William Holland

Memorial by Anthony Ehlers

Mr. Holland’s friend

I’d like to tell you about a friend of mine who passed away this past April, 2020. He was 77 years old… but he “still had one good punch in him” as he used to tell us younger guys.

For as long as I can remember, we all just called him Mr. Holland. He was a character, he had a one liner for everything. He was a light in this place, if you needed to smile, you went to talk to Mr. Holland. He could raise your spirits in the worst of times. It always sounds so generic and cliché to say “He would have done anything for anyone.” But there really is no other way to describe his nature. He was kind and caring. He was empathetic. He could relate to whatever you were going through. He had an amazing heart. You don’t find that much in life, let alone this place.

Mr. Holland was from the North side of Chicago. He was from my area, we used to talk about it sometimes. He used to make me laugh, I would have to remind him that I’m his grandson's age so no, I don’t remember so and so. :) He was a Catholic, didn’t practice much, but was deeply spiritual. He believed God put him here to help guide the young guys, He had more patience than a saint, but when his patience ran out, look out. Made you feel like you were back in school being scolded by a teacher! He spent some time in the military, and was a proud veteran. He believed that guys should be given a choice to serve rather than go to prison. “It would make better men out of all of you,” he would say.

We would go to the yard sometimes, he was older, so he couldn’t walk around that much. We would sit in the sun and talk. Mr. Holland was a terrible gossip. :) He knew everybody’s business. He was wise in a way only older people are, he used to tell me nothing is new, I’ve seen it all in ten different ways. It was that experience, and advice that you really needed sometimes. Whether a guy was having trouble with his girl, or with drugs, or had given up, he knew the right things to say, he knew how to reach guys. He loved to give advice. He was a natural teacher.

I feel his absence. Things are a bit more dark since Mr. Holland died. He could take your mind away from your troubles for awhile, and make you feel better. That was his way.

I asked Mr. Holland one day about a year ago if he was afraid of dying. We were sitting outside, and he turned his face to the sun and said, “I reckon not, God didn't leave me here this long to make it harder on the other side. So sir, I reckon I’ll finally be home.” I never forgot that. His death has left not only a hole in my life, but a hole in the life of many guys here. His laughter, his stories, his advice, his crazy one liners, they are all missed. But, I can smile thinking about him being “home.”

The prison system tries to dehumanize you, to take away your humanity. Mr. Holland somehow became more human in this place. He was a good man, and missed by many. 

Mr. Holland was incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center in Illinois. This memorial was transcribed by Eliza Kravitz.