Barbara Jane Quarles Hollis, member of the Church of Christ, born to Frank and Laura Quarles in Nashville Tennessee living there until her family moved to Sylacauga, Alabama from 1943-1945 as her father (who worked for Dupont Old Hickory) was transferred to Dupont’s World War II P-9 project. Barbara passed away on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
Barbara tested two grades ahead in the Alabama School System. After the Project Barbara and her family moved back to Nashville. She attended Lipscomb High School and College where she was nicknamed Barbie-Cutie. Because she had advanced two grades while in Alabama, some of the students she taught while she was a student-teacher were within a year of her same age. She was very interested in fashion and home decor.
Barbara taught elementary school for a few years in Nashville, moved with several friends to Saint Simon’s Island crossing the causeway to teach. She later returned to attend Peabody College where she earned her Masters in Education. She met Leroy Hollis, (army vet and reservist) who was working toward his Master’s Degree after serving two tours in Korea and many months in a VA hospital recovering from malaria.
She was dating a pilot, but Leroy persuaded her to go out on a date. Soon thereafter, as a student teacher she was in an auto accident, skidding halfway off a bridge in an ice storm, she went partially through the windshield. While on the mend, the pilot and the High School student teacher/coach visited Barbara at her parents’ home. She had to make a choice between the two and picked Coach Hollis. For a time, they worked at the same school. Soon thereafter Leroy proposed at the school where they were teaching to the delight of eavesdropping children. They married on April 4, 1958, at Acklen Avenue Church of Christ.
Barbara and Coach Hollis bought a home in Nashville but soon moved in with her parents as her mother had a stroke. Barbara helped take care of her mother until a second stroke took her life.
In 1964, Coach Hollis’ second season as head football coach at Glencliff, his team won the clinic bowl against his high school coach (Lawrenceburg). The newspaper did a skit having Barbara model in different positions showing what not to do at a football game. Barbara went along with the skit thinking it would just be in the school paper, not knowing it would actually be in the News. She didn’t care much for that, but she looked like a doll.
Barbara had three children, a girl and twin sons. After becoming a mother, she no longer taught elementary school but continued to be a Sunday school teacher. Her sons had 4 children each, all beautiful girls. She was active in the Church of Christ, periodically teaching Sunday school and teaching part time in the Church Daycare until a stroke in 1994 left her unable to drive. Barbara worked hard at her recovery and persevered. To survive for 29 years after such a serious stroke is a miracle in itself. After her husband’s death she was cared for by her daughter and son-in-law and lived with them until her death.
Barbara loved her children, her grandchildren and her great-grandchild as she loved God. She was a treasure to her family, and she will be sorely missed.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Coach Leroy Hollis; granddaughter, Casey Hollis; and parents, Frank and Laura Quarles. Survived by daughter, Laura (Jason) Wood; sons, Larry (Tracy) Hollis and Leslie (Diana) Hollis; grandchildren, Krista Hollis, Lindsay (Chad) Hill, Julia Hollis, Kelsie (Tyler) Maupin, Gwen Hollis, Emma Hollis and Kaylee Hollis; and great-grandchild, Hollis Hill.
Graveside services will be conducted by Wendell Byrd on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery. Family and friends will serve as Pallbearers. Visitation will be Monday, September 11, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Woodbine Funeral Home, Hickory Chapel, 5852 Nolensville Road, 615-331-1952. https://www.woodbinefuneralhome.com
For more obituaries visit https://davidsoncountysource.com/obituaries/
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
