John Forrest Holloway's Obituary
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of John F. Holloway of Wylie, Texas, who passed away on December 2, 2025, at the age of 79.
John was born in 1945, in Newbern, Tennessee, to Dorothy Ditmore and Forrest Holloway. He was a beloved spouse, parent, sibling, grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend.
John is survived by his wife, Nancy; his son, Tom Holloway and wife Jennifer; and grandchildren, Jessica, Christopher and Jeff wife Kelly and their two boys and daughter. He was uncle to David and Donna, and her son, Sam. He was preceded in death by his parents and his older sister, Dina Upton.
John’s friends and family roots in Newbern remain strong, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
Life and Legacy
John grew up with his sister Dina in Newbern, where his father ran a restaurant and mother owned a dress shop.
He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout, and played football in high school, where as #99, he played defensive tackle and linebacker. On weekends, he played at the local pool hall, and during the summer months, he worked on the family farm, picked cotton, bailed hay, worked in cafes and his father’s restaurant, and sold encyclopedias door-to-door. After graduation, he moved to Memphis and attended college. He then joined the National Guard, where he was called up to serve in 1968 after the Martin Luther King assassination.
John always provided for his family and welcomed a range of diverse positions. He began working at the Dover Elevator Company, and then moved on to roles in restaurants, automotive service, and inventory management, even taking on a 2nd job at the local 7-Eleven to make ends meet when money was tight. He later settled in as an IT Specialist and Manager at Nortel Networks, where he eventually retired.
In the 1980s, John relocated to Dallas, where he met his wife, Nancy. They married in 1983 and honeymooned in Hawaii, where they enjoyed SCUBA diving, strolls along the beautiful beaches, and touring the many gardens of the island. They lived in Richardson for a few years before settling down in Wylie, where they have lived for the last 35 years.
John had a curious mind. He often drove a different way home or while out on errands…just to see different parts of town for the sake of discovering something new. He had an off-beat sense of humor, satirizing society and imagining alternate realities that often involved political dystopias, robot takeovers or alien invasions.
What’s your fondest memory of John?
What’s a lesson you learned from John?
Share a story where John's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with John you’ll never forget.
How did John make you smile?