Richard Palmer Hollis

77, of Bainbridge Island, died peacefully in his sleep on February 11, 2010.Richard was a man of solid values and integrity. He could be counted on for anything. His word was his bond.Richard was a kind and generous man - a gentleman of humor and warmth to everyone he met. He was dearly loved by his family and friends who miss him very much.Richard was born in Omaha, Nebraska to Mary Louise and William Palmer Hollis. As a teenager he played for his high school football team and had a lengthy stint in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he developed a love for bodysurfing and Portuguese cooking. Richard earned his bachelors and masters degrees with honors in electrical engineering at the Newark College of Engineering and at Northwestern University. It was there he met Barbara Louise Norby, whom he married on November 23, 1955. They were married 54 years and had three sons and seven grandchildren.Richard served in the Army Scientific and Professional Corps. He went on to work on highly advanced research and design projects for ITT Corporation, and later for the Watkins-Johnson Corporation in Palo Alto, California, where he worked for 30 years and rose to become vice president. His job took him around the world several times over, including Japan, India, Turkey, Greece, Pakistan, Sweden, Germany and back to his beloved Brazil. At age 62, Richard retired and moved with Barbara to Bainbridge Island, where he became active in the church and community, enjoyed vacations to Hawaii and hosted warm and wonderful family gatherings. Richard was a gifted musician and tenor with a lifelong passion for music that ranged from classical to bluegrass and bossa nova to singing in the Rolling Bay Presbyterian choir. He played organ, piano and guitar, and was accepted to the Julliard School. He infused a deep appreciation and love for musicianship in all of his three sons.More than anything else, Richard was a wealth of wisdom that always rang true. We will always miss him.Richard is survived by his wife, Barbara, his sons Charles, James and John, his daughters-in-law Rosa, Leisa, Joan and Cara, and his grandchildren Laura, Stephen, Madeline, Ryan, Kyle, Abigail and Kaya.Memorial Service will be 2/17/10 at 2PM at the Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, Bainbridge Island, WA. www.rbpres.org. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Rolling Bay Church Choir Fund.