TOPSHAM — Ret. Senior Master Chief William C. Holloway Sr., 78, died Feb. 3 at St. Cloud Regional Medical Center in St. Cloud, Fla.

He was born in Eddyville, Ky., on June 22, 1933, the son of George Clinton and Anne Mae Gillahan Holloway. He graduated from Harrisonburg High School and enlisted in the U.S. Navy on Aug. 1, 1951, in Washington, D.C.

On April 9, 1955, he married Genevieve Willis of Miami.

After basic training in Great Lakes, Ill., he began his service working in the AM shop in FasRon Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron 102 Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Va. He received further education in the Airman Preparatory School in Jacksonville, Fla., and at “A” School in Memphis, Tenn. He was then assigned to the Heavy Attack Squadron 9 in Sanford, Fla.

He served aboard seven aircraft carriers including the Midway, Forrestal, Lake Chaplain, Ticonderoga, Coral Sea, Roosevelt and Independence. Holloway served with the Fleet Air Service 108, then Patrol Squadron 26 and Patrol Squadron 8 Brunswick Naval Air Station where he served as Command Master Chief beginning in 1979. He also served tours of naval air stations in Kingsville, Texas, Ocean, Va., Glynco, Ga., Patuxent River, Md., and Lajes, Azores.

In 1969 he was named an “Outstanding Young Man of America” due to his service and community spirit with the Chapel in the Pines, as a teacher of an adult Bible class, coach of the intermural basketball team and as a key man in the United Fund Drive.

After more than three decades of service, he fully retired from the U.S. Navy on April 1, 1985. He was “a thoroughly Navy man and was a whale of a fellow,” according to his fellow Navy men.

He was an avid bass fisherman and in 1996  won the Maine Championshop, which sent him to the Big Bass World Championship in Oklahoma where he tied for 21st place. He and his family enjoyed camping and never missed a year. His garden was his pride and joy, from the collard greens, kale and tomatoes to the rows and rows of flowers. He and his wife were always traveling in their beloved Air Stream and wintered in Florida for the past 11 years.

Holloway is survived by his wife, Genevieve, of Topsham; children William C. Holloway Jr. of Hilo, Hawaii, Beth Holloway and her fiance, Jeff Slauenwhite, of Litchfield and Paul Holloway of Redway, Calif.; five grandchildren, Chad and his wife, Dori, Micah Holloway and his wife, Hannah, Jennifer Dumais and her husband, Alex, and Michelle and Meagan Arsenault; and four great-grandchilren, Colbie, Loni, Lucia, Sawyer and Callie. He was predeceased by his son, Donald Holloway

A memorial service will be held in the spring at Stetsons Funeral Home in Brunswick. Burial with full military honors will be held at Rogers Cemetery in Topsham.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association, 51 U.S. Route 1, Suite M, Scarborough, ME 04074.

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