Hollis and I connected on Facebook early this year. I was really looking forward to reconnecting with Hollis at the reunion after 50 years. I was very saddened to learn of his passing. I remember helping Hollis with his geometry lessons in the tenth grade. I'll miss Hollis even though I haven't seen him in 50 years.
Indeed Hollis was a great guy. I would see him from time to time in EP over the years.
In about February of this year Hollis called and asked if I knew whether or not anyone was going to spearhead a Reunion for our class. As it turned out, Duane and I had decided a week or so before that if no one else was going to promote a reunion that we would. Hollis jumped on board and we had several preliminary meetings to attempt to figure out how to pull the reunion together. Meanwhile, Veda joined our group and we were underway. Hollis attended three or four of the meetings, then I got word from Duane one day that his girlfriend had informed Duane of his passing.
It was a huge surprise to us. Hollis had been dealing with Parkinson's Disease for a number of years, but was functioning quite well, so I thought.
He clearly was instrumental in putting the reunion together. I'm extremely sad that he won't be able to join us...
Hollis resided at 3400 Memphis Street during his high school days at Austin High . Perhaps the truly happy days of his life were his high school days. At every football game at McKee stadium, the band, of which he was a member, would play and the fans would sing out “Hey, Hey, Look at the ‘A’.” Win, lose or draw the highlight of the evening was the lighting of the “A” on the mountain.
Banking was his primary occupation during and after college, working in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The last decade of his career was spent in Economic Development with an Indian tribe in Arizona, the latter years of which he was CEO of a tribal banking institution.
Hollis was looking forward to your 50th anniversary party with great anticipation. It seems only appropriate that in the absence of the lighting of the “A”, that the star on the mountain be lighted in honor of Hollis and his fellow classmates on this special occasion.
TO MR.BROWN VIA WINSTON BLACK..THE LAST PHOTO IN MY PROFILE IS OF THE "A" I TOOK LAST FRIDAY NIGHT. I TOOK IT FOR EVERYONE WHO WILL ATTEND THE REUNION AND FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT OR ARE NO LONGER WITH US..USUALLY EVERY HOME GAME IT IS LIT UP ..NOT THIS FRIDAY..YOU REMEMBER YOUR SON WITH IT AND I REMEMER MY DAD, THE LAST RIDE TO LEAVE HIM AT FORT BLISS NATIONAL CEMETERY I TURNED AND LOOKED AT THAT A AND SAID ,OK DAD ONE MORE TIME HEY, HEY, LOOK AT THE A , THIS ONE OF MY DADS FAVORITE MOMENTS WHEN WE SAT IN THE STANDS AND CHEERED FOR AHS..I ALSO WILL REMEMBER HOLLIS...THANKS FRANK........
Gilbert Asher
Hollis and I connected on Facebook early this year. I was really looking forward to reconnecting with Hollis at the reunion after 50 years. I was very saddened to learn of his passing. I remember helping Hollis with his geometry lessons in the tenth grade. I'll miss Hollis even though I haven't seen him in 50 years.
Winston Black
Indeed Hollis was a great guy. I would see him from time to time in EP over the years.
In about February of this year Hollis called and asked if I knew whether or not anyone was going to spearhead a Reunion for our class. As it turned out, Duane and I had decided a week or so before that if no one else was going to promote a reunion that we would. Hollis jumped on board and we had several preliminary meetings to attempt to figure out how to pull the reunion together. Meanwhile, Veda joined our group and we were underway. Hollis attended three or four of the meetings, then I got word from Duane one day that his girlfriend had informed Duane of his passing.
It was a huge surprise to us. Hollis had been dealing with Parkinson's Disease for a number of years, but was functioning quite well, so I thought.
He clearly was instrumental in putting the reunion together. I'm extremely sad that he won't be able to join us...
Winston Black
This was contributed by Hollis Brown's father:
Frank Jr. Jurado
TO MR.BROWN VIA WINSTON BLACK..THE LAST PHOTO IN MY PROFILE IS OF THE "A" I TOOK LAST FRIDAY NIGHT. I TOOK IT FOR EVERYONE WHO WILL ATTEND THE REUNION AND FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT OR ARE NO LONGER WITH US..USUALLY EVERY HOME GAME IT IS LIT UP ..NOT THIS FRIDAY..YOU REMEMBER YOUR SON WITH IT AND I REMEMER MY DAD, THE LAST RIDE TO LEAVE HIM AT FORT BLISS NATIONAL CEMETERY I TURNED AND LOOKED AT THAT A AND SAID ,OK DAD ONE MORE TIME HEY, HEY, LOOK AT THE A , THIS ONE OF MY DADS FAVORITE MOMENTS WHEN WE SAT IN THE STANDS AND CHEERED FOR AHS..I ALSO WILL REMEMBER HOLLIS...THANKS FRANK........