Marshall David Holliday

Marshall D. Holliday (Doc) passed into the welcoming arms of his Savior on June 4, 2019, surrounded by his three loving daughters after a very short and brave battle with bone cancer. Services will be held at 4:00 pm, June 7, 2019 at the Frank W Wilson Funeral Home. Visitation with the family will be prior to the service beginning at 3:00 pm in the Chapel. Marshall’s grandson, Curtis Thomas, Campus Pastor at Hillside Christian Church, Levelland, TX and Brother David Burton, dearest friend and teacher from Sherwood Church of Christ and Madison Medical Resort Church, will be officiating the services. Marshall will be honored with Military Graveside services at Sunset Memorial Gardens where he will be laid to rest beside his lifelong love, Billie J. Holliday, immediately following his service.

Marshall was born August 7, 1931 in Crane, TX to John Marshall Holliday and Nina Gunn Holliday. At 12 years old, his family moved to Odessa, TX where he spent the remainder of his life. He had four great loves in his life: God, Country, Family, and West Texas. He was a long-time member and Sunday school teacher at 6th and Jackson Church of Christ where he led all his children and three grandsons to Christ. As the grandsons moved over to Crescent Park Baptist Church to become involved in their youth program, so followed their beloved Grandpa and Grandma which began a long-term membership there. He became involved with the David and Laura Pool Sunday school class. These past two years Marshall was an instrumental part of the Sunday afternoon church service held at Madison Medical Resort. Marshall was a bible scholar for most of his life, reading and studying his library of bibles every day. He recently shared with his daughters how God sat with him, right there in his room, having deep conversations with him every day he was studying his Bible, especially in these last few months. He led by godly example for his family and friends to witness always.

Marshall attended Odessa High School and was always a huge fan of the Bronchos! In January 1951, at the age of 19, Marshall enlisted in the United States Navy reporting to Boot Camp in San Diego, CA. After Boot Camp, he attended the Navy Ship Service School, in Bayonne, NJ, where he was Number 10 in his class. He served a tour of duty in the United States Navy during the Korean War with an honorable discharge. He returned to Mapp Tank Company, Odessa, TX where he was employed for 34 years. He continued his Oil and Gas career with Johnson Industries. He retired from MSA Industries in 1998. Following his retirement from the Oil and Gas industry, Marshall proudly transported our young men and women of all military branches to and from the Permian Basin when called to duty. He did so with great pride.

Marshall loved watching football and was a huge fan of the Dallas Cowboys and most recently the Houston Texans and any team where his grandsons attended college. As difficult as it was, he also supported the Houston Oilers on behalf of his son in law. He loved travelling and camping with his wife, family and friends to many places. Cloudcroft, NM was their favorite place where many family memories were made. He loved his Prairie Camping Club friends as if they were family. He was a member of the Prairie Dance Club and VFW where he and Billie enjoyed fellowship and dancing with their friends and family.

Marshall set high standards for himself but showed compassion and patience for those who struggled with life. His loyalty, work ethic, spirit, and determination touched many lives and defined who he was. He will always be loved by many and never be forgotten by his most valuable worldly possessions, his family.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 51 years, Billie Mangan Holliday, his parents, his brother, Donald J Holliday, and his sister Vida Denton.

He is survived by his two sisters Katherine (Cappy) Borcherding and Linda Stoker (John), all four of his children; Clarence Neal Johnson, Sherry Johnson McCrary (Bruce), Serena Holliday Freeland (Paul), and Vicki Johnson Holliday. He is also survived by many grandchildren, great grandkids and many nieces and nephews that adore him.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons, Ryan Thomas, Curtis Thomas, Tyler McCrary, David Freeland, and Michael Freeland and also his two son in laws, Bruce McCrary and Paul Freeland.

Our family would like to give a very special thanks to Madison Medical Resort and their amazing caregivers including Dr. Slaughter and Barbara Norris, NP, all the staff, nurses, and his incredible, CNA’s, for all the love and care they gave our precious sweet Daddy while he resided there. A special thanks to his special friends, Roy Hyson and Wayne Dickens who he loved dearly. We hope all of you will always remember his favorite sayings “I thank you very much!” and “Be sweet like me!”

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Odessa Meals on Wheels or any other charity of your choice.