Roll Call Tribute

William George "Bill" Hollowell 

March 26, 1931 - January 29, 2026 

William G. (Bill) Hollowell died January 29, 2026. He is survived by his wife, Joy of 63 years, daughters Karen Heard of Tuscola, Texas and Kathy McDonald (Jerry) of Abilene, Texas, two grandsons, Billy Lantrip (Valeria) of San Antonio, Texas and Ben (Raley) Lantrip of Mountain Home, Idaho. He was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Emily Hollowell, brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Margaret Hollowell, and son-in-law, Glen Heard.

Bill was born in Abilene on March 26, 1931, to Emily and Glenn Hollowell. He attended the Abilene public schools, graduating in 1948 from Abilene High School. He was active in Boy Scouts, receiving the rank of Eagle Scout and was a member of the Order of the Arrow.

With a precedent having been set by his father and older brother who attended Texas A&M, Bill enrolled there in 1948. He graduated in 1952 with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering and a commission in the Corps of Engineers.

The Korean conflict was going on, and he was given orders to report for active duty. Bill served on active duty overseas in the Army Corps of Engineers. After his service, he returned to A&M and received his Masters of Civil Engineering in 1955.

After two years with Chevron in south Louisiana designing, building and installing offshore platforms, he had an opportunity to return to Abilene. A new consulting engineering firm, Tippett & Gee, had been organized and Bill was offered a job.

After returning to Abilene, he met and married Joy Gardner. They joined First Central Presbyterian Church where he served as a Deacon and Elder. They loved to travel in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Alaska and Europe with friends and Aggie travel groups. Bill also enjoyed outdoor activities such as hunting and golf.

Bill was a Registered Professional Engineer in the state of Texas and the four states surrounding Texas. He was a member of the Abilene Rotary Club and served as president in 1978. After 40 years, he retired from Tippett & Gee in 1995 where he held the position of Executive Vice-President and served as secretary of the Board of Directors. After his retirement he volunteered in the Presbyterian Medical Care Mission for over 10 years. He especially enjoyed spending time with his grandsons, Billy and Ben, and being able to participate in activities with them.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 10:30 am, at First Central Presbyterian Church.