Mr. Rickey Louis Holloway

Mr. Rickey Louis Holloway was born in Baltimore, MD on Saturday, February 16, 1980 to Corretta Dora Copeland-Edlow and Rickey Holloway. Ms. Corretta always said Rickey was a good child and never gave her any trouble. As the eldest of five siblings from a blended family, Rickey set a great example from his younger siblings. For his K-12 education, Rickey attended Edgecombe Circle Elementary School, Pimlico Elementary/Middle School #223 and the esteemed Baltimore City College #480. Rickey was an honor roll student and loved playing sports, winning the Unsung Hero award for lacrosse at Pimlico and played both football and lacrosse while at City. Rickey was an outstanding student-athlete and was honored as an All-City Metro Lacrosse player and All-City Metro Lineman many times during his student-athlete career. Rickey possessed a "quiet fire" in him when playing sports and was referred to on his team as "Mr. Showtime". When the bright lights came on and it was time to take care of business, Rickey was ready and laid it ALL on the field of play. After graduating from Baltimore City College as part of the class of '98, Rickey attended Frostburg State University where he studied Sociology and Political Science. While at Frostburg, Rickey spent his freshman year in the Frederick dorms and then moved off-campus. He managed the weight room, played spades often and won the occasional spades tournament from time to time. Rickey was an avid spades player and was VERY competitive when playing. As fate would have it, or rather a blind date orchestrated by two good friends, God would lead him to his future spades partner, wife and mother of his child, JoVerne "Joie" (Spence) Holloway. Rickey and Joie met in 2006 and they each quickly realized the other was "The One", Joie noticed Rickey was a good listener who was serious about her when after just two phone conversations he enlisted the help of those same good friends once again, to deliver a crystal elephant to her home. Rickey knew Joie was the one, when after battling him in an argument, he was left speechless and with nothing to say. Not just beauty but brains, a match made in heaven and a duo to be reckoned with in life, especially in a spades game. The two married on October 16, 20210 and four years later welcomed their daughter, Hanna Debra Jean Holloway, the love oh his life, on May 7, 2014. Rickey's whole world changed when Hanna came on the scene. Rickey was known for being a truth teller with no filter. He was also an avid and some would say annoying Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Rickey was very much a rebel and went his own way. He was also very direct when it came to football and would tell his sister, LaSheena, "There is only black and white, no gray!" Oh, but when Hanna came along, he became noticeably softer. Hanna made him crumble his hard exterior and made Rickey more neutral, no more black and white, he took time to explore the gray. He became more considerate of people's feelings and the things he would say. Their favorite activity was to get snowballs and Hanna looked forward to going to get those snowballs with Daddy every summer. He loved his daughter and Joie, aka Mommy, was jealous of their relationship at times. Rickey would always tell Hanna, "You got this POUKE!", "Let's Go POUKE, you are a Holloway and we don't cry when it's business to take care of." There was no doubt he loved his daughter, his wife and his entire family. Rickey took being the oldest child very seriously and approached his role as family patriarch with great care and a deep sense of responsibility when it came to his siblings and looking out for their well-being. Not just with his own family but also the family he married into. Sociology is the study of the development, structure and functioning of human society and Political Science is the study of politics and power from domestic, international and comparative perspectives. If you know Rickey, you know these two were right up his alley and not only did he get an education on these topics at Frostburg, but in life he gave an education to others on these by the way he lived. Rickey could not be put into a box in any aspect of his life. He loved R&B music and artists like TLC and Anita Baker but Elton John was also one of his favorites. He listened to R&B and Hip Hop stations, but you could also find his radio tuned to 101.9FM, something his wife would often tease him about. Rickey was a good swimmer, quick to jump off diving boards when he was a teen, a very good cook and wise beyond his years. He loved his mother's lasagna, hot chicken wings, spicy foods and hot sausages. Rickey mentored lots of people and left a lasting impression on them including Andre, Elroy, Isaiah, Raymond and Dont'e, all of whom he took under his wing and tried to mold. Some might call Rickey as sage as he knew when a conversation had run its course and would politely end the discussion by saying, "Fair Enough." Rickey would also encourage others who accomplished a task off their list by saying "Dos Puntos" which meant, good job, way to check something off your list, but don't stop pushing. Aside from his wife, daughter and his family, there was one other thing extremely close to Rickey's heart and that was CITY, the school, his team, the coaching staff and the Black and Orange that ran deep in his veins. Rickey took being a City Knight VERY seriously. He created and coined the phrase, "One school, One team, One fight. We are Black Knights!" as a mantra to uplift and fire up his team while coaching on the City football team staff. Rickey would always say his list of importance was God, Family, CITY, the Steelers, then everything else, and in that order. Rickey was a football and lacrosse player during his time at City. The summer before freshman year, Rickey dragged TJ down to preseason practice with him. They caught the 22 bus down to City where TJ sat in 1000 degree heat on metal bleachers watching Rickey try out for the team. Rickey had to line up for a blocking drill against a player TJ referred to as "Big Country." Rickey took him clear down and TJ looked up and said, "That Boy Ready!! Put him on Varsity!" The rest is history! More important than playing for City was Rickey's lifelong dream and passion to become a CITY coach. This dream was not deferred as Rickey started as a volunteer then worked his way up to Defensive Coordinator and from there became Head Coach of the Junior Varsity team at City, serving as Head coach 10 of the 12 years he coached. Rickey considered his coaching position for the City Knights to be an honor and used his position to mold young men not just in football but in skills they could use in life. Many of these young men saw Rickey as a father figure and Rickey gave them everything he would and showed them everything a father could be. He mentored them, made sure they were safe, got them to and from practice, if they were under his care, they were like his sons. Rickey learned how to coach from Coach George Petrides, Coach Jeppi and Coach John Sarantinos. He looked up to Coach Petrides who was like a father figure to him. He respected and admired Coach Jeppi for his "say what it is, no filter" expresssions and he and Coach Sarantinos bonded over their love for the Steelers. Rickey's coaching style was fair, he would take everyone's voice into account. He was a true leader and not a dictator. When coaching Rickey would tell his team, "We don't do things like everybody else because we are not everyone else, we do things the CITY way!" He considered others input prior to making a decision and he treasured his right hand Coach Kevin Dobbins. Coach Dobbins was more than an Offensive Coordinator, he was a very close friend and confidant. Rickey could bond with older people, younger people, it didn't matter your age, if Rickey called you his friend, he meant it and if you weren't his friend or he didn't mess with you like that, he meant that too. He found a way of connecting with the younger generation by being critical in a meaningful manner. He would tell them he had the same problems, but you have to get better, and he would critique himself as a way to help others grow. He was a straight shooter, a truth teller, and no holds barred competitor. No matter the demographic, young or old, he could hold a conversation, build a relationship and leave those he came in contact with better for having interacted with him. On the morning of Thursday, August 31, 2023, Rickey did not make a big scene, he did not make a big fuss, he quietly took his seat on God's heavenly bus and departed this world with a new destination in sight where there would be no more pain and he no longer had to fight, he could simply rest well forever an honorable Black Knight. Rickey was preceded in death by his stepfather, Mr. Christopher Edlow, aunts, Debra Dorsey and Inez Brown, grandparents, Estelle and Wilson Lee Holloway, Sr., Helena Holland, Calvin Brown and his cousin, Elroy Long, Jr. Rickey's legacy of truth telling and mantle of being a role model for those in his community shall be carried on by his wife, JoVerne Amanda Holloway; daughter, Hanna Debra Jean Holloway; mother, Corretta Dora Copeland-Edlow; father, Rickey Holloway; step-mother, LaWanda Holloway; four (4) siblings, Anika Holloway, Gina Copeland, LaSheena Jackson (Jonathan), Dont'e Holloway; one (1) grandparent, Jean Brown; ten (10) aunt & uncles, Cornell Brown (Rosalyn), Carlethea Samuels (Dante), Calvin Brown, Charles Brown, Wilson Holloway, Jr. (Carla), Ted Holloway (Tiffany), Jackey Holloway, Toney Holloway, Sr. (Tia), Kenneth Holloway (Angie) and Alisha Minor (Timothy); ten (10) nieces and nephews, Anita Gibson, Aaliyah Gibson, Isaiah Copeland, Ryan Megginson, Jr., Donte Heckstall, Jr. (DJ), Lanae Jackson, Andrew Jackson, Reginald Jayden Jones, Reyes Joseph Emmanuel Spence, Kai Holloway; one (1) godmother, Dionne Carter, two (2) godchildren, Jabar Savage and Kyndall Savage; one (1) kindred spirit and special friend, Jocelyn Grier and a host of cousins, friends, colleagues, mentees and others whose lives he touched.

Tributes

Mr. Rickey Louis Holloway

February 16, 1980 - August 31, 2023