Henry M. Hollar

Henry (Hank) Hollar’s life journey began in Chenoa, IL on June 6, 1925.

Hank found out at a young age, that he was adopted by Victor and LeVere (Haney) Hollar, who raised Hank in the Christian faith in Mt. Morris, IL on a small, 40-acre farm, where he grew up and graduated high school in 1943. He remarked that his adoptive parents told him right away and they said, “we chose you” though he did not learn details of his birth and adoption until later in life. Following high school, Hank married Dorothy Silvius in August 1943 after being drafted into the Army during World War II. He was stationed primarily in Europe until 1946 and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Following his return home to Dorothy, they settled in Mt. Morris and had two sons, Michael and Patrick. Hank’s first position when he returned home was with Cable Printing, which later became Quebecor Printing Corp., where he worked in several positions over the 48 years he was there. He retired in 1991. Hank said that he got the job there because he was the only one who could spell the word picnickking, with a double k. Hank and Dorothy were married for 40 years before she passed away.

Hank became re-introduced to Beverly Cain Reynolds on June 2, 1984, at the wedding of a family member and they were married on May 18, 1985, where Hank sang “Walk Hand in Hand with Me” to Bev during their wedding ceremony. They were married for just shy of 36 wonderful years and liked to mark their marriage in months, so this month they had been married for 432 months.

Over the years, Hank was a member of Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren and later of Aldersgate United Methodist Church after moving to Rockford. He was a lifetime member of the VFW, Senior Men’s Group at the YMCA, volunteered at Rockford Memorial Hospital for 19 years, read newspapers into a recording device so that people who were visually impaired could hear the newspaper articles as they were read, sang in the church choir, and was in several bridge and billiards groups.

In1991, Hank decided to find out about his biological family. His birth parents were Joshua and Laura (Holloway) McConnaughhay. In his search, he learned that there was a McConnaughhay Society of America that was headquartered in Indiana and it was during his encounter with this organization that he found out that his biological family had been looking for him. It was during a McConnaughhay family reunion organized by Hank’s sister Wanda, that he met several of his family members, and he and Bev were able to connect with them and share many memorable times together.

Hank passed away peacefully at his home on May 10, 2021. Surviving relatives include his loving wife, Beverly Hollar; son, Michael T. (Diana) Hollar of Sarasota, FL; grandchildren, Zachary (Felicia) Hollar and Nichole (Oscar) Kolbinger; great-grandchildren, Lucy, Violet Camille, Kolton and Violett; sister Wanda Louise Katzman of Mesa, AZ; special nephew, Steve (Diane) McConnaughhay, and many nieces, nephew, and cousins. Hank is pre-deceased by his parents; first wife, Dorothy; son, Patrick D. Hollar; and seven brothers.

Special thanks to Hank’s MercyHealth at Home hospice nurse, Tiffany, for her competent and compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Hank’s name to Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Rockford, IL.

Walk-through visitation will be Tuesday, May 18, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. until time of service at 11:00 a.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 3910 N. Rockton Avenue, Rockford, IL 61103. Masks are required and social distancing guidelines must be followed. Final resting place will be Willwood Burial Park, Rockford, IL.

Memories and condolences may be shared online at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.