Obituary

Leon E. Holland, the first-born son of William Alfred and Ruby Emma Hamlett Holland, slipped the surly bonds of earth on January 13, 2015 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Born March 23, 1924 in Ink, a small farming village east of Mena, Arkansas, Leon grew up on the family farm and graduated with the Class of 1941 from Cherry Hill High School, Cherry Hill, Arkansas. After training with the National Youth Association he worked for General Motors in Bristol, Connecticut During WWII, Leon served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Whitney in the Pacific Theatre of War from July 1943 through December 1945. After his naval service he spent several years in different businesses with his cousin, James Oscar Cagle, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Always a patriot, he was recalled to U.S. Naval service during the Korean War. He was again stationed in the Pacific Theatre aboard the USS Dixie from September 1950 through November 1952. After his discharge he became very interested and concentrated his education on radio broadcasting and the new booming industry of “television.” He assisted in the setup in Muskogee of KTUL-TV. Later he helped move the station to Tulsa. He was Senior Engineer and Supervisor with the station until 1977 – a period of 24 years. Leon then joined OETA -TV Public Broadcasting. He was Chief Engineer and Supervisor with OETA for 27 years and retired in 2004. Leon is survived by two brothers, William Raymond Holland, Vancouver, Washington and Harold Dene Holland, Austell, Georgia. He is also survived by many cousins scattered over several states. Locally in Tulsa, Oklahoma he is survived by cousins, Albert J. Hamlett and Virginia Cagle Chrisco. Leon will be returning home to Ink, his place of birth, to be buried next to his mother and father in Concord Cemetery. Services will be held in the adjacent Concord Baptist Church at 1:00PM on Saturday, January 17, 2015. If you wish to express condolences, you may make a gift to Clarehouse, a compassionate and loving end-of-life care facility located at 7617 South Mingo Road, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74133. (www.Clarehouse.org)