Maine’s ‘Lobster Lady’ who fished for nearly a century dies aged 105 | Maine
Maine’s governor praised the life of a woman who spent nearly 100 years lobster fishing as “astonishing” and expressed hope that her memory would inspire the state’s “next century of hard-working” fishermen.
Virginia “Ginny” Oliver, the subject of Gov. Janet Mills’ memorial service, died Jan. 21 at the age of 105, according to an obituary. It was published by his family on Monday.
Some see stories like that of Oliver, known as her state’s “Lobster Lady,” as evidence of a growing number of Americans extending their working days well beyond the typical retirement age because the cost of living in the U.S. has risen, wages have remained stagnant, and so many are unable to save.
However, Oliver told the Associated Press as recently as 2021 that he fell in love with catching lobsters from the moment he started working with his father and older brother at the age of eight.
“I love doing it – I love being by the water,” she said of her career in the mostly male-dominated industry she chose. “And I will continue to do that as long as I can.”
Oliver would rise before dawn and for the first time use small fish, colloquially known as poagies, to haul lobsters from her boat, the Virginia, which belonged to her late husband. As she built a remarkable 97-year tenure on the waters and word spread, she became the subject of documentaries, coverage by major U.S. television networks, and children’s books, including The Lobster Lady, which she described in her obituary.
Famous actor Mark Hamill was among those who joined the crowd that Oliver developed over the years. Oliver’s obituary noted that Hamill, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movie saga, “celebrated his perseverance on social media.”
The obituary also said that Oliver at one point earned an honorary invitation to join the Royal Naval Association of Great Britain’s Cardiff. Mills once presented Oliver with a special treat on his birthday.
“Despite his fame, friends and family said he remained humble and cheerful,” Oliver’s obituary added. “Her personal aesthetic delighted her fans; she wore lipstick and earrings every day she went out on the boat because, as she said, ‘you never know who you’re going to see.’”
Lobster evolved from working-class food to an expensive restaurant delicacy during Oliver’s fishing life. When it first started, its price per pound rose from 28 cents to $6.14, or 22 times more expensive.
Oliver says he fished lobsters until he collapsed at 103 a statement From her friend, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barbara Walsh.
Walsh joined Mills in paying tribute to Oliver, saying the late fisherman “believed in living, laughing and doing what he loved.”
“He was brash and cheerful, always saying, ‘I’m the boss,’ on land and at sea,” Walsh’s memorial statement said. “Go on, sweet Ginny. May your soul soar above the sea forever.”
Meanwhile, the Maine Lobster festival, which once named him as grand marshal of the parade, released a statement honoring Oliver as “more than a local icon.”
“Virginia… was a living part of Maine’s maritime history,” the festival’s description said.
Oliver’s survivors include his children and grandchildren, according to his obituary.
Associated Press contributed reporting
