Joyce Ann Oakley Holloman

Joyce Ann Oakley Holloman, 84, of Taylorsville, died peacefully, September 30, 2016 at her daughter’s home surrounded by her family. Born March 15, 1932 in Orange County, NC, she was the daughter of the late Stephen Ennis Oakley and Lillie Christian Self Oakley.

It's almost hard to describe Joyce (Mom), because she was so multi-dimensional. One or two adjectives would hardly suffice.

Joyce was a Proverbs 31 woman (verses paraphrased): she was an excellent wife, more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusted in her. She did him good all the days of her life. She worked with willing hands, rising while it was yet night to provide food for her household. Strength and dignity were her clothing. She opened her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness was on her tongue. She looked well to the ways of her household and did not eat the bread of idleness. Her children called her blessed, and her husband also, and he praised her.

She loved the Lord, and she steadfastly loved her family as He taught her. On the little kitchen table overlooking Lake Hickory, she kept her morning devotional booklet next to her coffee cup and to-do list, alongside her binoculars and bird book in case an unusual bird came to the feeder. She was utterly devoted to her husband Richard (Dick) of 64 years, her 3 children, and her 5 grand-children. She worked hard to stay in touch with her extended family, including her 94- and 101-year-old sisters. She was committed to building integrity, strength and character, and having family members keep priorities straight. Trials were for strengthening, not destroying.

She competently ran a busy household even as her husband worked in another state temporarily, at times also working full-time in the operating room as a nurse. She made lists, and lists of lists. If a job was not easily delegated, she did it herself. She kept a clean house (yes, she scrubbed the baseboards with Lysol) as if it were a surgical suite. She taught her children to be organized, efficient, and to do what needed to be done. She was a great cook, branching out to do low-fat ethnic dishes, in addition to her traditional southern cuisine, long before it was fashionable. She enjoyed music, sang soprano in church and local choirs, and had season tickets to Charlotte opera performances for years.

She was a perfect organizational help-mate for her hard-working husband. When he would be transferred from state to state (sometimes on a yearly basis) for business job changes, she would almost singlehandedly pack up the house, un-enroll and re-enroll children in schools, and figure out how to live in the new community. She helped the family see these changes as adventures, not crises. She helped settle the family in North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Colorado over the course of a few years. When Dick had a job offer that would require a move to the Philippines, they finally decided to stay in the US to be closer to their aging parents.

She loved to travel, which was a great blessing, since her marriage required relocation to 6 different states and 19 different homes. Multiple mission trips to Brazil, Panama, and Mexico took place once child-rearing was not so time-consuming. In 1995 and 2000 she and her husband traveled for month-long adventures to Tanzania and Kenya to visit their daughter Denise and her family, who were missionaries at that time. There, she visited mud huts, sat on straw mats and comfortably interacted with villagers, enjoying the local cuisine of corn meal mush, goat meat, and greens.

She and her husband often flew with the family in Dick's company's Piper airplane back and forth across the US. Being a pragmatic woman, she decided that if her husband (the pilot) should ever have a problem en route, it would be useful to know how to land the plane herself. So she secretly took flying lessons to obtain her private pilot's license, and presented her log book of flying hours to Dick for a birthday surprise!

She loved her career as an RN, having worked much of her life, including Watts Hospital, NC Memorial Hospital (renamed UNC Hospital in 1989) , and Duke Hospital, as well as a doctor's office; and indeed continued working well into her 70's as a surgical nurse here in Hickory. After retiring from Frye Regional Medical Center in 1997, she worked at Viewmont Surgery Center until retiring again in 2006. Her organization and competence, as well as loving patient care, were evident in those roles.

She was often described by others as "elegant and classy". She wore beautiful clothes, had great posture, and worked hard to keep her slim figure. She was kidded about her Imelda Marcos-like shoe collection, with champagne-colored dressy heels to perfectly match her evening gown, as well as turquoise sneakers to match her slacks for just a trip to the grocery store. But she made sure those shoes were half-price or less before she bought them! Money was not to be wasted.

Words cannot express how much she will be missed by all who knew her, but there is great rejoicing in heaven at her arrival!

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Richard Vann Holloman, Jr; brothers, Elmer Oakley and Claiborne Oakley; sisters, Clora Mae O. Fitch, Frances O. Watson and Melba Oakley.

Joyce is survived by her husband of 63 years, Richard Vann Holloman; daughters, Denise H. Bilhorn and husband Lorin of Bethlehem and Stephanie Lynn H. Bloom of Conover; grandchildren, Maria Bilhorn Boggess and husband Jordan of Raleigh, Clement Bilhorn of Madison, WI, Richard Bilhorn of Charlotte, Seth Bloom of Louisville, KY and Grace Bloom of Orlando FL. She is also survived by two older sisters, Carlene Sturdivant of Carrboro, NC and Mildred Hobby of Spartanburg, SC.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, October 3, 2016 in the Chapel of Drum Funeral Home in Hickory with Rev. Kurtis Massey officiating. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Hospice of Alexander County, 50 Lucy Echerd Lane, Taylorsville, NC 28681 or Harvest Bible Chapel-Hickory, Mission Fund, 909 US Hwy 70, SW, Hickory, NC 28602.

Condolences may be sent to the Holloman family at www.drumfh-hickory.com.

Drum Funeral Home in Hickory is honored to be serving the Holloman family.