Mr. Oliver T. Coleman III

The sun rose on the life of Oliver Thomas Coleman III on October 13, 1950, in Detroit, Michigan. He was born to Oliver Thomas Coleman II and Verdell Coleman. He was the first child out of nine children born to this union. Oliver had five brothers Percy, Lawrence, Reginald, (Gregory and Ronald deceased) and three sisters, Deborah, Sandra, and Ivory (Lee) Powell. As children they went to New Calvary Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan where they confessed their lives to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in the mid 60's. Brother Percy said that as a child, Oliver liked to play secret agent with the kids in the neighborhood and went by the name Oliver West 009. He was very studious in school, played basketball and golf and he loved to work odd jobs in the neighborhood. As a teenager Oliver would dress up and try to get into the jazz clubs with his cousin/best friend David. Educated in the public school system, Oliver graduated from Kettering Senior High School in Detroit, Michigan. He was a father of two daughters Aretha and Danielle (Coleman) Wooten from his first wife Yolanda Picken, who he married after serving four years in the military later the marriage was dissolved. In the summer of 1986 while riding the Colfax bus to work Oliver ran into Janet Hamer a couple of times offering to take her out to dinner, which she turned him down. Many weeks later after missing each other for a couple of weeks she finally except his offer. They eventually became married while living in Denver, Colorado and were together for 36 years until her passing in May of 2022. While living in Colorado, Oliver became the stepdad of Janet's three children, Toni, Brian, and Deana. At first it took a while for her three grown children to connect but eventually the two girls grew to love him, and family gatherings and outings were quite enjoyable. During their relationship, Oliver was also blessed with a two step-grandsons Julius Greer, and Shawnnon Hale and step granddaughter-in-Law Brandy Rameriz-Greer who has two daughters Ja'Laya and Jazlynn they called him granddad. A fond memory about the youngest granddaughter who was about two years old at the time would be to sit on his lap, talk gibberish for a while and then both fall asleep together in his favorite lounge chair in the living room. We would mostly celebrate the holidays throughout the years at mama Janet and Granddad Oliver's home which we will always cherish. By profession Oliver was an Air Force officer after four years in the military he worked with General Motors in Detroit for a couple of years. His final destination took him to Denver, Colorado where he took on many driving jobs from bus driver to truck driver, some security jobs eventually retiring as a Lift driver. Oliver was well informed about everything around the world that interested him. He will be missed by his family back home as well as his family that remains in Colorado. Those left to cherish his memory are his six siblings Percy, Lawrence, Reginald, Deborah, Sandra and Ivory living on the East Coast and other states, his two daughters Aretha and Danielle, bonus daughter Deana and a host of nieces and nephew, great nephews and nieces, Uncle Eugene, Aunt Esseline, cousins and his long-life friend David Alexander. He was preceded in death by his father Oliver T. Coleman II, mother Verdell Coleman and two brothers Gregory and Ronald Coleman and a host of other relatives: grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Mr. Oliver T. Coleman III

October 13, 1950 - January 2, 2024