Willard Raymond "Chic" Holland

Graveside Funeral Services for Willard Raymond “Chic” Holland, age 95 of Cookeville, will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 13, 2010 at the Elmwood Cemetery in Springfield TN. The family will receive friends Friday evening, November 12 from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Dyer Funeral Home and Saturday morning from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Robertson County Funeral Home in Springfield TN. “Chic” died Wednesday November 10, 2010 at the Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He was born October 29, 1915 in Robertson County TN to the late Gilbert Ezbon Holland and Bessie Jane Dorris Holland. Mr. Holland was a member of the First Baptist Church of Cookeville, The Noon Rotary Club and volunteer with the Cookeville Depot Museum. He also held the distinction of being a founding member and past President of the Tennessee Municipal Electrical Association and the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association. He also served Cookeville as manager of the Cookeville Electric Department for thirty years and was the Safety Director for our City. “Chic” was very active in our community serving as a volunteer with many local organizations such as the Red Cross, United Way, Boy Scouts, and many others. He especially enjoyed being named Grand Marshall of the 2008 Cookeville Christmas Parade. His family includes a son, Willard R Holland, Jr. (wife Jean Fort) of Savannah GA and two daughters, Bettye Pupo-Walker (husband Enrique) and Sandra Heinrich both of Nashville. He was grandfather to ten grandchildren; Will Holland (Katie), Ann Holland, Landy Thompson (Matt), Gini Pupo-Walker (Eddie Wright Rios), Libetz Pupo-Walker, Dustin Heinrich, Meg Heinrich, Casey Heinrich, Adam Mitchell (Tonya), and Steven Mitchell. He also has seventeen great-grandchildren, one great- great grandchild, as well as a Loving Companion, Christine Clifford. He was preceded in death by his wife Virginia Byrum Holland, his parents, a sisters Peggy Jo Holland Tilley, a daughter, Melba Mitchell, and sons-in-law Bill Mitchell and Rick Heinrich. Pallbearers will be Will Holland, Dustin Heinrich, Casey Heinrich, Adam Mitchell, Steven Mitchell, Matthew Mitchell and Eli Wright. The family has requested memorial contributions be made to the Cookeville Rotary Club Scholarship to Tennessee Tech University, American Cancer Society of Cookeville or the American Lung Association of Tennessee.