Darrell Lee Holloway

Darrell Lee Holloway, 67, of Melbourne and Jacksonville, Fl, passed away peacefully on November 20, 2024, at his home in Jacksonville. Born to Marilyn and Kenneth Holloway of Brookfield, MO, Darrell grew up on Air Force bases around the US and Canada; attending thirteen different schools in the states of Michigan, California, Montana, Puerto Rico, and Goose Bay Labrador before returning to Missouri to graduate from Brookfield High School.

He had a lifelong fascination with flight and as a child spent many a day watching planes take off and land, but it was a recruitment poster of a submarine that inspired him to join the United States Navy. He spent six years as a submariner on the USS Robert E. Lee, earning three Polaris Deterrent patrols, a Good Conduct Award, and a Letter of Commendation. Following his military service, he enrolled in one of the country's top engineering colleges Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri - Rolla) where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering. Upon graduation, he was recruited by Lockheed Martin Space Operations (Cape Canaveral, Florida) as a Main Propulsion System Engineer for the Space Shuttle program, a role he fulfilled for nine years. He then took a job with Lockheed Martin Astronautics to work on the Titan Missile program for three years before moving back to the Shuttle program as Project Lead of Program Integration with United Space Alliance. In 2001, he earned a Masters degree in Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida. He remained with the Shuttle program until its conclusion in 2011, then worked as a Systems Engineer at Geologics before joining Boeing Defense Space and Security in the lead role for the Launch Commit Criteria for the Starliner. In 2018, he was inducted into the National Space Club (Florida Committee) Hall of Fame for his contributions to Human Space Flight Advancement.

At the time of his passing, he was on medical leave from Onyx Aerospace where he was a Senior Space Analyst since 2020 having spent a total of 35 years working with the space program.

Darrell enjoyed a variety of hobbies including spelunking, skydiving, scuba diving, hang gliding, model rocketry, astronomy, and astrophotography. He had an extensive music collection, was an avid reader (mostly science fiction) and was an excellent cook. He was known for his quick wit, his curiosity and love of learning, and was the keeper of a treasure trove of facts (some useful). He adored his grandsons, encouraging their creative play especially when it came to science and space whether it was shooting light up helicopters into the night sky or building a seven-foot submarine out of cardboard boxes; he was a fun and adventurous Pop Pop.

He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Valerie, a daughter and son-in-law, Jessa and Will Lawrence, grandsons Davis, Tate, and Auden Lee of Jacksonville, FL.; his siblings Angie (Ricky) Erdman of Higginsville, MO, Kerwin (Susie) Holloway of Shawnee, KS, and Cheryl (Barry) Patterson of Edgerton, MO; his wife’s siblings and aunt and numerous nephews, nieces, grand nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends who were like family.

The immediate family would like to thank the doctors and nurses of the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville; Drs. Nelson Sang and James Neel of Melbourne; Community Hospice and Palliative Care, Jacksonville; Onyx Aerospace; and all our extended family, neighbors, and friends for the love and support they showed us during this time.

Darrell will be interned at the Jacksonville National Cemetery with military honors on his birthday January 10, 2025. Two Celebrations of Life will follow, one at Unity of Melbourne Church, 2190 Sarno Road, Melbourne on Sunday, January 12 at 1 pm and another in his hometown of Brookfield, MO at a date to be determined.