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Virginia Oliver, one of the oldest lobster fishers in the world who trapped crustaceans in Maine for nearly a century, has died. She was 105.
Born in Rockland, Maine, Oliver started trapping lobsters at age 8 alongside her father and older brother at a time when few women worked on the water in the male-dominated industry. She fell in love with the business and went on to become known as the "lobster lady" as she faithfully tended traps for decades
"I like doing it, I like being along the water," she told The Associated Press in 2021. "And so I'm going to keep on doing it just as long as I can."
Oliver died Wednesday, according to a family obituary published Monday.
"Her life has been celebrated in books, articles, and across social media platforms worldwide," the obituary states. "Yet despite her renown, she remained quiet and humble, greeting everyone with a quick, radiant smile and eyes that literally twinkled."
As she worked on the water over the years, Oliver watched the lobster industry drastically evolve, from a working-class food to a pricey delicacy. Lobsters fetched 28 cents a pound on the docks when she first started trapping them. Today, it's 22 times that at $6.14 a pound.