OVERMAN, Terry A.
In Memory of Terry A. Overman
A year ago on May 22 Terry passed from our world and we, his wife and children, were numb with grief. His obituary did not do his life justice and I, his wife and best friend, would like to expand on it.
So here goes...
Terry was the son of Richard Dean and Stella Joan (Bloomfield) Overman, the grandson of Francis and Kathryn (Walker) Overman, Fred and Lilly (Morgan) Bloomfield. They all predeceased him including a special uncle Joseph (Jose) Overman. Left behind were his 7 siblings, Rick (Delma) Overman, Debbie LeMaster, Timothy Overman, Scott Overman, Anthony (Lisa) Overman, Penny (Jerry) Mason and Joanna (Steve) Bilderback.
He was also predeceased by his wife’s parents, Wendell S. and Dorothy E. (Moore) Smith. He is survived by Gregory (Judy) Smith, Alma Davis, Helen Smith, Michael (Susan) Smith, Frances Smith and many nieces, nephews, including special nephew Josh {Carla) Davis, and a large extended family. A proud graduate of Fairview H.S. and Sinclair C.C., Terry accrued many certifications over the course of 2 careers, as an HVACR mechanic and a Professional Firefighter /Paramedic/ Battalion Chief. He loved learning new skills and ideas, whether they were for work or play. From his parents and grandparents, he inherited an amazing aptitude for mechanics, the value of hard work, and a great sense of humor.
Hard work was in his genes... and jeans. He played as hard as he worked. If he did not know how to do something, he would learn how. He initially didn’t know anything about soccer but was volunteered by his wife and then he coached multiple teams, often 2 at a time. He also learned how to golf, snow ski, and kayak, and enjoyed bicycling, swimming, traveling and visiting museums. He also loved being surrounded by the natural world, whether being in or on water, bicycling through the woods, or sitting on the deck watching hummingbirds. His favorite place was anywhere there was water, even standing in it on the golf course. Always a football fan, he loved to watch the Buckeyes win on Saturday and the Bengals lose on Sunday.
Terry had a favorite saying, "What flavor do you like? Vanilla or chocolate?" He applied that to many things, particularly faith. He wasn’t born a Catholic but chose it, and lectored, taught CCD, and, for many years, his 1-week vacation was spent at our church festival, helping run electric, fixing broken equipment, and later running the chicken pit. It was there that he was encouraged to become a volunteer with the Fire Department.
He loved his various roles in the Fire Service because they enabled him to utilize all his skills and his desire to be of service to others, which was an innate part of his being that was bolstered by his faith, and also seen in his earlier participation in the Boy Scouts and the City of Dayton’s NAO program. He had a wonderful, wicked sense of humor that will be missed, but lives on ....
He is loved and missed by his children Michael (Irina), Nick (Emma), Veronica (Jess), Frank (Mandie), Ben (Brittany), and Tessa (Ryan) and his grandchildren Alina, Adi, Olivia, and Cora. And by me, Loree, his best friend.
Thank you to all of his friends and co-workers throughout the years. You know who you are! A special thank you to Mark and Teresa, if it hadn’t been for you...
To all of the staff involved with Terry’s excellent care at Kettering Fire Department, MVH South ER, MVH Neuro ICU, Harrison Twp. Fire Department, Hospice of Dayton, and Dayton Fire Department: Thank you for all the compassionate care you provided to Terry and our family last year.
If you feel so inclined, please consider a donation to Hospice of Dayton or plant a buckeye tree. Cheers! Peace out!!