Lewis Hollingsworth

Biography

Lewis Hollingsworth, 89, of Hillsboro passed away Sunday, August 28, 2011, at Providence Health Care Center in Waco. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, August 31, at Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors Chapel in Hillsboro with Rev. Vivian Sumrow officiating. Burial will follow at Ridge Park Cemetery in Hillsboro. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, August 30, at the funeral home.

Lewis was born in Raleigh, TX on August 24, 1922. He attended school in Blooming Grove, graduating in 1940. There he met Imogene “Jean” Shell and they were married on September 14, 1942. He then served his country during WWII as a member of the 82nd Airborne, where he was in the Glider Infantry. He fought battles in Germany, England, France, and Holland, including the Battle of the Bulge. Lewis was a highly decorated soldier. Among his many medals, and the one of which he was most proud, was the “Silver Star Medal.”

At the age of 14, Lewis went to work for the funeral home in Blooming Grove digging graves. This step would lead to a lifetime of service as a funeral director and embalmer. Following the war, Lewis completed mortuary school and received his embalmer’s license in December of 1948. During the 1950's he worked with Marshall & Marshall in Hillsboro before purchasing his own funeral home in Itasca. He owned and operated Hollingsworth Funeral Home in Itasca until he sold it in 1972 and it became Clayton Kay Funeral Home. Over the next three decades he assisted at many area funeral homes including another tour with Marshall & Marshall and also Porter Funeral Home in Mexia until 2009.

After his retirement, he owned a real estate business and also helped his wife, Jean, managing rental properties, and as owners of Shell’s Ladies Wear in Hillsboro, which has been in continuous business since 1956.

Lewis was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Ethel (Lewis) Hollingsworth; brother, Charlie Lee Hollingsworth; and son, Joe Don Hollingsworth.

He is survived by his wife, Jean Hollingsworth of Hillsboro; son, Jim Hollingsworth and wife, Doris, of Whitney; sisters, Bernice Prater, Mavis Lusk, and Odessa Smith all of Blooming Grove; and three grandchildren, Shelley Hollingsworth, Ryan Hollingsworth and wife, Tiffany, and Jayme Cox.

Memorials may be made to the Hill County Paw Pals, P. O. Box 1533, Hillsboro, TX 76645.

Visitation

Tuesday August 30, 2011 , 6:00 - 8:00 PM at Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors

Funeral Service

Wednesday August 31, 2011 , 3:00 P.M. at Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors