Terry M Hollinger

Join us. Leave your fields to flower.
Join us. Leave your cheese to sour.
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Journey. Journey to a spot ex-
citing, mystic and exotic.
Journey through our anecdotic revue.

We've got magic to do just for you.
We've got miracle plays to play.
We've got parts to perform, hearts to warm,
Kings and things to take by storm
As we go along our way.

“Magic to Do” from Pippin

Terry M Hollinger was born in Salem, Ohio to the late Donald E. and Esther Hollinger. He passed away January 12, 2022 at his home in Granville at the age of 86.

Educated in mathematics, Terry was a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, did his Master’s work at Marshall University, and his Doctorate studies at The Ohio State University. He married fellow UC alumna Chloe Ann Stark in 1956, and together they set out on a life of adventure.

A member of the US Army Reserve, Terry taught at the DOD’s FDR American school in Lima, Perú for two years. Returning to the States, he continued to teach in Groveport, Ohio. Following a 13-year stint as the general manager of WMUL-TV and WMUL-FM in Huntington (where he conducted the first-ever on-air auction), Terry returned to teaching in Van, West Virginia. Lifelong friend Ann Ferguson said that Terry, a gifted teacher, claimed that he could “teach anybody anything.” Ann agrees.

Terry cherished his time in South America, traveled extensively in Perú, sponsored high school clubs at the school, avidly participated in live theater, and entertained American ex pats as the lead singer and guitar player in the vocal trio Los Larks, covering Peter, Paul, and Mary. An eternal thespian, Terry won Best Actor award — the fledgling Peruvian equivalent of an American Tony Award — for his performance in Pajama Game in the 1963-1964 season. Later, he continued in theater, directing and acting in many plays and musicals at the Huntington (WV) Community Players and Ashland (KY) Community Theater. Chris Broquet recalls: I was only 15 when we did Bye, Bye, Birdie, but I remember Terry as being hilarious in this role.

While at WMUL, Terry and his team wrote, directed, acted, produced, edited and aired the multi-episode hillbilly drama Handfuls of Ashes, a story of a poor Appalachian family. It was the first of its kind.

The quintessential storyteller, Terry could spin fantastic and engaging tales on the spot. When he moved into his home on Sunset Drive in Westmoreland, he found an old tintype of a man, framed in a vintage oval wooden frame. The photo maintained its original place on the wall as long as Terry lived there. According to Terry, the photo was of his great uncle George, whose claim to fame was escaping the New River rapids on a goat-bladder raft. Friend Jerry Reveal recalls: He was a teller of tales, a spinner of yarns — whether shared over the dinner table or around the fire with friends or on the stage with an audience. In 1992, Terry was named the Bigger Liar in the State of WV (not the Biggest Liar, which is First Place, but the Bigger Liar, Second Place). He was proud of that. His winning story was about a trainload of post holes that were headed cross country. There was an accident, and when the post holes spilled, it resulted in all our potholes.

During most of his life, Terry had a dog by his side. One of his favorites from childhood was named Wendy, a name he then bestowed on his only daughter.

Terry will be remembered most for his care of others and devotion to his family. Ferguson recalled: We go back to their freshman days at the University of Cincinnati. I used to stay in the dorm where (Terry’s first wife) Chloe Ann lived. I remember being outside that dorm when it was closing time. They sang to each other before the night ended. They had a great life. They met all the challenges with a smile and a song.

Music was one of Terry’s great joys. A percussionist in high school, he went on to play guitar, ukulele, banjo, piano, and bass, and could make do on any number of instruments. He sang with his family (Daddy sang bass, Mama sang alto, Scott sang tenor, and Marshall and Wendy sang lead) and occasionally the whole gang sang gospel songs at church.

Terry was widely hailed as the man who single-handedly brought Dr Who to West Virginia Public Broadcasting, an accomplishment he prized. (Note: As Terry was also the Bigger Liar in West Virginia, his family was never entirely certain of the veracity of that claim.)

Nephew Sev Maynard says, “To me, Terry was a caregiver and a man of incredible resilience. He was driven to make a change in the world. He took what life gave him and understood that sometimes the biggest impact that we can make starts at home with those around us. I looked up to his ability to be present and accountable for those who have needs beyond their capabilities. We celebrate the life that he lived by striving to pass on the best of his character to those that we interact with daily, understanding that having a tune in your heart or a sense of humor will dramatically increase your resilience in the face of adversity.”

Reveal recalls: The first time I ever laid eyes on Terry he had just taken over as General Manager of the station. He called all of the troops together and gave a speech about how it was his train and if you didn't like it you could get off at the next stop. He scared the hell out of me. It didn't take long, though, until I realized that the speech was nothing like the real Terry. I asked him about that speech some time later, and he told me that he picked it up in Officer Candidate School.

“Terry was always helping people. One of the lessons that he taught me was that sometimes you really don't understand what you see in a person. There were a couple of people that I had totally misjudged. Terry was able to see past those walls that they had and helped me to do the same.

“Once in late fall, we were trying to get some final footage before wrapping up a program. Bill McPhee was driving his large ’70s-era Ford, and Terry and I were in the car with him. It really began to snow and if we'd had any sense, we would have turned around and called it a day. Bill gunned the engine and we were fishtailing up a small hill while Terry and I laughed our heads off. When we got to the top of the hill, there was a sudden drop off into a snow bank. We spent a long time waiting to get pulled out while Terry kept our spirits up with lots of tales, as only Terry could do.”

Terry’s first wife, Chloe, was afflicted for many years with lupus. Terry tended to her gently and cared for her unselfishly until her death in 1994. Later, Terry’s second wife, Lana, suffered from a brain tumor. Once again, Terry nursed her patiently until her death in 2002.

Terry was a member of the Disciples of Christ, most recently worshipping at Central Christian Church in Newark, Ohio.

Surviving are his children and their spouses, Scott and Judy Hollinger (McAllen, TX), Marshall and Teresa Hollinger (Palmyra, ME), Wendy Hollinger and Dale Ratcliff (Granville, OH); step daughter, LaRisha Giehl (Groveport, OH); grandchildren, Andrew, Tim, Libby, and Chris; step granddaughter, Cierra; and great grandchildren Peter, Asher, Cogley, and Hank.

In addition to his parents, Terry was preceded in death by his first wife, Chloe Ann Stark Hollinger (1994), his second wife, Lana Lee Hamler Hollinger (2002), and his sister, Donna Hollinger Maynard (2020).

A memorial service celebrating Terry’s life will be held Saturday, January 22, at 5:00 p.m. at McPeek-Hoekstra Funeral Home, 133 South Prospect St., Granville, Ohio. Attendees are invited to gather beginning at 4:00 p.m. to share a hug and a good story. A brief graveside service will take place on Sunday, January 23, at the Lisbon Cemetery, 1 Elm Street, Lisbon Ohio. If you’d like to join us at the cemetery, call/text (740.405.7111) or email (wendy@phoenixgraphix.us) for details. Online condolences may be expressed at www.mcpeekhoekstra.com. Please log in to tell your own stories of Terry.

Terry’s granddaughter, Cierra, was a long-time sled hockey athlete, and Terry was a supporter of Ohio Sled Hockey, establishing the Fighter's Fund to help players participate and travel who might not have the funds to do so. (If you’re unfamiliar with sled hockey, Google it now; you’ll be entranced.) In lieu of flowers, please make donations to:

Ohio Sled Hockey

c/o Kelly Fenster

4464 Wrens Nest Dr.

New Albany OH  43054

Attn: Fighter's Fund

***A RECEPTION WILL BE HELD FOLLOWING THE SERVICE AT TERRY'S HOUSE***

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