James Thomas “Tommy” Holloway, Sr., passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on Sunday, January 29, 2023.
Tommy was one of five children, born January 10, 1931, to Herbert Mitchell Holloway and Ruby Elizabeth Usher Holloway. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and two brothers, Mary Nell Dawson, Robert Allen Holloway, Ann Usher Holloway, and “Little Joe,” who was stillborn at thirteen pounds. Tommy spent his entire life on the family farm in Sedalia, Kentucky.
Tommy began school at the age of five and graduated from Sedalia High School in 1948. He attended the University of Kentucky for three semesters, seeking a degree in Agriculture. He took a job at a diner in Lexington because he had no money for food. He was able to eat all he wanted at the diner and gained sixty pounds his freshman year. Of course, this could also have been because a special young lady back home kept sending cookies to him through the mail. He eventually withdrew from college because he was needed at home to work on the farm. Tommy was disappointed that he was unable to finish school, so he prioritized working hard so that his children would be able to go someday.
Upon returning home, Tommy married Evangeline Russell Holloway on February 18, 1950, so she could bake him cookies for the rest of his life without having to pay postage. They had four children. He, his father, and brother purchased numerous shares of stock when Liberty Savings Bank was formed in 1955. He borrowed $5000 to purchase the stock during a time when his three-year-old daughter only owned one pair of thirty-nine cent socks. His wife refused to speak to him for three days, and probably didn’t bake him any cookies either.
Tommy worked with his father and brother on an adjoining farm, milking jersey cows until October 1958. Tommy and his brother formed Holloway Brothers Orchard and grew fifty acres of apples and fifteen acres of peach trees. The orchard was a family operation, which took everyone pitching in to pick and process the fruit. Tommy sprayed the trees around fourteen times each from early spring to harvest time, using chemicals that required protective clothing. The horticultural agent at the UK extension office published this schedule for all the horticulturists in the state to use as a guide for their operations.
The orchard was uprooted when his brother became ill. Tommy subsequently began a career with the Kentucky Department of Highways. He was also chosen to serve as liaison to Governor Louie Nunn’s Task Force. Tommy served on the Board of Directors at Liberty Savings, as his father and brother had before him, and was eventually named chairman. Liberty Savings merged with People’s Bank of Paducah, which later became Union Planters and now is Regions Bank.
Tommy began working in the Department of Banking in 1970. He departed state government in 1971 to serve as the office manager for People’s Security Finance in Paducah. After several years, Tommy was promoted to Vice President and Area Supervisor, overseeing operations in six to eight locations. His normal routine was to waken Monday morning at 2 am/C and arrive in Irvine, London, Corbin or some other Kentucky location, by 8 am/E. He went unannounced to see if the employees arrived to work on time and ran operations efficiently. Tommy reduced his working hours in 1994 and for a few years, oversaw the construction or renovation of many offices for People’s Security. He always kept an early morning schedule.
For the last 25 years of Tommy’s life, he worked on the family farm, growing a splendid garden which included tomatoes of which he was especially proud. He always kept the first few for himself but quickly had so many tomatoes that no one he knew was without. Tommy planted and harvested what would be his last garden in 2022. He was also a partner at Holloway Grain & Tobacco Farms, where he helped his youngest son, Peanut, with planting, cultivating, harvesting, and teaching his youngest three granddaughters how to farm, work hard, and appreciate the great blessing of growing up on a farm.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Tommy was honored to serve as deacon at Lebanon Church of Christ. He was also administrator for the cemetery where he will be laid to rest. Tommy served as the Republican chair of the Graves County Board of Elections from 2010-2020. One of the greatest honors of his life was receiving an award in 2015 for lifelong service to the Republican party. He framed and displayed his award above the fireplace.
Tommy is survived by his wife of nearly 73 years, Van Holloway; four children, Jim (Judy) Holloway of Reidland; Judy (George) Cates of Cuba; Jana (Phil) Cannon of Soddy-Daisy, TN; and Jerry “Peanut” Holloway (Kim) of Sedalia; fifteen grandchildren, Jill Holloway (Ryan) Smith, Lexington; Jamie Holloway (Alex) Risen, Lexington; Ken Cates (Suzanne), Louisville; Chris Cates (Kelli), Mayfield; Caleb Cannon, Soddy-Daisy, TN; Kidron (Rebekah) Cannon, Las Vegas; Jessica (Danielle) Holloway, Vancouver, WA; Neely Holloway (Colt) Haley, Mayfield; Gage (Brittany Morris) Dunn, Mayfield; Garrett (Bethany) Dunn, Mayfield; Hallic Dunn, Murray; Hattie Dunn, Murray; and Julie, Jemma, and Eiryn Holloway, Sedalia; eleven great-grandchildren, Tanner and Emmy Smith, Lexington; Colin and Campbell Risen, Lexington; Kenleigh and Chloe Cates, Louisville; Nia, Creed, and Steele Haley, Mayfield; Easton Dunn, Sedalia; Harrison Dunn, Mayfield.
He is also survived by his granddog and companion of nine years, Biscuit, who faithfully accompanied him in his UTV on the farm in exchange for hot dogs and bologna, and who waited outside of church for him three times a week.
Services for Tommy will be Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at Byrn Funeral Home in Mayfield. Visitation will begin at 10 am and the service will begin at 2 pm. John Forgy and Elliott Hamm will officiate.Tommy’s grandsons and grandsons-in-law will carry him to his final resting place at Lebanon Cemetery, in view of the family farm. Honorary pallbearers will be Dale Jones, Gary Pritchett, Chip Holloway, Michael Lax, Herb Dawson, Phil Holloway, Joe Holloway, and Shawn Turbeville. Expressions of sympathy may be made in the form of donations to New Pathways Children, P.O. Box 10, Melber, KY 42069-0010 or West Kentucky Youth Camp, 3220 Crossbow Lane, Evansville, IN 47715.