk and make friends with all people from Corporate Executives to strangers he met on walks around Lake Mayer. He was the old guy with squeeze grips and exercise weights on his daily walks. If you ever shook hands with Dana, you know his crushing hand and arm strength. It was said that he never lost an arm wrestling contest! He chose his opponents wisely. He spoke to everybody he met like they were old friends. He had a genuine love of people.Dana was a member of the Saint Andrew's Society of Savannah and the Society of Colonial Wars of Savannah. He was a past member of the Savannah Yacht Club, Cotillion Club of Savannah, Rotary Club of Green Cove Springs, FL (Treasurer), charter member of Debtor's Club and Leadership Savannah. He was a graduate of Sewanee Military Academy, attended Stetson University, and has degrees from South Georgia College and Georgia Southern University in Business Administration. The family will hold a celebration of Dana's life in Savannah after the first of the year.