James Richard Hollowood, Ii

Jim Hollowood, a fortunate man, was born in Durham, NC, while his father was stationed at nearby Camp Butner, and died there at the age of 82. He spent his early years in the greater Pittsburgh area, where he was made much of by his mother’s many brothers and sisters. As soon as he finished high school in Avalon, PA, he joined the US Coast Guard, with his eye on the higher education that might follow his service.

By dint of hard work, employer assistance, the GI Bill, and the support of his first wife, Diane Garner, Jim earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Pittsburgh. He and Diane had two daughters, Tracy and Melissa.

Looking for more professional experience and credentials, Jim moved to Cambridge, MA, in the mid-1970s and received his doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. With his second wife, Judith Blight, he had a son, James Glen, who attended his sisters’ high school graduations as a toddler on his father’s arm.

Jim worked a lifetime in non-profit management, largely with private schools and development agencies. He was a twenty-year trustee of Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, MA, where he had the pleasure of handing Glen his high school diploma from Cushing. He took every opportunity he could to travel the world. In his last full-time position before retirement, his work for Future Generations (Franklin, WV) took him to Afghanistan, India, Peru, and China.

Upon moving (back) to Durham in 2015, he reunited with many cousins and involved himself in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke University. When age and the pandemic curtailed these opportunities, he undertook his own study of the U.S. Constitution and legal system.

Jim was predeceased by his parents, his brother George Mirabal, and his older daughter Tracy Hollowood. Jim is survived by his wife Judith; his son Glen and daughter-in-law Kelly (Timberville, VA); and his younger daughter Melissa (Cleveland, OH). Dear to his heart were his brothers Kenn Mirabal (Ft Lauderdale, FL) and Keith Mirabal (Port Charlotte, FL) and their children. He is also survived by his sister Gabrielle Barbati (Wilmington, NC). He relished his place in a large network of cousins, many of whom also survive him.

Those who want to remember Jim with a charitable gift might choose Duke Homecare & Hospice or a hospice organization serving their own area.