James "Jim" Richard Holland

James "Jim" Richard Holland, beloved husband and father, age 81, of Sylva, NC, passed away Sunday evening, November 1, 2015. Jim was born September 24, 1934 in Charleston, SC. He was the son of the late James Wilton Holland and his wife Mary Frances of Burlington, NC. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Yvonne Churchill Holland, his daughter Dee Holland of Raleigh, NC and son Scott Holland of Asheville, NC. In addition, Jim is also survived by his brother Joe Holland and family of Apex, NC, Johnny Holland and family of Elon, NC, sister-in-law Kay Reeves and family of Memphis, TN and brother-in-law John Churchill and family of Tampa, FL. Jim, a graduate of Elon University, was employed at Western Carolina University serving as the first Director of Human Resources for twenty-eight years. Jim also served on the ABC Board for North Carolina and Wachovia Bank Board. Jim lived in Sylva, NC for almost fifty years and loved his life in the mountains, especially in his younger years where he was an avid outdoorsman enjoying hiking and rafting. Jim loved history, animals of all kinds, reading science fiction novels, telling stories, and spending time with his family. Funeral services will be held at First United Methodist Church of Sylva, North Carolina on Friday, November 6, 2015. Visitation will be from 1:00 - 2:00pm and the funeral service will follow from 2:00 – 3:00pm, officiated by Rev. Mike Shuford. Burial will follow in Fairview Memorial Cemetery. . In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Catman2 Animal Shelter in Cullowhee, NC / catman2.org / 828.293.0892. .