Peter Gurney Oliver (82) passed away on Thursday, April 9, 2015. He was born on July 3, 1932 to Louis and Lilian Oliver in Wimbledon, England, and as he would say, "just in time to enjoy the Battle of Britain".

Peter served proudly in the Royal Air Force as a Radio Operator where he was stationed in Malta. Following his military service, Peter emigrated to the United States in 1954 aboard the Queen Mary at the age of 22. After arriving in New York City, within six months he landed a position assisting renown fashion photographer Bill Helburn, which would spark a long and successful career in the industry.

A Clio Award winning photographer, Peter's ability to use light, both natural and artificial, enabled him to capture some of the most striking full color ads of the sixties and seventies. His work graced the covers of publications such as Seventeen, Brides, Mademoiselle and Town & Country, among others. Peter's work is timeless and is still being sold through Conde Nast and Art.com. He also photographed many iconic figures of the time including Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson and Barbara Streisand. He even appeared as a guest on the David Suskind Show for a "British Invasion" segment.

Peter loved life wholeheartedly and the people in it, except for a few "twits." His passions included sailing, traveling, writing, flying and playing the trumpet. His enthusiasm for life didn't dwindle with age as he was still an avid writer and HAM radio enthusiast toward the last days of his life. Peter will be fondly remembered for his razor sharp British wit and his ability to make everybody and anybody laugh.

He was preceded in death by his son, Peter Oliver Jr. and brother-in-law, Larry Copland. He is survived by his beloved wife of 38 years, Christine (Copland) Oliver; daughter Victoria Oliver and son William Oliver; grandson Anthony Oliver; in-laws Steve Copland, Monica (Copland) and Bill Wade, Jim Copland and Dianne Copland; and eleven nieces and nephews and their children.

He and his family made Madera their home for the past 25 years.

A Memorial Service will be held at Jay Chapel on Friday, April 17, 2015 at 3:00P.M.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or to donor's charity.