Capt. John Theodore Holloway, EFD, Retired, of Elkhart, passed away peacefully from complications from Alzheimer’s disease at Eastlake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Elkhart on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at 1:46 a.m.

John was born on March 6, 1937, in Rochester, Indiana, the beloved son of Donald W. and Hattie Belle (Batchelor) Holloway. On December 1, 1956, in Elkhart, he married the love of his life, Barbara Joan Pollard. Together they built a life grounded in devotion, laughter, and mutual respect, sharing an extraordinary 69 years of marriage. Barbara survives at home and remains the center of John’s heart and story.

In addition to his cherished wife, John is survived by his daughters, Kathi Sue (Michael) Englehart of Elkhart and Linda Diane (Art) Ruehle of Granger; his sister, Barbara Jean Hittle of Jonesboro, Arkansas; and his grandsons, Josh (Misti) Strycker and Derek (Breann) Englehart. He is also survived by a loving extended family that includes nieces from Jonesboro, cousins from Rochester, his step-family, and a vast brotherhood and sisterhood of Elkhart City Fire Department members and retirees who proudly called him one of their own.

Services celebrating John’s life will be held on Friday, January 9, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Elkhart, with visitation beginning at 11:00 a.m. Pastor Jeremy Sarber will officiate, and Fire Department Honors will be rendered by the Elkhart City Fire Department. Entombment will follow in Hope Mausoleum at Rice Cemetery in Elkhart.

John was a proud and honorably discharged veteran of the United States Navy, serving aboard the submarine tender USS Bushnell in Key West, Florida, from 1955 to 1959. His naval service not only instilled in him a lifelong sense of discipline and duty but also laid the foundation for the mechanical expertise that would define much of his professional and personal life.

Following his military service, John worked for approximately ten years at Uniroyal before answering the calling that would become his greatest professional pride: the Elkhart Fire Department. John served the citizens of Elkhart with honor, courage, and quiet leadership for just over twenty years, achieving the rank of Captain and serving as shift commander at Station 5. During his distinguished career, he organized the department’s first dive team, worked extensively in the maintenance division, and personally applied the reflective striping that became standard on all department apparatus—improving both safety and visibility for those who served and those they protected.

Respected and genuinely liked, John’s calm demeanor, mechanical brilliance, and steadfast “can-do” attitude made him a trusted leader and a valued friend within the department. His pride in the fire service never faded, and the bonds he formed there remained among the most meaningful of his life.

Even in retirement from the fire department in 1989, John never slowed down. He continued working in several small engine shops, later at Harold Zeigler Ford, and finally a maintenance job at the Elkhart Clinic. To his family and friends, John’s mechanical abilities bordered on genius. There seemed to be nothing he could not fix, rebuild, or improve, and his deep understanding of how things worked made him endlessly helpful—and constantly in demand.

John found great joy in restoring old motorcycles and Cushman vehicles, including a memorable Indian motorcycle that he famously rebuilt in the family kitchen, much to Barbara’s amused dismay. He loved fishing, camping, and traveling to state parks, and he especially treasured trips to Key West whenever the opportunity arose. A skilled and passionate scuba diver, John spent countless hours underwater, marveling at the beauty of the undersea world, and generously used his talents in several river clean-up projects. True to his Navy roots, he also delighted in building and operating an impressive fleet of radio-controlled boats—always eager for an excuse to get them on the water and “play.”

Above all, John Holloway was a good and gracious man. He loved his family fiercely, cherished his friends deeply, and truly never met a stranger. His natural instinct was kindness, curiosity, and connection—and that spirit always began and ended with his beloved Barbara.

Memorial contributions in John’s memory may be made to the Humane Society of Elkhart County or Heart to Heart Hospice.