Maine's legendary 'Lobster Lady' dies after working until she was 103 and waking up at 3am every day

Daily Mail UK ^ | January 27, 2026 | Alyssa Guzman

[Morgana]

Maine's legendary lobster lady has died at the age of 105 after spending years trapping the seafood with her son and becoming the state's first woman lobsterman.

Virginia Oliver died on January 21 at a hospital near her Rockland, Maine home, according to the Boston Globe.

'She was a hard worker and a good mother,' her son, Max Oliver, told the outlet.

For years, she and Max would go lobstering three times a week on her late husband's boat named after her.

Her days would start at 3am, and she would meet her son to go out and check their hundreds of lobster traps.

Virginia, who was the oldest licensed trapper in Maine, was in charge of measuring the lobsters and discarding the ones that were too small. She also captained their boat, filled bait bags, and gave her son 'hell once in a while,' he told the outlet.

'She’s the boss,' he said in 2021.

Virginia had been lobstering since she was eight years old, when she would go out with her father. But she had to give up the career at the age of 103 after health condition forced her to stay ashore.

'It’s not hard work for me. It might be for somebody else, but not me,' she told The Globe when she was 101.

Her legendary career served as inspiration for a documentary and several books in recent years.

Although the elderly woman often downplayed the longevity of her work, her son insisted that she enjoyed the recognition.

She would receive mail from fans and, including from overseas.

[Morgana]

Popeye's Mother?

Rest in Peace Virginia Oliver

[stars & stripes forever]

[stars & stripes forever]

Just read inhaling saltwater mist is very healthy.

[SaveFerris]

Good for her.

God bless her. 🛐🙏✝️

[NEMDF]

Living an active life to 103 AND eating all the lobster you could ever want?

Seems like there are worse ways to go out....

[SaveFerris]

[Rest in Peace Virginia Oliver]

Amen

[jacknhoo]

Oliver Oyl…

[SaveFerris]

Tom Hanks had:

1) A private beach ⛱️🏖️
2) Unlimited Seafood 🦞🦞🦞🎣🎣🎣🐟🐟🐟🐠🐠🐠
3) Peace and Quiet
4) Tropical Weather

And he gave it all up...

(now someone will tell me there were no lobsters LOL 🤣)

[PGR88]

Her obituary

https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/virginia-j-ginny-oliver-obituary/266671

[doorgunner69]

One of those souls that left the earth a better place.

There are very few.

[BipolarBob]

I live in a pollen belt of the country and when I visit the Gulf, I can breathe noticeably better.

[SaveFerris]

👍👍👍

[Jamestown1630]

She was a tough lady.

That’s not an easy way to make a living...

[Ezekiel]

I was just thinking about her this past week, wondering if she were still alive.

RIP Ginny the Lobstah Lady!

[doorgunner69]

“Just read inhaling saltwater mist is very healthy.”

The air temps in Maine might counteract that..

[NFHale]

101 trips around the sun…

One helluva good run Virginia… rest in peace….

[DesertRhino]

Wow... much respect for her. Rest in Peace, lady.

[FamiliarFace]

Cool obituary. She sounds amazing. Rest in peace, Ginny.

[cpdiii]

101 trips around the sun… One helluva good run Virginia… rest in peace….

She obviously used each trip around the sun well, but it would amuse me if she wasted a couple of orbits, LOL. She sounds like a hell of a lady. "Gods Speed Virginia."

[NFHale]

We should all be so fortunate…