Oliver Leavitt Obituary, Death – As a result of the news that Oliver Aveogan Leavitt had passed away, I am in a state of mourning at this present time. The last time I saw Oliver was in June when I went to see him at his home in Utqiavik. That was the most recent time we ran into each other. While we were enjoying coffee together, he offered us some political advice and shared some words of wisdom with us before we went to the celebration of whaling. It has been an honor and a privilege for me to work alongside Oliver on projects that have the goal of advancing the goals and interests of Alaska’s North Slope.
Not only has it been a privilege for me to be able to call Oliver a friend over the course of the past few decades, but it has also been an honor for me to be able to call Oliver a friend over the course of those decades. In each and every one of these endeavors, Oliver’s unwavering commitment to serving the general public and his profound love for his people was always plainly visible to all around him. Oliver was a revered leader among the Iupiat people who lived on the North Slope.
He was a parent, a husband, a proud whaler and hunter, and a veteran of the Vietnam War. Oliver’s people lived on the North Slope. Over the course of his career at the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Oliver held a variety of leadership positions at various points. In addition to that, he had served his country honorably all the way through the Vietnam War. Oliver’s achievements are evidence of his unrelenting devotion to serving the public good, and this commitment was rock-solid for him as seen by the fact that he never wavered in his dedication to doing so.
Oliver was committed to improving the quality of life for the people who lived in his town. My family and I, along with a great number of other people across the state of Alaska, will miss Oliver very much. Oliver was much liked and respected throughout the state. Please accept my sincerest condolences on the passing of their loved one on behalf of myself, his wife Annie, his children, and the entirety of the community of Utqiavik. I am sorry that this tragedy has befallen them.