CMA 1963/64

Coach Jack Ray Holley

April 15, 1938 - May 20, 2013

 

Coach Jack Holley, age 74 of Teachey, NC, passed away Monday, May 20, 2013 at his residence. Funeral services will be held 6:00 p.m. Friday at the Thell B. Overman Field, Legion Stadium conducted by Dr. Philip Gladden. Burial will follow at Rockfish Cemetery. 

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Judith Wells Holley of the home, two daughters, Julianne Williams and husband Al of Kenansville, NC and Jemma Imwalle and husband Scott of Wallace, NC, a son, Battle Holley and wife Brook of Pin Hook, NC, seven grandchildren, Candace and Trey Williams, both of Kenansville, NC, Walker and Anna Jack Imwalle, both of Wallace, NC, Anastan, Tabor and Bennett Holley of Pin Hook, NC and a great granddaughter, Ellisan Smith.
 
Born August 15, 1938 in Ashton, NC, Jack was the son of the late William and Doris (Pershake) Holley and was preceded in death by a brother, William "Bill" Holley, a sister, Joyce Ann Holley and a grandson, Battle David Imwalle. 
Coach Holley was a member of the Wallace Presbyterian Church. He graduated from New Hanover High School in 1957 where he had played on four championship teams in three different sports which includes football, basketball and baseball. Jack was born to coach. Coaching for 48 years with a record of 412-96-9 holding the record for the most wins in football in North Carolina. He coached for several high schools including Carolina Military Academy, Tabor City High School, Hallsboro High School, West Columbus High School, South Columbus High School, Wallace-Rose Hill High School and Harrells Christian Academy. In 2008, while coaching Harrells Christian Academy, he led his team to a win earning a NCISAA Championship State Title. In 1998, Coach Holley was inducted into the Guilford College Hall of Fame and in 2007, inducted into the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame. Coach Holley later retired in 2011. Jack also served in the United States Army as a cook at Ft. Benning, Ga. He enjoyed fishing, hunting but especially enjoyed being around his family and his grandchildren.
 
Casketbearers will be Battle Holley, Al Williams, Trey Williams, Julianne Williams, Scott Imwalle, Walker Imwalle, Jemma Imwalle and Adam Scronce. 
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Coach Jack Holley's Lunch Box Fund, First Bank, 517 North Norwood St., Wallace, NC 28466. The family would also like everyone to become a blood donor. Please contact your local Red Cross for more information.

 
To sign the guestbook, please go to www.padgettfuneralhome.net. 
A service of Padgett Funeral and Cremation Service.

Jack Holley, state's winningest

high school football coach, dies

By Chuck Carree
Chuck.Carree@StarNewsOnline.com

Jack Holley, known for candor, tenacity, devotion to family and his mark as North Carolina's all-time wins leader among high school football coaches, died Monday in his home in Teachey after being hospitalized two months at Duke Medical Center. He was 74.

• Jack Holley

“It has been a real emotional thing for all of us,'' former New Hanover High School teammate and lifelong friend Jackie Bullard said. “He was in the conversation for the last few months. There will be thousands of Jackie Bullards and people like me, but there will never be another Jack Holley. It was because when you talk to Jack Holley you only got Jack Holley. He was just a loyal friend. He was just like our brother.''

Besides Bullard, he remained close with high school teammates Roman Gabriel and Jimmy Helms, among others.

“We ran around together for a while and I never met a tougher, smarter and a more stubborn guy,'' Gabriel said.

The 1957 New Hanover alumnus played baseball, football and basketball for the legendary Leon Brogden, but became the embodiment of Wildcats assistant Jap Davis, known for toughness and as a master motivator.

Teammates also considered Holley Davis' pet. It was not uncommon for Davis to yell at Holley for mistakes and then pat him on the back.

“The great thing about Jack he was able to find that compromise of his two high school coaches,'' Gabriel said. “He was able to take the poise of coach Brogden and the toughness, know-how and never quit from Jap.''

In recent years, Bullard and Helms drove Holley to Duke for blood transfusions. During the treatments, Bullard noticed the interactions between Holley, nurses and the medical staff.

“They were like little magnets and just pampering him and he had that smile for them,'' Bullard said. “We just sat back and enjoyed how they treated him with such respect.''

Colleagues remember the legend, with 412 victories and only 96 defeats over 44 seasons as a head coach, as an influential figure.

“I could talk for days on the effect he has had on me and my life, but to come back and see the amount of players have come to see him since he was sick was phenomenal,'' Wallace-Rose Hill coach Joey Price said. “They have come from all over the country.''

During one of the final visits to the Holley home, Price estimates that 10 of his former coaches were there.

“That tells you of the type man he was and how he ran his program and how much he cared about people,” Price said, “and I thought about how much fun it was to work with him.''

Information about funeral services will be added as it comes available.

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