Patrick Oliver Roundtree left us unexpectedly Wednesday morning, October 8, 2014. Oliver was born on the 19th of September 1988, to Tanya and Patrick Roundtree. He was the one to give his mom the most labor pains. He quickly became their loving, compassionate, sweet little boy. He joined his big brothers, Kyle and Jesse, at their home in Juneau. The family moved to Petersburg in 1993, his charm and big heart earning him many friends immediately. Ollie also lived for a time in Coffman Cove with his father. Family and friends were everything to Ollie. His love and loyalty for those he cared about were unquestionable; Ollie never met an enemy.
Ollie was very athletic. His passions were Power Rangers, baseball, wrestling, either watching WWE or on the mat, and basketball. He played baseball for many years, from T-ball to All-Stars. Two of his favorite coaches were his dad, Patrick, and his mom, Tanya, both of whom were actively involved, even when not coaching. Oldest brother Kyle was Ollie’s mentor and hero. He looked up to and respected Kyle all his life. Kyle’s commercial fishing led Ollie in the same direction. He then began his own career in the industry, commercial fishing not only in Alaska, but also in Washington and California. His proudest moments were working aboard the Signe Lynn, his first season alongside Kyle. Ollie was his brother Jesse’s mediator and confidante. Jesse knew Ollie always had his back, big or small, family or friends, good times or bad. Ollie was the very first one to welcome his nephew Baby Jesse to Petersburg. A proud Brother and Uncle meeting them as they got off the ferry.
Not all his family lived in Petersburg, and travel meant heading to Oregon to visit Grandma Juanita, Grandpa Chuck and other family. He became close to all of his cousins. He enjoyed spending time in the outdoors, visiting, and strengthening his ties with his extended family. He always came home with wonderful stories of the great times he had with them. At age 12 Ollie got the chance to head down to San Francisco with his Grandma DJ. He was the only grandchild who could convince Grandma to go check out Alcatraz. He then proceeded to disappear for 2 hours.
Ollie was well known for being up for anything. If there was a game to be had, or an adventure to begin, Ollie was there. He was just as happy chillin’ with his nephew as he was competing with his brothers and friends, whether for the biggest fish, the best baseball card, or the highest score. Ollie was no easy mark. He and Kyle forbid Jesse to be the scorekeeper when rolling pigs—and for good reason!
His love of the outdoors and sports kept him busy all the time; hunting and fishing being his favorite pastimes. Many a day Tanya would arrive home with rows of ducks lining her walkway. Tanya would always send one of the boys with Grandma DJ down to the Beechers Pass cabin so she wouldn’t be there alone; even as a child, Ollie was just as capable as his big brothers, keeping grandma company and watching out for her. There, fishing meant casting, and casting meant catching—usually bushes, branches, or even one time, the back of his head… It didn’t slow him down, and many fish were caught off and around the shores of Duncan Canal. One trip, Ollie nabbed a big Coho and was bragging to all listeners about his fabulous catch—but as Kyle recalled, it was Jesse who caught the bigger fish that day.
His mother can recall stories of how Ollie could always draw in his audience, like his uncle Jeff. She gave credit for this ability to spin a tale to his avid reading. You couldn’t help but be enthralled with his vivid accounts and detailed creations. Ollie always did well in school. He was very smart, and that, combined with his boyish smirk, let him get away with many pranks both in school and out.
Baseball remained a passion of Ollie’s, leading him to play softball as an adult. He loved participating in the Mayfest tournaments. Win or lose, he was always a great sport. He also loved football, the Indianapolis Colts being his favorite team. You would never find him without his Colts hat or his ‘sweet’ sunglasses, no matter where he was; they became as much a part of him as his widow’s peak and his trademark smirk, which will always be remembered by those who knew him.
Oliver was preceded in death by his grandfather, Lyle, his father, Patrick, and his aunt, Kathy Deffenbaugh. He is survived by his mother, Tanya, his brothers Kyle and Jesse, his nephew Jesse Jr., his grandmother DJ, and his grandparents, Chuck and Juanita Deffenbaugh, his Uncle Skip (Teddy) Deffenbaugh, Uncle Jeff Deffenbaugh, Aunt Lewanna Deffenbaugh, Uncle Dean (Elena) Roundtree, Aunt Dana Douville, and numerous loving cousins.
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