Herman Ray Hollifield, Sr.

Herman Ray Hollifield, Sr., 80, of Marion, left his earthly home to walk with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. A loving husband, father, and friend to many, Mr. Hollifield was surrounded by his loving family at his residence when he made his first step into glory.

Mr. Hollifield was born January 09, 1940 to the late Thomas Frank Hollifield and Polly Ann Anderson Hollifield.

Left to cherish his memory, Mr. Hollifield leaves behind his loving wife of 41 years, Rose Angela Laughter Hollifield (Angie); two brothers, Donald Roscoe Hollifield (San Owsley) and Thomas Franklin Hollifield (Fairah); four children whom he loved with all his heart, Bobby Ray Hollifield, Robin Hollifield Pace (Marvin), Herman Ray Hollifield, Jr. (Stephanie), and Krystal Hollifield Drake (Alonzo). In addition to his loving children, Mr. Hollifield leaves behind 8 grandchildren, Aimee Harwood, Megan Harwood, Amanda Harwood, Dustin Hollifield, Samuel Hollifield, James Drake, Garrett Hollifield, & Katelyn Hollifield, and one special granddaughter, Amanda Humphries Troutman, aka YooHoo, who adopted him as her Papaw. In addition to his 13 great grandchildren, Mr. Hollifield leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, caregivers, and his special friends, Larry Cuthbertson, Mike Cline, WC Moore, Jimmy Hollingsworth, Teresa Brock, and many others whose lives he touched over the years.

Mr. Hollifield lived his whole life in the service of others as the owner and operator of H&A Truck Repair & Wrecker Service. Repairing diesel trucks and equipment allowed him the opportunity to meet and assist thousands of stranded truck drivers and motorists who were down on their luck. He touched many lives throughout his 55 years as a small business owner in McDowell County, often times working extra long hours to make sure his customers were able to reach their destination on time. Helping others was his passion; he served his community faithfully for 51 years as a member of The McDowell County Rescue Squad where he served in several roles up to and including Captain of the department. Mr. Hollifield was also instrumental in the formation of the Hankins-North Fork Fire Department helping them to get off the ground to better protect and serve the citizens and visitors of the Hankins Community.

The welfare and happiness of his family was always his top priority and nothing gave him more joy than spending time with his children and grandchildren. He made special memories that will last a lifetime with each of them. Mr. Hollifield loved the outdoors and enjoyed taking his family and friends fishing and spending time with them on Cape Lookout in Carteret County NC or deer and bear hunting with his son, Ray, and his other close friends in Pitt County NC.

A funeral service will be held to celebrate the life of Mr. Hollifield on Saturday, October 17, 2020 at 2:00 pm at Yancey Street Baptist Church with Revs. Dean Owenby and David Edwards officiating. Visitation of friends and family will be held at the church from 12:00 to 2:00 prior to the service with graveside services to follow the funeral. Mr. Hollifield will be laid to rest at McDowell Memorial Park.

Flowers arew appreciated and accepted, but in lieu of flowers, your memorial contributions to one of the following organizations is encouraged and would be greatly appreciated: Shriner’s Hospital for Children, C/O Mt. Mitchell Shrine Club, PO Box 303, Marion, NC 28752 or McDowell County Rescue Squad, PO Box 883, Marion, NC 28752.

The family would like to extend an extra special thank you to the staff and nurses of CarePartners Hospice and Palliative Care McDowell for your love and care during this most difficult time. Your compassion for your patients and level of care far exceeds the level of excellence. Your team of healthcare professionals was truly a blessing to our family to our family during this time of illness and grief. May God bless you every one.