William (Bill) Gene Holland, 91, of Oklahoma City, OK passed away on August 7, 2022.
He passed away at his home, surrounded by family, due to complications from heart disease, kidney disease, and general complications associated with advanced age.
Bill was born in Blackwell, OK to Lowery Bale and Dollie Hester Holland. He grew up with one brother Robert (Bob) Dean, and one sister, Lowery Bea Holland, as well as many friends and cousins. As a teen, he loved spending his time raising and racing pigeons, and spending time with his friends in an old community college's chemistry lab that was given to Capitol Hill High School. When he got older, he enlisted in the United States Navy, following his brother Bob to fight in the Korean War after Bob had been drafted. Bob and Bill both served as Electronics Technicians onboard the USS Philippine Sea in the early 1950s. Both boys excelled at work on electronics, which prompted them to work in a television repair shop, upon leaving the military and returning to Oklahoma City, which Bill owned and ran after Bob moved away from Oklahoma City. This prompted both boys to apply for and work as electronics technicians at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, after which they applied for jobs at the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), which was the precursor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where they both spent much of their careers. Bill began his CAA career in El Paso, TX, but applied for and secured a job as an instructor in Oklahoma City when he was sent there for additional training by the CAA. Bill spent the rest of his career at the CAA and the subsequent FAA as an instructor and manager over instructors in the CDC/DARC unit where he made many friends and had many technical accomplishments. Bill retired as a manager at the FAA Academy in 1986. He then worked for a few additional years as a contractor, managing contract instructors for Jordan-de Laurenti (JDL), until he fully retired. Bill earned the equivalent of a four year degree by attending community college for a few years, taking many hours of NCA-accredited courses while working at the FAA, and by passing his Professional Engineering Exam. Bill also taught college-level courses while working at the FAA. Bill has always been very close with his family, with whom he loved playing horseshoes, dominoes, and on whom he enjoyed playing a few light-hearted practical jokes.
Bill was preceded in death by both of his siblings, and his parents. Bill is survived by Barbara, his wife of 67 years, and his children, son Mike and his wife Laura Holland, both of Mustang, OK, son Greg and his wife Deana Holland, of Springfield MO, and daughter Stacey Zinke of Mustang, OK. He is also survived by: Mike and Laura's children, daughter Laryn Kolb and her husband Ryan, of Edmond, OK, and son Joe Holland and his wife Amy, of OKC, OK; Greg and Deana's children, son Josh Holland, of Kansas City, MO, daughter Alyssa Buckley and her husband Eric, of Kansas City, MO, and daughter Meagan Holland of Springfield, MO; and Stacey's children, daughter Taylor Elwell and her husband Nate, of OKC, OK, daughter Hunter Lenon and her husband Hayden, of Yukon, OK, and son Mason Zinke, of Mustang, OK. Additionally, Bill is survived by three great-grandchildren with a fourth grandchild expected next month: including Taylor and Nate Elwell's sons Braxton and Nolan, and Joe and Amy Holland's son, Kylen, Alyssa and Eric Buckley are expecting their new son early next month. Bill repeatedly told his extensive friends and family that he had lived a wonderful and rewarding life, and tried to remind his loved ones to stay positive.
He passed away at his home, surrounded by family, due to complications from heart disease, kidney disease, and general complications associated with advanced age.
Bill was born in Blackwell, OK to Lowery Bale and Dollie Hester Holland. He grew up with one brother Robert (Bob) Dean, and one sister, Lowery Bea Holland, as well as many friends and cousins. As a teen, he loved spending his time raising and racing pigeons, and spending time with his friends in an old community college's chemistry lab that was given to Capitol Hill High School. When he got older, he enlisted in the United States Navy, following his brother Bob to fight in the Korean War after Bob had been drafted. Bob and Bill both served as Electronics Technicians onboard the USS Philippine Sea in the early 1950s. Both boys excelled at work on electronics, which prompted them to work in a television repair shop, upon leaving the military and returning to Oklahoma City, which Bill owned and ran after Bob moved away from Oklahoma City. This prompted both boys to apply for and work as electronics technicians at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, after which they applied for jobs at the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), which was the precursor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where they both spent much of their careers. Bill began his CAA career in El Paso, TX, but applied for and secured a job as an instructor in Oklahoma City when he was sent there for additional training by the CAA. Bill spent the rest of his career at the CAA and the subsequent FAA as an instructor and manager over instructors in the CDC/DARC unit where he made many friends and had many technical accomplishments. Bill retired as a manager at the FAA Academy in 1986. He then worked for a few additional years as a contractor, managing contract instructors for Jordan-de Laurenti (JDL), until he fully retired. Bill earned the equivalent of a four year degree by attending community college for a few years, taking many hours of NCA-accredited courses while working at the FAA, and by passing his Professional Engineering Exam. Bill also taught college-level courses while working at the FAA. Bill has always been very close with his family, with whom he loved playing horseshoes, dominoes, and on whom he enjoyed playing a few light-hearted practical jokes.
Bill was preceded in death by both of his siblings, and his parents. Bill is survived by Barbara, his wife of 67 years, and his children, son Mike and his wife Laura Holland, both of Mustang, OK, son Greg and his wife Deana Holland, of Springfield MO, and daughter Stacey Zinke of Mustang, OK. He is also survived by: Mike and Laura's children, daughter Laryn Kolb and her husband Ryan, of Edmond, OK, and son Joe Holland and his wife Amy, of OKC, OK; Greg and Deana's children, son Josh Holland, of Kansas City, MO, daughter Alyssa Buckley and her husband Eric, of Kansas City, MO, and daughter Meagan Holland of Springfield, MO; and Stacey's children, daughter Taylor Elwell and her husband Nate, of OKC, OK, daughter Hunter Lenon and her husband Hayden, of Yukon, OK, and son Mason Zinke, of Mustang, OK. Additionally, Bill is survived by three great-grandchildren with a fourth grandchild expected next month: including Taylor and Nate Elwell's sons Braxton and Nolan, and Joe and Amy Holland's son, Kylen, Alyssa and Eric Buckley are expecting their new son early next month. Bill repeatedly told his extensive friends and family that he had lived a wonderful and rewarding life, and tried to remind his loved ones to stay positive.
William (Bill) Gene Holland, 91, of Oklahoma City, OK passed away on August 7, 2022.
He passed away at his home, surrounded by family, due to complications from heart disease, kidney disease, and general complications associated with advanced age.
Bill was born in Blackwell, OK to Lowery Bale and Dollie Hester Holland. He grew up with one brother Robert (Bob) Dean, and one sister, Lowery Bea Holland, as well as many friends and cousins. As a teen, he loved spending his time raising and racing pigeons, and spending time with his friends in an old community college's chemistry lab that was given to Capitol Hill High School. When he got older, he enlisted in the United States Navy, following his brother Bob to fight in the Korean War after Bob had been drafted. Bob and Bill both served as Electronics Technicians onboard the USS Philippine Sea in the early 1950s. Both boys excelled at work on electronics, which prompted them to work in a television repair shop, upon leaving the military and returning to Oklahoma City, which Bill owned and ran after Bob moved away from Oklahoma City. This prompted both boys to apply for and work as electronics technicians at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, after which they applied for jobs at the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), which was the precursor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where they both spent much of their careers. Bill began his CAA career in El Paso, TX, but applied for and secured a job as an instructor in Oklahoma City when he was sent there for additional training by the CAA. Bill spent the rest of his career at the CAA and the subsequent FAA as an instructor and manager over instructors in the CDC/DARC unit where he made many friends and had many technical accomplishments. Bill retired as a manager at the FAA Academy in 1986. He then worked for a few additional years as a contractor, managing contract instructors for Jordan-de Laurenti (JDL), until he fully retired. Bill earned the equivalent of a four year degree by attending community college for a few years, taking many hours of NCA-accredited courses while working at the FAA, and by passing his Professional Engineering Exam. Bill also taught college-level courses while working at the FAA. Bill has always been very close with his family, with whom he loved playing horseshoes, dominoes, and on whom he enjoyed playing a few light-hearted practical jokes.
Bill was preceded in death by both of his siblings, and his parents. Bill is survived by Barbara, his wife of 67 years, and his children, son Mike and his wife Laura Holland, both of Mustang, OK, son Greg and his wife Deana Holland, of Springfield MO, and daughter Stacey Zinke of Mustang, OK. He is also survived by: Mike and Laura's children, daughter Laryn Kolb and her husband Ryan, of Edmond, OK, and son Joe Holland and his wife Amy, of OKC, OK; Greg and Deana's children, son Josh Holland, of Kansas City, MO, daughter Alyssa Buckley and her husband Eric, of Kansas City, MO, and daughter Meagan Holland of Springfield, MO; and Stacey's children, daughter Taylor Elwell and her husband Nate, of OKC, OK, daughter Hunter Lenon and her husband Hayden, of Yukon, OK, and son Mason Zinke, of Mustang, OK. Additionally, Bill is survived by three great-grandchildren with a fourth grandchild expected next month: including Taylor and Nate Elwell's sons Braxton and Nolan, and Joe and Amy Holland's son, Kylen, Alyssa and Eric Buckley are expecting their new son early next month. Bill repeatedly told his extensive friends and family that he had lived a wonderful and rewarding life, and tried to remind his loved ones to stay positive.
He passed away at his home, surrounded by family, due to complications from heart disease, kidney disease, and general complications associated with advanced age.
Bill was born in Blackwell, OK to Lowery Bale and Dollie Hester Holland. He grew up with one brother Robert (Bob) Dean, and one sister, Lowery Bea Holland, as well as many friends and cousins. As a teen, he loved spending his time raising and racing pigeons, and spending time with his friends in an old community college's chemistry lab that was given to Capitol Hill High School. When he got older, he enlisted in the United States Navy, following his brother Bob to fight in the Korean War after Bob had been drafted. Bob and Bill both served as Electronics Technicians onboard the USS Philippine Sea in the early 1950s. Both boys excelled at work on electronics, which prompted them to work in a television repair shop, upon leaving the military and returning to Oklahoma City, which Bill owned and ran after Bob moved away from Oklahoma City. This prompted both boys to apply for and work as electronics technicians at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, after which they applied for jobs at the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), which was the precursor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where they both spent much of their careers. Bill began his CAA career in El Paso, TX, but applied for and secured a job as an instructor in Oklahoma City when he was sent there for additional training by the CAA. Bill spent the rest of his career at the CAA and the subsequent FAA as an instructor and manager over instructors in the CDC/DARC unit where he made many friends and had many technical accomplishments. Bill retired as a manager at the FAA Academy in 1986. He then worked for a few additional years as a contractor, managing contract instructors for Jordan-de Laurenti (JDL), until he fully retired. Bill earned the equivalent of a four year degree by attending community college for a few years, taking many hours of NCA-accredited courses while working at the FAA, and by passing his Professional Engineering Exam. Bill also taught college-level courses while working at the FAA. Bill has always been very close with his family, with whom he loved playing horseshoes, dominoes, and on whom he enjoyed playing a few light-hearted practical jokes.
Bill was preceded in death by both of his siblings, and his parents. Bill is survived by Barbara, his wife of 67 years, and his children, son Mike and his wife Laura Holland, both of Mustang, OK, son Greg and his wife Deana Holland, of Springfield MO, and daughter Stacey Zinke of Mustang, OK. He is also survived by: Mike and Laura's children, daughter Laryn Kolb and her husband Ryan, of Edmond, OK, and son Joe Holland and his wife Amy, of OKC, OK; Greg and Deana's children, son Josh Holland, of Kansas City, MO, daughter Alyssa Buckley and her husband Eric, of Kansas City, MO, and daughter Meagan Holland of Springfield, MO; and Stacey's children, daughter Taylor Elwell and her husband Nate, of OKC, OK, daughter Hunter Lenon and her husband Hayden, of Yukon, OK, and son Mason Zinke, of Mustang, OK. Additionally, Bill is survived by three great-grandchildren with a fourth grandchild expected next month: including Taylor and Nate Elwell's sons Braxton and Nolan, and Joe and Amy Holland's son, Kylen, Alyssa and Eric Buckley are expecting their new son early next month. Bill repeatedly told his extensive friends and family that he had lived a wonderful and rewarding life, and tried to remind his loved ones to stay positive.
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