Virginia Oliver, one of the world’s oldest lobster fishermen who harvested the crustaceans in Maine for nearly a century, has died. She is 105 years old.
Born in Rockland, Maine, Olive began catching lobsters with her father and brother at age 8, at a time when few women worked in the water industry in a male-dominated industry. She fell in love with the industry and became known as the “Lobster Lady” for her decades of faithful tending of the traps
“I love doing this, I love being by the water,” she told The Associated Press in 2021. “So I’m going to do my best to keep doing that.”
Oliver died Wednesday, according to a family obituary released Monday.
“Her life was celebrated in books, articles and on social media platforms around the world,” the obituary said. “Yet despite her fame, she remained quiet and humble, greeting everyone with a quick, bright smile and sparkling eyes.”
Over the years while working on the water, Oliver watched the lobster industry grow tremendously, from a working-class food to an expensive delicacy. When she first started lobster fishing, lobsters were selling for 28 cents a pound on the docks. Today, the price is $6.14 per pound, 22 times what it was then.
However, many aspects of the job remain the same. She would have to rise early in the morning – long before dawn – to lure lobsters with small fish called “herrings” or “pogies” from a boat her late husband once owned, the Virginian.
“Virginia was more than just a local icon; she was a living part of Maine’s maritime history,” the Maine Lobster Festival said in a statement honoring Oliver, who served as grand marshal for the festival’s parade.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who presented Oliver with special state recognition on her birthday, said in a social media post that the lobster lady’s life inspired “hardworking Maine fishermen for the next century.”
