Irene Hester Holman "Miss Irene"

Irene Holman, "Miss Irene" as she was known to many all over Bay County, passed away peacefully Wednesday morning, June 17, 2020, while holding her son's hand. "Miss Irene" was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama. She graduated from Deshler High School. After graduating, she left home to begin the next chapter of her life. After living in Georgia and south Florida, she found herself in Panama City and got a job as a secretary at the Wainright Ship Yard during World War II. It was soon after the War and the Shipyard closed, she found herself in the financial world.

"Miss Irene" worked for Beneficial Finance Company until she retired. Retirement was not for her, however, and after six weeks of retirement, a former boss who then was CEO at the newly formed Bay Credit Union offered her a job. It was there that she became a loan officer and acquired the name "Miss Irene". While at Bay Credit Union she quickly became the go to loan officer and built a reputation of being helpful, customer friendly and going out of the way to find a way to secure a loan for her members. She often would go to her bosses as a customer advocate for people initially turned down. And the loan was usually approved due to her help.

When not at work she was usually in her kitchen. There she made pies, cookies and her famous coconut cakes or her legendary multi-layered chocolate cake. If you came for a visit you usually left with something tasty. And if you were lucky enough to be invited to dinner, one would hope it was one of her amazing fried chicken and potato salad dinners. It was sheer ambrosia. She continued cooking and even taught cooking well into her nineties.

In addition to her work ethic and culinary skills, "Miss Irene" was a wonderful and kind and thoughtful person. She was a Christian and read the bible every day. She had read the entire Bible through many times and had begun reading the New Testament again before she began to decline in health beginning in April. She contributed to many charities, was a devoted friend, a counselor, supportive and a mother like no other.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Noah and Lillie Hester, a brother, William H. Hester and husband, James Holman. She is survived by her son, Ron Holman of Panama City and a brother, Vance Hester of Litchfield, Michigan. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved. And two very special nieces who were like her daughters, Linda Adcock and Pamela Boe.

On a personal note, I would like to thank Dr. Nguyen and his staff and Covenant Hospice and nurses Carla and Lindsey. My mother was fortunate to have the very best caregivers: Stacey Jacobs, Whitney Christie, a young woman with an old soul who never took a night off; and Francis Nickols who treated my mother with kindness, tenderness, devotion and respect. She became a member of our family. My mother loved her and neither my mother nor I could have made it through this difficult time without her.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made on behalf of the Irene Holman Young Businesswoman Scholarship to the Gulf Coast State College Foundation, 5320 West Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32401 or www.gcscfoundation.org/memorials/ . Or to Food for the Poor or your favorite charity.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2020 at 2pm in the Wilson Funeral Home Chapel with Chaplain Michael Bryan officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday from 1-2 pm prior to the service. Entombment will follow the service in the Forest Lawn Mausoleum.