Robert Raymond Hollis

Retired Portland lawyer Robert R. (Bob) Hollis died in Portland, Oregon on Friday, April 28, 2017. He was predeceased in 2009 by his beloved wife of 58 years, Leona Raab Hollis. Bob was born on January 9, 1927 in Carnegie, Oklahoma, and moved to Oregon with his family later the same year settling in Yamhill County. He was educated in California and Oregon public schools and graduated in 1943 from Dayton Oregon High School where he served as Student Body President during his senior year.

Following three years of Navy service during World War II, primarily in the South Pacific, Bob attended the University of Oregon, where he met the love of his life Leona, who he married in 1950. Bob graduated with the Law School class of 1951.

Following his admission to the Bar in 1951, Bob served as counsel to the Oregon Public Utilities Commissioner. Becoming Chief Counsel in 1957 at the age of 30. During this time, at the age of 25, Bob argued his first of several cases in the Oregon Supreme Court. During that year, he also was admitted to the United States Supreme Court and filed briefs with that court as Lead Counsel of the State of Oregon in the Hells Canyon- Snake River Dam proceedings.

In 1959, he moved to Portland to enter private practice. During his nearly 40 years of practice in Portland, Bob specialized in representing maritime, transportation, radio, bus, and telephone companies. During his Portland practice, Bob prepared and tried more than 400 court, administrative and appellate cases and participated in proceedings of this sort in ten states. He also appeared in proceedings before the Interstate Commerce Commission in Washington DC. During his active life as a member of the Oregon Bar, Bob also appeared in proceedings of this sort in 31 of the 26 counties in Oregon. He also filed briefs or argued cases in the United States Supreme Court, in several federal courts, to the Idaho Supreme Court and the Washington Court of Appeals.

Following his retirement at the end of 1996, Bob concentrated on a range of community and religious activities. Among other things, he was selected as Vincentian of the Year in 2004-2005 by the Portland Regional Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and served on various community committees and boards in his locality.

Bob is survived by six children: Victoria (Tom) Woodward, Julia (John) Nerheim, Brian (Amy) Hollis, Linda (Frank) Byrne, Laura (Eric) Schuck and Mary (Ed) Merrick; seventeen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The family requests that any memorial contributions be forwarded to the St. Therese Parish chapter of St. Vincent de Paul: St Vincent de Paul, St Therese Parish, 1260 NE 132nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97230. Contributions may also be made to Providence Portland Medical Foundation Hospice Fund: 4805 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR 97213.

A memorial mass will be held on Friday, May 5 at 11 am at St. Pius X Catholic Church: 1280 NW Saltzman Rd. Portland OR 97229. A rosary will be held prior to mass at 10:30 am.