Obituary of Earl J. Holliman

EARL J. HOLLIMAN Earl J. Holliman, retired U.S. Army Colonel and civilian member of the Department of Defense Senior Executive Service, died on January 28, 2010 at the Belvoir Woods Health Care Center, Ft. Belvoir, VA. He was 93 years old. He is survived by his loving wife, Lola, of Fort Belvoir, VA; and his devoted daughter Sherry Holliman of Burke, VA. He was preceded in death by his daughter Sandra Holliman Botton in 2008. He also leaves four devoted grandchildren: Brooks Morrison and John Morrison of Lynchburg, VA; Peter Botton of Blacksburg, VA; and Jenna Holliman of Burke, VA; and a beloved great-granddaughter, Kasey Brooks Morrison of Lynchburg, VA. Additionally, he leaves a son-in-law, Jacques Botton of Lynchburg, VA as well as numerous loving nieces, nephews, and many friends. Colonel Holliman had a long and illustrious career spanning more than 52 years both as a military officer and civilian supporting the U.S. Army and Department of Defense. He entered the U.S. Army in 1941 after graduating from Texas A&M University, and served in the Signal Corps for 30 years. During World War II, Colonel Holliman was Chief of a major U.S. radio intelligence intercept station in Newfoundland, and subsequently served as Chief of Radio for General MacArthur in Japan. He participated in the design and technical radio characteristics of all Army radio systems from the 1940's to 1994, and was departmental representative to the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee for 39 years. Other assignments included Operations Officer in the Joint Chiefs of Staff War Room at the time of the Cuban Crisis, and chief of research and development for the Army Security Agency. After his military career, Colonel Holliman was employed with Computer Sciences Corporation and Headquarters U.S. Coast Guard. In 1981, he entered the Army Senior Executive Service and served in the Pentagon as the Army Spectrum Manager. In his civilian employment, he was a member of the design team for the Defense Satellite Communications System satellites. Colonel Holliman served as a member of the United States Delegation to numerous international radio conferences in Geneva, Switzerland. He was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Signal Regiment in 1997. Colonel Holliman held first class radio licenses of the Federal Communications Commission, was a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association and the Association of the United States Army. After retiring from Federal Service in 1994, Colonel Holliman served as a consultant to Lucent Technologies in cellular and personal radio services. Colonel Holliman's Army assignments carried the family to many Army posts in the United States and abroad. He married Lola Alice Elliott in 1946 in Tokyo, Japan. They had the distinction of being the first American couple to be married in Tokyo after World War II, and continued to live there for another year. From that union they were blessed with two children, Sandra and Sherry. In his personal life, from a teenager and into his mid-eighties, Colonel Holliman loved sailing. He and his family often could be found sailing his boat "Papillon" on the Chesapeake Bay. He was a member of the Catalina Sailing Club of Annapolis, MD, for many years. He is dearly loved and will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Colonel Holliman will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Ceremony. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his name may be made to the Disabled American Veterans organization.