John Hollingsworth, Sr.'s Obituary
John Perry “Tip” Hollingsworth of Garland, Texas went to be with his loving wife Nema in the arms of The Lord early Sunday morning, April 8, 2018… the morning after their 67th wedding anniversary.John was born on April 25th 1928 to his parents, William Albert and Ila Alberta Hollingsworth in Blytheville, Arkansas. He had four brothers, two who died in infancy.Like many of “The Greatest Generation” his family had to work very hard and make many sacrifices to thrive during The Great Depression and the war that followed.While attending Blytheville High School he met his future wife, Nema…and romance began to bloom. He was very active in high school as a member of the Red Razoo club and graduated in 1946 at which time he joined the United States Navy. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the bulk of his enlistment.After returning home from his service, his courtship resumed with the love of his life, Nema and they were married in 1951. He returned to what he knew and loved, farming… and supplemented the family income by becoming an Arkansas State Trooper until 1957. (It is noteworthy that he was offered an opportunity during that time to enter the minor league system of the Chicago Cubs, a testament to his athletic ability. However, his family committments precluded this…and he moved with them to Texas to seek better opportunities.)After working for Metzgers Dairy for a year in order to establish his Texas residency, he applied for and was approved to enter the Dallas Police Academy and served with distinction in many positions for twenty years.He was delivering blood to Parkland when the Kennedy motorcade delivered the president. He had many stories of his experiences during those turbulent times to share with all of us and they have become part of the family lore to be passed on.Along with working his ranch in Scurry, he loved fishing. An avid angler, he spent many hours with family and friends on his boat and was notorious for his “refreshments”. After all, they were invited to fish, not picnic. Bait was more of a priority.He worked as a security consultant for Diamond Shamrock for ten years after leaving the Dallas Police Department.During his lifetime, he was a 32nd degree Mason and a member of The Scottish Rite and Shrine. A lifetime Methodist, he was very active and a staunch supporter of The First United Methodist Church of Mesquite for 58 years. While rasing a family and working a number of other jobs, he found time to earn his degree in Criminal Justice in just 4 years from Sam Houston State University…an amazing accomplishment for which he was justly very proud. His work ethic and personal drive were pillars of his unique character.During this time and after, he and Nema rarely missed any event in which their grandchildren participated. The list of Boy Scout ceremonies, band concerts, athletic events and all the minutia that constitute the active childhoods of today would and did fill up numerous photo albums and collections. He even faced the hazards of teaching many of them to drive cars, tractors and trucks. They were devoted grandparentsHe was preceded in death by his parents, his two infant brothers, his brother Calvin Hollingsworth and most recently…by his beloved wife Nema. He is survived by his brother, Jerry Hollingsworth, his devoted children, Patricia (Bob), Al (Shelley), John Jr. (Lisa)…his six grandchildren- Christopher, Shane (Charlotte), Chance, Brooke, John III (Catherine), and Cole…as well as two great grandchildren, Tristin and Savannah, in addition to numerous nephews and nieces. He will be sorely missed.Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery, 13005 Greenville Avenue, at Restland Road, Dallas, TX 75243 (972-238-7111).
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