John Holley, Sr.

John Holley, Sr., age 86, resident of Somerville, Tennessee and husband of Frances Conner Holley, departed this life Monday afternoon, November 6, 2023 at his home.

John was born December 8, 1936 in Washington County, Mississippi, the son of the late Ephraim Holley and Jessie Lucille Moore Holley. He served two years in the United States Army in the Signal Corps and graduated from high school in 1955 from Glen Allen School. He grew up on Lake Jackson near Chatham, Mississippi and was an avid hunter and fisherman who enjoyed traveling out west to hunt big game.

John worked at AT&T (Bellsouth) for 40 years before his retirement and was a Freemason. He was married to Frances Conner Holley for 65 years and was an avid conversationalist and reader who enjoyed car racing (NASCAR). He liked to repair and tinker with all sorts of things and loved helping people get things repaired.

Mr. Holley is survived by his wife, Frances Conner Holley; two children, Virginia “Ginger” Hughes (Ken Hughes) and John M. Holley, Jr. (Christy Holley); his sister, Kay Atkinson; four grandchildren, Holly Boice (Daniel Boice), Jacob Holley, Heather Hughes and Christa Holley; his nephew, David Atkinson; and his niece, Dana Collier (Donnie).

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Donald Holley and his sister, Linda Achord.

Funeral Services for Mr. Holley were held at 2 P.M. Thursday, November 9, 2023 at the Peebles Main Funeral Chapel in Somerville with Bro. David Reeves, pastor of Midway Baptist Church in Whiteville, officiating. Interment will follow in Mt. Moriah Cemetery at Whiteville.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Carey Lynn Rodgers, Ronnie Marbury, Lynn Morris, David Atkinson, Eddie Conner and Jimmy Goodman. Honorary pallbearers were L.A. Rogers and Lester Crafton.

The family requests that memorials be directed to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 41817, Memphis, TN 38174-1817.