William Holliday

William (Bill) J. Holliday, age 81, of Aurora, NE passed away on February 19, 2023 at his home with his family by his side. God called his name and welcomed him home. Bill loved the Lord, and shared Christ on a daily basis. He loved his family, friends, athletes and students. Bill was a man of great character and integrity. 

Funeral Services will be held 10:00 A.M., Friday, February 24th at the North Shore Church, 100 West 33rd Street, Hastings.  A Luncheon will follow the church service. Private Family interment will be later that day. Visitation will be from 5 – 8 p.m. Wednesday, February 22nd at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora.  Memorials may be made in care of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes or the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.

He was born to William P. and Jessie Lois (Murphy) Holliday on January 28, 1942, in Lamar, Colorado. They moved to Danbury, Nebraska and then Wilsonville where he started the 4th grade. 

Bill was the all-time leading scorer in Nebraska with 2748 points in 89 games. He attended McCook Junior College for two years and played football, basketball and ran track. He then went to Kearney State College to play basketball and finish his education.

In 1962, he married Kathryn Barnett. They had two sons Greggory Lynn and Geoffrey Lee. 

Bill’s teaching career led him to Stanford, Thedford, Hebron, Aurora, and Loomis where he taught physical education and was the head coach and assistant in football and track. He retired in 2007 with 40 years of teaching and coaching. He also officiated high school and college sports. He was chosen numerous times to officiate the state volleyball tournament.

Bill’s basketball teams in Aurora made it to the state tournament six times out of twelve years winning Class B in 1976, and runner up in 1979 and 1980. He took Loomis to the state tournament in 1987-1988 and 1991. 

Bill loved to hunt and fish with his sons and close friends and also played softball and town team basketball.

On December 31st, 1988 he had a hunting accident which broke his neck in three places. After much rehabilitation, he was blessed to be able to go back to Loomis and teach and coach for 18 more years. 

Bill was inducted into the very first induction class of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 for basketball.

Survivors include his wife, Kathryn, sons Gregg and wife Roxann (Rieke), their children Sierra, Carson, and Camden, son Geoff and wife Jari (Kolstad) and their children Jarid Holliday and wife Samantha, Mikayla and husband Dalton Miller and their daughter Brexley, Hunter Holliday, Hailey and husband Matthew Oswald, brother Robert Holliday and wife Connie, and many cousins, nephews and nieces. 

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and his mother & father in-law, Harold & Lela Barnett. 

The Lord knew Bill by name and welcomed him to his eternal home. He loved the verse, “For to me is to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21. Bill’s lived his life to bring glory to God in all things.