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Man killed in wheelchair cherished independence Caregiver remembers �best friend� Wayne Oliver for bad jokes, big heart By Jill Briskey Medford resident Wayne Oliver loved a good joke. He even told them in his sleep, according to live-in caregiver Marsha Betshamea. "He said God would tell him the jokes," Betshamea says. "I used to think God wouldn�t think up such bad jokes, but who could tell him that?" Oliver, 48, died Friday after he was struck by a pickup truck while crossing the intersection of North Holly and West Fourth streets in his wheelchair. He was dragged almost 100 feet under the vehicle. He was rushed to Rogue Valley Medical Center but later died from head injuries. The driver of the truck, 22-year-old Glen Dow of Medford, has not been cited or charged. The case is still under investigation. Born with cerebral palsy, Oliver cherished his independence and was always looking for ways to extend a hand to those in need, Betshamea says. At Oliver�s insistence, she says, the two of them would often spend $200 or $300 on groceries, box up the food and deliver the items to needy families in the neighborhood. "We would go hungry and starve sometimes that month, but that�s just the way he was," she remembers. "He was a loving, caring and giving person who would give you the shirt off his back and then ask what else he could give." A caregiver with Senior and Disabled Services, Betshamea lived with Oliver in his Holly Street home for a year and a half. The two met while Oliver was living at an adult foster home. Betshamea says they shared a special connection, much like a brother and sister. "How do you say good-bye to your best friend? It�s something you never think you�ll have to do," she says. "You never know with the people you love that when they walk out the door, you�ll never see them again." Oliver tutored children and college students in math and Spanish. Neighborhood friends remember Oliver as an often stubborn but mostly kind-hearted man with a funny sense of humor. His former students have fond memories of him as well. "He was nice. He was the first person to tutor me," 11-year-old Elisha Dotterer says. "He told good jokes ... They were really funny." According to Betshamea, Oliver lived in Florida before moving to the Rogue Valley in 1996. While there, he earned a college degree in ministries, she says. Oliver loved animals and enjoyed spoiling the two household cats, Pooky and Geezz, she says. He was studying Hebrew and researching ways to invest in the stock market before he died, she adds. At the time of the accident, Oliver was on his way home to order a pizza and watch one of his favorite shows, "The Crocodile Hunter," Betshamea says. Police officials speculate that the glare of the afternoon sun was a factor in the collision. Neighbors say the busy intersection is a hazard to pedestrians, small children and disabled people. Betshamea says Oliver was almost struck by a vehicle in the same intersection earlier this year. "He was terrified of that intersection," she recalls. "This tragedy could have been prevented. ... I think the greatest memorial would be to put up a (traffic) light." At the time of Oliver�s death, Betshamea says, he was surrounded by friends and loved ones at Rogue Valley Medical Center. Betshamea says Oliver was breathing only with the help of a respirator. "He was already gone," she says. "He was already at peace." Oliver had so many dreams, Betshamea says. Dreams that will now go unrealized � a trip to the beach, a visit to Colorado, and even the chance to fly to Israel. There is one dream, however, that has finally come true, she says. "He used to say he wanted to run across the yard someday," Betshamea says. "Now he�s probably up there jumping around and doing handstands." Flowers and cards in Oliver�s memory can be sent to his home at 429 N. Holly St. No. 1, Medford OR 97501. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.