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Roll Call Tribute

Alvin "Holloway" Sinclair Jr. '55 February 26, 2021 4:16 PM updated: February 26, 2021 4:20 PM

ALVIN HOLLOWAY SINCLAIR, JR.
July 09, 1930 - February 11, 2021

Alvin Holloway Sinclair, Jr., (90) of Katy, Texas went home to be with the Lord on February 11, 2021 after battling a lung condition called pulmonary fibrosis for a little more than two years. He was with his loving wife of 66 years as she cared for him in his final moments.

Holloway was born on July 9, 1930 in Sarepta, LA and was the first child born to Holloway and Louise Sinclair. In the next few years, he would be joined by his brother, Bennie, and his sister, Tabitha (Tabby). Together, the family would weather the hard times of the Great Depression and World War II in the northwest Louisiana towns of Sarepta and Rodessa. Hard times and hard work characterized his life as he grew up. The most pivotal event of his life occurred during this time when Holloway (12) and his 9-year-old brother, Bennie, attended a revival service at the First Baptist Church in Sarepta, where both boys gave their lives to Christ. Under the guidance of his parents and other mentors over the next several years, Holloway began to grow into a mighty warrior for Christ.

Before Holloway graduated high school, the family moved to Mineola, TX. Holloway remained behind and finished his high school years in Rodessa, playing football for the Rodessa Red Bulls. After high school, he attended college at the University of Texas, Arlington and worked summers on pipeline projects to earn money. Holloway and his brother were working on a pipeline project in Kentucky in August 1950 when he received a telegram to immediately report to the Marine Air Detachment Naval Air Station Dallas, TX. Within a matter of weeks, he was in the Marine Corps and on his way to Japan to be deployed to Korea. He eventually attained the rank of sergeant while serving in the role as an aircraft mechanic working the night shift on F4U Corsairs. Because of the immediate need of personnel, he did not go through boot camp. The Marine Corps wanted to make sure he had that experience before he left the Corps, but Holloway wasn’t having any part of that. In May 1952, his active-duty role ended and he was Honorably Discharged.

Upon his return from the Korean War, the family had moved to Shreveport and Holloway then enrolled at Texas A&M College. He studied there and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1955. After the 1954 school year in the Spring, he returned home to Shreveport. On a Saturday evening in May, he went to a local square dance and his life would change forever. There he met a young lady name Helen Wilkins. They began to date and by August it was clear they were meant for each other. Holloway returned to College Station for his senior year and in November of 1954, he and Helen attended the UT/TAMC football game in Austin to watch his younger brother’s final game as an Aggie. On the way home from the game along Highway 79 near Taylor, TX, Holloway officially gave Helen a ring. They were married on January 30, 1955 in Shreveport, LA in the home of Holloway’s parents at the iconic address of 2700 Meriweather Road. Holloway and Helen returned to College Station and lived in married student housing until he graduated.

After graduation, Holloway obtained a job as an engineer with United Gas Pipe Line Company in the summer of 1955. On his first day in the Shreveport office, he was told he was being transferred to New Orleans and for Holloway and Helen, life was about to get real and exciting. By April of 1956, the first of their 5 boys, Bryan Holloway was born. David followed in November of 1957, Mike in January 1959, and Paul in October 1960. By the time Paul arrived, they now had 4 boys - 4 years old and under. The pile of soiled cloth diapers was nearly enough for them to be asked to leave the city. But remember, they’re living in New Orleans and they remained largely undetected. Their fifth boy arrived in April 1967 and after outright refusal of a request by the other brothers to name him after a Green Bay Packer’s running back, they named him Ross.

The central focus of activity for the family during this time was around a small church called Highland Baptist Church in Metairie, LA. Holloway taught boys the lessons of selfless sacrifice as they mowed the church lawn each week and watched their dad serve in many roles, including deacon. It was also at this small church that many of the boys committed their lives to Christ. Holloway also served as the basketball coach for the RA’s with four members of the team being comprised of the 4 oldest boys. Holloway also began to teach the boys to share some of his other passions such as hunting, fishing, and camping. They went on many vacations to camp including trips to Florida and Lake o’ the Pines and 2 trips to Colorado.

In April 1972, Holloway took a new position with Pennzoil United and the family moved to Houston. Pennzoil United eventually became United Texas Transmission Company and near the end of his career, he was the VP of Engineering and Construction overseeing many pipeline expansion projects. He retired in 1992 from the same company he started with, United Gas Pipe Line. His involvement in the natural gas pipeline segment of the energy business helped establish the course of several of the boys that to this day work for different energy companies in the Houston area. Holloway’s name and stellar reputation is still well known within the industry as he impacted so many people throughout his career. During this time, he was also able to pursue genealogy and a great deal of effort was poured into the ancestral aspect of the family. Holloway along with his mother, father, sister, and brother led efforts to reclaim and establish a family cemetery in northwest Louisiana near the town of Longstreet. He served as President of the Belle Bower Cemetery Association for 36 years and his remains will be interred there near his parents and great-grandfather who was born in 1824.

After retirement, Holloway and Helen relocated to Katy, Texas in 1994 and soon joined Kingsland Baptist Church where the family of his son, David and his wife Carol attended. Holloway began to serve as a deacon, on various committees, nursery worker, and most important to him, he was able to pursue his passion of missions and service to others. He served on the Mission’s Committee with Omar Garcia and on the Pastor Search Committee for Ryan Rush. Holloway traveled on mission trips to England, Djibouti, Mexico, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, and Tanzania. Several of these trips afforded him the ability to be able serve with many of his children/their wives and grandchildren. Serving with his family at his side in a 3-generation setting brought him intense joy. His favorite trip was his last one to the Holy Land. He finally got to walk in the steps of his Lord and Master. He got to see, touch, and feel the land where Jesus conducted his earthly ministry. One could see the glow on his face when he would relive that experience.

In recent years, age began to catch up with him and one of his remaining passions, gardening, was his focus. His yard is beautiful and to take a quote from him the weekend before his death, “the Japanese Magnolia is beautiful and the Paper Whites are doing what I hoped they’d do”. The yard is beautiful.

Holloway loved people. He also loved his family and having them together in one setting was very important to him. Holloway and Helen established a family gathering time in the late 1990’s that was not associated with the traditional annual holiday season where the entire family could all be together free from other family obligations. This event called “Camp Sinclair” was the annual high watermark for Holloway and Helen. Holloway loved and cared for their Bible study class members, the kids and parents of the kids they kept in the nursery, the people he traveled with on mission trips, co-workers, the kids next door and across the street were all special to him. The only thing he loved more than family or people was Jesus and God’s Word. Finding him with a Bible commentary next to his chair or finding him reading the Bible in the wee hours of the morning was the norm. He didn’t just talk about it, he walked it every day. His favorite verse was John 15:5. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I him, he will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” He truly abided in God’s Word and bore much fruit. The family sees him as a superhero and maybe rightly so. He simply saw himself as a sinner saved by grace. A regular guy called to love others as Christ loved him. The regular guy aspect of his character made him approachable. When others did approach him, that’s when they saw the special characteristics of a genuine Christ follower. He will be missed deeply by all who knew him, but he is now rejoicing in the everlasting arms of his Lord and Redeemer. His passion now is for us to one day join him. We all look forward to the day when we see him again.

Holloway is preceded in death by his parents A.H. (Holloway) Sinclair and Louise Clanton Sinclair of Shreveport, LA. He survived by 59 direct descendants including his wife of 66 years, Helen; their children, Bryan, David, Michael '81, Paul '82, and Ross along with their wives Kim, Carol '79, Ann, Timisha and Dayna respectively; grandchildren: Rebekah Sinclair Voelker '05 and husband Scott, Emily Sinclair, Kelsey Sinclair, Hannah Sinclair Gibson and husband Matt, and Charlie Holloway Sinclair, Travis David Sinclair and wife Kelsey, Shelby Sinclair Bardo and husband Robert, and Reagan Sinclair Engelhardt and husband Kalen, Stephanie Sinclair Tate and husband Jonathan, Ryan Sinclair and wife Summer, and Mary Katherine Sinclair, George Holloway Sinclair and wife Lauren and Annette Sinclair Dishon and husband Alex, Matthew Sinclair and wife Lauren, Kaylyn Sinclair El-issa and Rani, and and Caleb Sinclair and wife Mandy. His great grandchildren include Blythe, Adelie, and Seth Voelker. McKenzie and James Jackson (JJ) Sinclair. Emory, Cameron, and Taylor Bardo. Saydee, Sawyer, and Jett Tate. Eliska, Scarlett, and Everett Sinclair. Luke Holloway Sinclair. Katy, Karlie, and Colt Sinclair. Andrew El-issa and Addison Sinclair. Three more are on the way and due in 2021. Holloway is also survived by his brother Bennie and wife Joyce, Spring, TX and Sister Tabitha Wagner and husband Duane, Katy, TX. Remaining family are all who knew and loved the Sinclair family. You know who you are.

Holloway’s funeral is under the direction of the Schmidt Funeral Home in Katy, Texas. A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for February 27, 2021 at Kingsland Baptist Church, 20555 Kingsland Blvd., Katy, Texas 77450 with family visitation at 3:00 pm and others at 3:30 pm and the service at 4:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts to honor Holloway Sinclair’s life and his love for missions may be given to Kingsland Baptist Church Missions Fund. Burial will be at Belle Bower Cemetery near Longstreet, LA on March 6, 2021.

VISITATION
Kingsland Baptist Church
Saturday, February 27, 2021
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
20555 Kingsland Blvd.
Katy, TX 77450

CELEBRATION OF LIFE
Kingsland Baptist Church
Saturday, February 27, 2021
4:00 PM
20555 Kingsland Blvd.
Katy, TX 77450

© 2018 - 21 Schmidt Funeral Home. All Rights Reserved.


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