Damon Reid Hollingsworth

The son of Henry Reid Hollingsworth and Ruth Riddell Hollingsworth, Damon was born August 9, 1922, in Spicewood, Texas as the oldest of six children. Damon started school in a one-room schoolhouse at Shoval Mountain, where his mother's sister, Grace Riddell, was his teacher. A graduate from Dripping Springs High School in 1940, he played basketball, baseball, ran track, and was an AIl- American six-man football player. Dripping Springs High only went through eleventh grade at the time, so Damon attended San Marcos Academy to finish his senior year before attending college.

His aunt and grandmother gave him fifty dollars to hitchhike to Nacogdoches to attend Stephen F. Austin University. SFA did not have a baseball team at the time, so he played basketball, ran track and threw the javelin. After attending for a year, he entered the U.S. Air Force in 1943 during WWII. He served for three years as a Staff Sargent at Lackland AFB and then stayed in the Reserves until 1948, while living in San Antonio. During these years he met and married Virginia Gary of San Antonio. They had three children and adopted a child during almost fifty years of marriage. After the war Damon attended Rice University for one semester and lettered in baseball, before their team ran out of money and the coach was fired. The SFA Lumberjacks now had a baseball team, so Damon transferred and was ultimately selected All-Lone Star Conference at shortstop. He graduated in '47 with an education degree from SFA and in '51 with a Masters of Education Administration from Southwest Texas State Teachers College.

He began coaching at Harris Jr. High in San Antonio, then Edison High, followed by the University of Corpus Christi and then Northeast High School in San Antonio. He also taught biology at Robert E. Lee High School, served as Vice-Principal at Nimitz Jr. High, and then Principal at Ed White Jr. High until his retirement in 1982. He immensely enjoyed working with boys and their families.

Damon grew up a Baptist and was active in his church throughout his life. He served in many ways as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, R.A. leader, Pastor's Associate, member of the choir, training union leader, mission's committee member and scores of other positions. He was involved in the Texas Baptist Men for over forty years in various capacities on the city and state levels. He was the Director of the Royal Ambassador Camp for several years, worked in prison ministry and disaster relief. He was energized while building/improving churches or raising money to start new churches. He was bold in his faith, sharing the gospel with everyone he met and tirelessly served year after year.

In 1992 he returned to Spicewood from San Antonio and lived in the Hill Country until the end of his life. He enjoyed getting back to his roots and loved his community. Always on the go, his latter years were spent continuing his service with Texas Baptist Men, his church, serving as Men’s Director for the Burnet/Llano Baptist Association several years and working at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home. He especially enjoyed being with people and serving others in this community, and he made it a point to know as many people as possible. Damon loved to share how proud he was of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and all about their accomplishments and interests.

He is survived by his three children: Damon Lee, Nancy, and Virgil; six grandchildren: Bryan, Meredith, Andrew, Courtney, Kimberly and Leah; and seven great-grandchildren: Ryan, Drew, Chloe, Rachel, Claire, Kennedy and Kinley. He was preceded in death by: his parents, brothers Billy Henry and Kenneth, and daughter Elizabeth.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, 2017, at Clements- Wilcox Funeral Home in Marble Falls.