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AIB exec Brian Oliver dies suddenly

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

He is survived by his wife, Elmarie, and their two children.
Oliver joined AIB in 1977 upon graduation from high school. He worked in several branches in Cork and then moved to AIB headquarters in Dublin. After a promotion, he applied to work overseas and was transferred to New York. He moved to Rye, N.Y., when he married.
Oliver was born in Cork on March 21, 1959. He was the youngest of the five children of the late Paddy, a bank manager at AIB, and the late Kay Oliver. Following in the footsteps of his three brothers, he spent his formative years at the Christian Brothers College in Cork.
“He applied for a job in the bank and to study at University College Cork. He was accepted for both, so he started working for AIB and studied at night for his economics degree,” recalled his brother Paddy.
In Dublin he met Elmarie Brown, a native of Kanturk, Co. Cork. She moved to London, and he applied to work overseas in the expectation that he would be transferred to the UK. But after his appointment to the position in the United States, she joined him and following a short engagement they were married in March 1990.
“Brian, it’s fair to say, blossomed in his new position,” his brother said. “He loved the business environment and the lifestyle in New York and made many new friends.”
He added that the couple “settled in quickly and were soon absorbed into the welcoming Irish community in Rye.”
They had a daughter Isabel, now 11, and a son John, 7.
“Elmarie was the love of his life and the family was the light of his life. He was immensely proud of them,” his brother said.
Oliver was awarded an MBA at New York University in 1998. A senior vice president at AIB, he was best known in the area of corporate lending to the non-profit sector.
His colleague and close personal friend Dave Keating said: “He was one of the pioneers in the development of this business at Allied Irish Banks, specializing in lending to schools, nursing homes, hospitals, social services, Catholic charities.”
He was a keen sportsman, with particular interests in rugby, skiing, golf and tennis. “In recent years he discovered the joys of sailing, and was a coach for John’s soccer team,” his brother said.
Keating said that Oliver also loved to watch rally driving and Formula One racing. “He was delighted when the Speed Channel came on cable,” he recalled.
At a memorial Mass last Thursday, Paddy Oliver said “his wit, his humor, his availability to his friends and colleagues” were among his brother’s many fine qualities.
“He was very honest, very straight, he was always a gentleman. Brian Leeney [also of AIB] at the memorial Mass described him as a gentle gentleman,” Keating said. “He was a great wit, great for telling a story, and a true Corkman.” And he had a love a country, going home every summer. “He was great also for recommending golf courses in Ireland,” he added.
His death has deeply shocked his family and friends, he added.
“We hope and pray that Elmarie, Isabel and John will find comfort during the difficult days ahead and that Brian’s loving spirit will stay in our hearts forever,” Paddy Oliver added.
His three brothers and sister and a large extended family in Ireland also survive him.
His body was flown home at the weekend for burial in Ireland.

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