Obituary of Gerald Hollingsworth REV. DR . GERALD “JERRY” HOLLINGSWORTH Formerly of Wilkins Twp.
and Edgewood, passed away on January 8, 2019. Dr. Hollingsworth was born to Rev. Chester and Esther Hollingsworth in Shoemakersville, PA on April 25, 1924, the younger of two sons.
Jerry attended the public schools in Elizabethtown, PA, where his father was a Methodist minister. He was voted class president all four years of high school, graduating with the Class of 1942. He attended Franklin and Marshall College, which included a year at Jefferson Medical College.
He then served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, onboard the USS Cross, a destroyer escort en route to the Invasion of Japan when Japan surrendered. He went on to graduate from F&M in 1946. Jerry married his Elizabethtown high school sweetheart, Frances Elaine Duffy, affectionately known as “Fran,” in 1944.
After the war, he enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he received his Master of Divinity in 1949. He was later awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Waynesburg College in 1971. Jerry was an active Presbyterian minister for over 41 years.
His congregations were in Springfield, OH (1948-1950), Edgeworth, PA (1950-1955), and Waynesburg , PA (1955-1959). From 1959 until his retirement in 1989, he served as Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood. In 1983, he oversaw the successful merger of Edgewood Presbyterian Church with First Presbyterian Church of Wilkinsburg, creating the First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood.
He was given the honorary title of Pastor Emeritus soon after he retired. His community service included membership on the Board of Sewickley Public Library, the Green County Board of Public Assistance, and Chaplain of the Edgewood Police Dept. He was vice chair moderator of the Pittsburgh Presbytery, along with chairing various Presbytery committees , which even included mentoring Fred Rogers prior to his career in public television.
He was very proud to be part of the steering committee that created Pittsburgh Hospice, not knowing that in later years both he and his wife would receive wonderful care from hospice themselves. Rev. Hollingsworth’s family includes a son, David (Margie) of Greenville, SC; and daughter, Carol, of Wilkins Township, PA; and five grandchildren, Jonathan Hollingsworth of New York City, James Maloney (Katie) of Florence, SC, Jerry Maloney (Ambray) of Effingham, IL, David Maloney (Andrea) of Colorado Springs, CO, and Caitlin Maloney of Ocean Side, CA and Wilkins Township; there are also eight great- grandchildren.
His cherished wife, Frances, preceded him in death on June 27, 2017 after almost 73 years of marriage; and his beloved son-in-law, Joseph McKenna, passed away on March 11, 2018. Beginning in his youth, Jerry was an avid photographer, and in his later years, he and Fran enjoyed bi-annual trips to Hilton Head, SC. He loved watching college football and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jerry was the unassuming anchor of his entire family, always leading with a sweet and gentle spirit, guiding but never directing, just as he had done with the congregations he served. He always treated everyone in the same manner that he carried himself, which was with dignity and respect. He will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, and devotion to his family and community.
A Memorial Service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood, 120 E. Swissvale Ave. , on Saturday, January 19 at 11 a.m. The family will greet friends before and after the service. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made to First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood or to charity.
Arrangements by THOMAS L. NIED FUNERAL HOME, Swissvale. www.
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