Urcel Byrnes Holloway, at the age of 96 quietly passed away from this life on Wednesday, July 25, 2012. He was born on May 18, 1916 in Rupert, Idaho to Ferman Byrnes Holloway & Minerva Jane (Witherspoon) Holloway. Urcel moved with his family to California in 1919. There he grew up working on his parents dairy farm. The dairy and family home were lost during the Great Depression. Urcel was a gifted french horn player during high school and never lost his love of music. After graduating from Bakersfield High School and Bakersfield Junior College, Urcel supported himself while also sending money back home to his mother and siblings. He passed up a full-funded scholarship to Seminary School and his dream of becoming a minister for this reason. Urcel put himself through UCLA, graduating as a History major in 1940. Following graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy and entered the Aviation program at Pensacola, Florida. Successfully completing his aviation training, LT(jg) Urcel Holloway was assigned to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas in 1942 to be a flight instructor. Speaking fluent Spanish, he taught future pilots from South America to fly. There he met his future wife and the love of his life, Gale Murray, on a blind date. Married March 19, 1943, (the day the swallows return to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California) at NAS Corpus Christi chapel, Urcel and Gale embarked on nearly 65 years of married life. Urcel during WWII flew PV-1 Ventura bombers out of the Aleutian Islands hunting Japanese submarines and making raids on the Northern Japanese Islands, in what is known today as the Aleutian Campaign . After the war, he worked in Naval Air Intelligence with tours at the Pentagon and with NATO. While at his last duty station in Hawaii, he obtained his MA in political science. He served 22 years with the Navy, retiring in 1962. During those years, he and Gale truly experienced the military life, moving 21 times in those 22 years. Returning to beautiful Carmel Valley, California, he spent the next 32 years as Director of Christian Education at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA. During that time, Urcel joined the Gideons International, a Christian Businessmens group which gives out free bibles to hotels, motels, schools, etc. Urcel served the Gideons faithfully, both in California and later in Texas. In CA, Urcel and Gale had been founding members of the Carmel Valley Gem & Mineral Society. He served several terms as President. He and Gale shared many interests surrounding rock hounding, gardening and their church. When Urcel and Gale moved to Kerrville in early 1994, he fell in love with the beauty of the Texas Hill Country. He and Gale joined the First United Methodist Church and became faithful and active members for many years. Urcel continued his interest in rock hounding, joining the Kerrville Rock Club and then the Fredericksburg Rock Club. He is preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, two sisters and his beloved wife Gale.
Urcel is survived by his children 2 daughters Kathleen Holloway and Patrice Gregory and husband Bill; 2 sons Gary Holloway and wife Lynda and Mark Holloway and wife Dianna; 2 grandsons, Byron Holloway and Jason Holloway; brother Denny Holloway; and many other family members and friends who love him and will miss him.
Following their fathers example of service to the country, three of his four children entered the military service (the Navy). One of Urcels greatest joys was to commission his oldest grandson, ENS Byron Byrnes Holloway into the Navy in 2010, making Byron the third generation of Holloways to serve in the U.S. Navy.
A true example of what is meant to be a member of the Greatest Generation, Urcel was truly the consummate gentle man ; strong and unwavering in his faith; uncommonly bright in mind and spirit; and singularly devoted to his beloved wife and family. We rejoice knowing this valiant Warrior of the Lord has gone home, having heard Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant! We were fortunate to be able to call him father, grandfather and friend. The late Lebanese-American writer, poet and philosopher, Kahlil Gibran shared these words with the world&: When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight .
After cremation, his ashes will be gently reunited with those of his wife Gale, and then scattered in California and Texas per their wishes. No memorial services are planned, although his life will be celebrated by his Keystone Sunday School class at the First United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in his name may be made to the Gideons International, Texas Hill Country Camp, PO Box 293434, Kerrville, TX. 78029.
The family invites you to send condolences to www.timeformemory.com/wrights, or P.O. Box 804, Bandera, Tx. 78003. Arrangements are under the direction and care of Wrights Funeral Parlor of Kerrville.
