Richard George Hollatz

Richard (Dick) was born on Juily 29, 1934 to Edwin and Charlotte Hollatz in Chicago, IL. He lived in Chicago until his family moved to Detroit, MI when he was 10 years old. He graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL with a Bachelor of Science degree in general science. He furthered his education by acquiring a master’s degree from Wayne State in physiology and pharmacology as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Michigan State.

While at Wheaton College, he was a member of the indoor and outdoor track teams. He excelled in the shorter sprint races and came within 1/10 of a second from the world record in the 60-yard sprint. He was inducted into the Wheaton College Athletic Hall of Honors in 2005.

After graduation, Dick met and married his sweetheart, Nedra Catherine. They raised their family of 3 children in the Detroit area.

His working career was at Uniroyal/Michelin Tire Co. He worked as the manager of the chemistry and physiology labs and his latest role was as the lead research scientist. He retired in 1989.

Church attendance and membership were a priority in his life. Dick and Nedra were members of Highland Park Baptist Church in southeast Michigan, where he served on the Board of Deacons and the Mission Board. After moving to Holland in 1997, they attended Central Wesleyan Church and Dick was active in the Kids Hope Ministry.

Dick often made many analogies between life and athletics. The closing remarks in his speech when he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Honors sums up how he strived to live: “In track there are many events and in life there are many events. The apostle Paul said in Hebrews that we should run with patience the race God has set before us. In track there are strategies for each event in life. It is incumbent on us to seek the guidance of the Lord to achieve what he wants us to accomplish.”

Richard was preceded in death by his son-in-law William Biondo in 2017 and his older brother Edwin Hollatz in 2023.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Nedra Catherine; by his children Sharon (Dan) Hendon, Colleen Biondo, and Stephen (Jaime) Hollatz. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

Richard was devoted to his wife and family. His memory will live on in the hearts of his family and all who knew him. A private family memorial service will be held soon to honor him.