Allen Holliday

Allen S. "Pop" Holliday died peacefully in his sleep on Good Friday, April 22, 2011. He was born in Tucson, AZ, the oldest son of Allen and Mary Holliday along with 10 siblings. He retired CWO-2 from the US Navy with 22 ½ years of service, then spent another 23 years in Civil Service at NAS Pensacola. As a decorated veteran of WWII and Korea, Pop spent most of his career in the Pacific Theater, where he was the Pacific Fleet Welterweight Boxing Champion, 1938-39. On Dec 7, 1941, he survived the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese and went on to fight sea battles and landings at Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Saipan. At the end of the war, he took medical help to survivors at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the war, his duty was to decommission ships on the East Coast and transfer them to moth ball fleets on the West Coast. It was then he met his wife, Lillian Goodson, in Jacksonville. Together they had two children and moved with the Navy to several bases in California and then Seattle, before he was commissioned to command an air rework facility in Korea. After Korea, his last duty was at NAS Pensacola where he eventually retired to raise his family. Pop, always an athlete, enjoyed boxing and playing football and baseball for Pacific Fleet teams. He loved spectator sports and was a stickler for the rules. He coached the proper way to play the game: practice and fundamentals were the keys to success. He spent 25 years as a baseball umpire and football referee, calling games in youth sports, high school, college and the semi-pro level. He was well-respected by his peers, players and coaches - believing they would get a fair game when Pop called the balls and strikes. He is survived by a younger brother Piercy and two sisters, Maral and Carol; his son Bruce A. "Doc" Holliday (Pam) and daughter Brenda O'Daniel (Andy); grandchildren Grier Holliday, Allyson Schneider, Brooks Holliday, Shannon Pazos and Drew O'Daniel; great grandchildren Philip and Sarah Pazos, Pamela, Summer and Shelby Schneider, and Theo Holliday. A devout Christian and steward of the Methodist Church, Pop belonged to Richard's Memorial for 20 years and the last 30 years to Gulf Breeze United, where he served proudly as a greeter and usher. Most of all, he cherished his time watching his grandchildren grow up. For 20 years he enjoyed watching his grandchildren and their friends play sports or cheer, from youth sports to high school and even college. If he wasn't watching a game, he was at the park working the concession stand, cooking hamburgers, taking tickets or building lockers at the field house. Whatever he could do to help players and coaches, he did. Pop Holliday was an icon in the Gulf Breeze Sports Community. His family wishes to express gratitude to those who helped him with his medical needs and comfort, Dr. David Kellen, Dr. Anita Westafer, Jan Pettigrew ARNP, Gulf Breeze Hospital and Bay Breeze Nursing Home. Your care and kindness made his life better during his final days. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Gulf Breeze High School Athletics or Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church. The visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 28, at Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church, 75 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze. The memorial service will follow at 11:00 a.m. A reception will be held immediately following the service in the Fellowship Hall.

Visitation

Visitation

Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church
75 Fairpoint Drive
Gulf Breeze, FL  32561
Thursday, April 28, 2011
10:00 AM

Service

Memorial Service

Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church
75 Fairpoint Drive
Gulf Breeze, FL  32561
Thursday, April 28, 2011
11:00 AM