Billy Holladay

Billy (Bill) Kenneth Holladay was a servant of God; loving husband, father and grandfather; and gifted engineer. He loved woodworking, gardening, cooking, telling stories, and building things, almost as much as he loved being with his family. He was full of life and laughter, and he was loved throughout his years by those around him for his good humor, kind spirit, and happy smile.

Bill was born in Crenshaw County, AL, on July 30, 1933 to Robert and Ina Mae Holladay.  After working in his local general store during high school, he joined the Navy in 1953, where he served for 4 years as a radio repairman. During his time in the Navy, he met Dorcie (Dot) Henson of Marion County, AL, and they were married on August 13, 1954.  A year before his honorable discharge from the Navy, their first son, Kenneth, was born.  Their second son, Gary, was born nearly four years later. Following his Navy service, Bill worked repairing radios and televisions before joining Martin Marietta Aerospace, where he worked as an electronic technician. His technical expertise and love of travel led him on adventures around the world, from installing communication equipment in Baghdad, Iraq, to living in Germany as a US government contractor. He had a long and well-respected career, retiring after over 30 years of service.

During his tenure at Martin Marietta, Bill and Dot settled in Orlando, FL, where Bill served as an elder in the Holden Heights and South Bumby churches of Christ for many years. After retiring, Bill and Dot moved to north Alabama to live near family. There, he continued with his gardening and woodworking hobbies, even terracing his hillside backyard into raised beds and constructing his own two-story workshop for his carpentry.  

Although he struggled with Alzheimer's in his final years, he maintained his cleverness, his kind heart, and most of all, his love for his wife, Dot. 

He is survived, loved, and missed by his wife, Dorcie Holladay, his sons, Kenneth (Deborah) Holladay and Gary (Kimberly) Holladay; five grandchildren [Aaron (Natalie) Holladay, Miriam (Doug) Juckett, Benjamin (Lindsay) Holladay, Andrew (Stephanie) Holladay, and Gary (Aimee) Holladay], six great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many other relatives.