Former state lawmaker Jimmy Holley, R-Elba, who served more than four decades in the Alabama Legislature, died Monday. He was 80.
He served five terms in the House followed by six terms in the Senate before deciding not to seek reelection in 2022. At that time, he cited health concerns as his reason for leaving Montgomery.
Two-term Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, said Holley was loved and well-respected in the State House.
“The Senate leadership saw fit to appoint me, a young freshman senator, as vice-chairman of Senator Holley’s all-encompassing Governmental Affairs Committee,” Elliott said Tuesday. “I can only imagine his feelings on being saddled with someone he must have viewed as a toddler, given his vast experience.
But instead of showing annoyance, he set out to educate this ‘young whippersnapper,’ just as I now realize he had likely done a dozen times before. He was patient, kind, and generous when he didn’t have to be. Senator Holley revealed the unwritten rules and often unspoken intricacies and customs of the legislature, teaching me how to be effective, how to cajole, to persuade, and, when necessary, to apply a bit of pressure.”
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed, R-Jasper, also said Holley was a mentor to him.
“Sen. Holley knew the Senate rules better than any member in the body, and during my time as majority leader and later pro tem, I would go to him often to ask his advice on procedure. Regardless of the situation or what we were trying to accomplish, Sen. Holley knew exactly what to do, and our body benefited greatly from his knowledge. He was a strong leader who took an interest in always helping me, but above all, he was a great friend to me and many others. He was a man of great integrity who loved the Lord, his family, and his district. He, alongside his wife Mary, served his district and our state incredibly well.”
Holley was a retired Troy University administrator.
Visitation will be at 5 p.m. Thursday at Ino Baptist Church in Kinston. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the same church.