Larry Wayne Holiwell was born to Gean and Margaret Holiwell, on May 22, 1949, in Bakersfield, California. He was the eldest of five children. He was raised in a Christian home and accepted Christ at an early age. The family attended Southside Seventh Day Adventist Church. He attended Bakersfield Academy and graduated from Monterey Bay Academy. After graduating from high school, Larry attended Bakersfield College until he joined the Navy in January 1969. Later that same year, he married his lovely sweetheart Martha Amos of Bakersfield, California. They later had two children, a daughter Joyce and son Jeffery.
Larry spent 20 years in the United States Navy and toured around the world three times. DK1 (SW) Larry Holiwell enlisted in the United States Navy on January 19, 1969, and retired from service on March 31, 1989. Petty Officer Holiwell served on six US Navy vessels: the USS Oxford, USS Kitty Hawk, USS Camden, USS Emory S. Land, USS Ouellet, and the USS Mobile. Petty Officer Holiwell was also stationed at COMNAVSURFPAC San Diego; 32nd Street Naval Station; Naval Air Station Lemoore; Personnel Support Detachment Rota, Spain; Grand Turks NAVPAC 104 Naval Base; Personnel Support Detachment Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Personnel Support Detachment Point Mugu. Petty Officer Holiwell was awarded several medals and ribbons throughout his distinguished military career: the National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Battle "E" Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal (5) times, Republic of Vietnam Medal, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy Merit Unit Commendation, and the Vietnam Service Medal. Petty Officer Holiwell's personal initiative and devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
After retiring from the Navy in 1989, he started driving for Greyhound Bus Co., until his illness forced him to retire after 9 ½ years. He volunteered with the Disabled Veterans Association driving veterans to and from their appointments Bakersfield, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas area.
Larry was preceded in death by his father Gean Franklin Holiwell. Larry was a devoted family man and he leaves to cherish his memory his devoted wife, Martha of forty-nine years and nine months. He also leaves his two children, daughter Joyce Holiwell-Hayden and husband McCoy Hayden of Chula Vista, CA, and son Jeffery Holiwell and wife Elizabeth Ojeda-Holiwell of Bristol CT, six grandchildren, Alexander McCole, Baylor Holiwell and Jyana Hayden of Chula Vista, CA, Gabriella Holiwell and Sabrina Orozco of Bristol CT, and Angelina Orozco of Las Vegas, NV. He leaves his mother Margaret Holiwell of Bakersfield, Ca., sisters Pamela Holiwell of Bakersfield, CA, and Glenda Stevenson of Atlanta, Ga., and two brothers Edwin and wife Traci Holiwell of Atlanta, GA, and Derrick Holiwell of Bakersfield, Ca. Five nieces and nephews who he loved very much, Aaron Jackson of Bakersfield, Ca., Nicholas and Brooklynn Stevenson of Atlanta, Ga., Kamren and Makayla Holiwell of Atlanta, GA, very close cousins, Darlene Kelly Adonis from Upland, CA., Minga and Debbie Kelly of New York, NY, and a host of other relatives and numerous friends.
