James Rea Crawley Holliday

JAMES REA CRAWLEY HOLLIDAY passed into Heaven on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. He was 82 years old and had been a victim of Parkinson’s Disease. He was born in Columbus, Georgia on January 05, 1940. Rea was a graduate of Columbus College (now Columbus University) and Georgia State University.

Rea was the son of Frances Crawley Holliday and James Homer Holliday, Jr., of Columbus, Georgia, both now deceased. Rea’s father served in the Navy during WWII and was presented with the Purple Heart Medal. Rea had one sibling, now deceased, Diane Holliday Cook of Covington, GA. Diane’s surviving son, L. H. Cook, Jr., (Luke) is married to Kim Simons Cook. They have two adult children. Son, Logan Michael Cook, and daughter Lindsay Cook Foreman. Lindsay and her husband, Ryan Foreman have two sons, Silas age 7 and Hayes age 1.

On December 16, 1967, Rea married Mary Lucy Teagle of Decatur, GA. They had been married for 55 years. On April 29, 1972, they were blessed with a daughter, Heather Rea Holliday, named after her father.

In 1968 Rea became the first commercial real estate agent for Barton and Ludwig Real Estate Brokers. Rea immediately excelled in commercial real estate, becoming one of Atlanta’s top producers. His expertise was in assembling multiple owners to create large tracts of land for a greater use. From historic downtown Atlanta to developing subdivisions in West Cobb Marietta, his real estate career continued for over four decades.

In January 1973 Rea accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. With an evangelistic heart, he served 16 years as a volunteer Chaplain for Fulton County Prison System, and 10 years for Cobb County Prison System. He served 9 years on staff of First Baptist Atlanta as the Director of Counseling and 28 years as the Founder and Ordained Pastor of Sonflower Ministries. Pastor Rea loved the Lord and the Word of God. He is now with the Living Word who pronounced over him…"Well done my good and faithful servant, welcome home, son!"

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on January 28, 2022, at 11:00 AM EST in the Sanctuary of Fellowship Bible Church, 480 West Crossville Road, Roswell, GA 30075. The service will include lunch, testimonies, and tributes to honor a man who lived his life for God. Sorry…no small children allowed; and no cell phones, cameras, nor video are permitted. Only authorized media will be used for this service.

In lieu of flowers, tax deductible donations honoring Pastor Rea may be made to Sonflower Ministries online at: www.sonflower.com or making your check payable to Sonflower Ministries and mailing to 2940 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite B 338, Marietta, GA 30062.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.roswellfuneralhome.com for the Crawley Holliday family.