Dick Alan Hollingsworth

The Life Story of Dick Hollingsworth

Dick Alan Hollingsworth was born May 5th, 1956 to Bruce and Betty Hollingsworth in Coos Bay Oregon. Dick was the 6th of 8 children. Dick was 3 years old when his father passed away in a logging accident. Dick would joke telling stories of how he had to wear his sister’s hand-me-downs and that he would have to eat meals of hamburger gravy with rice and drink powered milk.

Dick had enjoyed many adventures growing up. As a kid, Dick would often go and take flowers from the nearby graveyard’s clean-up dumpster to give to his mother. Fun for him included spending time at his great grandma’s farm or jumping out of the old barn into a pile of old mattresses. He also enjoyed riding dirt bikes that his step-father bought him. Dick had bought his first car at only 14 and had it parked at his older brother Steve’s house so his mom wouldn’t know. Dick enjoyed being an outdoorsman, picking mushrooms, fishing, hunting, or even trapping for pelts. Later in life Dick developed many talents and hobbies including wood working, creating stained glass pieces to collecting Coca-Cola items. He loved going and picking gallons of berries in the nearby fields close to his home. Nicki and Melissa would tease Dick telling him they were going to hire him as a berry picker.

In 1979, Dick met his loving wife Nicki at Diamond lake. They fell in love and married on February 23rd 1980. Dick and Nicki recently celebrated 40 years of marriage together. Dick and Nicki have two children Melissa and Brent. Dick and Nicki enjoyed going camping, going to the beach, riding 3 wheelers on the sand dunes, crabbing, and going for drives. What they most enjoyed was serving God together. Melissa was born while Dick was out on one of his many hunting trips. After that, Dick gave up being the great white hunter and he re-prioritized family. Dick enjoyed many family adventures from camping, teaching his kids to fish, and raising sheep on the property in Sumner Oregon. Dick always made sure his kids had many things to keep them busy. He built them a playhouse that was originally supposed to be a tree house but built it too big. He also built a homemade swing set and built a basketball hoop out of a five-gallon bucket with the bottom cut out nailed to plywood. One of Dick’s fondest memories is the time he spent with Melissa and Brent going to 4H meetings and spending a week at the county fair each year where the kids showed their animals.

Dick loved taking the family dog named “Bear Dog” also known as “Barely the Dog” along with him on outings. Dick would tell hilarious stories of the adventures with that Dog which would have people rolling in laughter. One of many great attributes was `Dick’s giving heart. He always was buying his kids stuff then saying “don’t tell you mother.” Dick knew Nicki would not like the kids eating donuts, hostess cupcakes, and other sweets before dinner. Dick always was helping complete strangers. There were times he gave away his last dollar to help someone in need. When Dick was not helping others or working on a project you could find him in the kitchen, cooking meals or baking. Being in the kitchen was an outlet for him. He was most famous for his banana bread, literally

all over the world. He would also bake thousand and thousands of cookies yearly.

Dick worked a variety of jobs throughout his life from towing mobile homes, construction work, growing mushrooms, and working for Coca-Cola. His most impactful job, which was a calling, was serving overseas in Israel, working amongst the Bedouin People.

Dick accepted the Lord into his heart in his 30’s. He immediately started studying God’s word and was discipled by a great Pastor, Dick Thorton. Dick would always say his biggest regret was not accepting the Lord sooner. Dick loved the Lord and after accepting Jesus into his life he told God he was not much but he would do whatever God called him to do. Dick and Nicki were very active together in the church and when they went on a mission trip to Thailand, they felt the call to go on to another mission. In 2016 they gave most of their belongings away, sold their home and followed God’s calling to Israel, where they served amongst the Bedouin People. Dick was a fatherly figure to many of the young adults him and Nicki worked amongst. There are many today that still call him Dad. Dick shared continually with the Bedouin and Jewish people.

Dick’s heart was crushed when he and Nicki had to leave the Bedouin people in 2016, because of Leukemia. It was like a piece of him was left behind. Dick made the most of being back enjoying his and Nicki’s adult children and enjoying his grandchildren. Dick’s three grandchildren brought Dick many smiles and laughs.

Dick had stem cell transplant in 2016 and was free of Leukemia for a little over three years. Dick was blessed to return to Israel two times after he was Leukemia free, sharing about God’s healing power. Dick volunteered at his church and did many projects around the house until the end of November 2019, when Dick became ill. After tests it was determined the Leukemia was back and even more aggressive than before. When Dick was so incredibly ill, he mustered up some energy to make sure Melissa, Michael, and the kids had plenty of types of cookies to bake for the Thanksgiving holiday. Dick had prepared all the ingredients by type of cookies only leaving the wet ingredients to be added. Dick put up an incredible fight and through it all he stayed positive giving God all the Glory. Dick did not complain once.

Dick Loved his Family, Friends and GOD.

Dick is preceded in death by his father Bruce Hollingsworth, mother Betty Mansveld, stepfather Dan Mansveld, brother Steve, sister Kathy, brother Fred and brother Tim.

Dick is survived by his wife Nicki Hollingsworth, daughter Melissa Paul and her husband Michael, grandsons Kyle, Casey, and Zach, son Brent Hollingsworth and his fiancé Tracey Stephenson, Sister Sue Socia, Sister Sherry Freund and, Brother Jack Hollingsworth and by numerous nieces and nephews.