Council Remembers WWII Veteran

By Adam Swift

The town council honored former police officer and World War II veteran Robert “Bob” Oliver with a moment of silence at the beginning of its Tuesday night meeting.

Oliver, 98, died on March 26, and was the last veteran in Winthrop who took part in D-Day in Normandy in 1944. He was also a Winthrop police officer for more than three decades.

“Bob was a World War II veteran serving in the Navy from 1942 to 1946,” said Council President Jim Letterie. “He is the last survivor in Winthrop who was at the Battle of Normandy, D-Day. Prior to his retirement, Bob was employed as a police officer for the town of Winthrop beginning in 1957 until his retirement in 1991, of which he served the town as firearms instructor, on the FBI Task Force, and a patrol officer.”

Letterie said Oliver was a big piece of the Greatest Generation and will be missed by his family and friends and many in the community in which he served.

In other business, Letterie noted that April is Autism Awareness Month, and that many of the councilors were wearing special T-shirts from the police department supporting autism awareness efforts.

“The Winthrop Police Department is selling T-shirts and patches with 100 percent of the funds going to the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for autism awareness,” said Letterie.

The T-shirts are $20 and the patches are $10 and available at the Winthrop Police Department.

As part of the fundraiser, the Fourth Annual Winthrop Fire and Police vs. Winthrop Allstars hockey game is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Winthrop rink.