Local radio icon Dennis Oliver passes

QUINCY — Dennis Oliver, the morning radio host who entertained the Tri-States for 40 years and just made people feel good when he was around them, died Thursday in Quincy.

Oliver, 69, retired from the airwaves in 2016 and revealed he was battling Alzheimer’s Disease a year later.

A Pittsfield, Ill. native, Oliver, known as “D.O.” to his faithful listeners, began his legendary career at that town’s local radio station, WBBA, in 1976. He was then instrumental in the development of KQCA Radio in Canton, Mo., when he went to that station in 1980.

When WQCY-FM in Quincy switched from easy listening to Top 40 in 1985. His final and longest radio stint was with KRRY, now 100.9 The Eagle, when he made that move in 1992 and was a fixture on that station until his retirement in 2016.

Oliver used that platform to make his Alzheimer’s diagnosis public in 2017. He and his long-time friend and radio partner, Jeff Dorsey, helped raise money in an effort to find a cure.

We’ll have more about the passing of a local legend later today on Muddy River News.