Capt. Phil Holwager (91) was an amazing husband, father, grandfather (pop pop), friend, servant of the Lord, and patriot serving his country with great honor and passion.  He never met a stranger, loved mentoring many in the ways of Lord, teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in such an uncomplicated but powerful manner, a prayer warrior at heart.  He had a gentle, humble spirit, a positive attitude with a sense of humor, but his military officer side could surface if necessary.  He was an excellent cook, golfer, gardener, fisherman, writer, singer, a multi-instrumentalist, handyman, and could even reupholster furniture.  We as a family love him deeply and will miss him deeply, but will see him again in his new heavenly home.  Phil wrote out his own lifenotes years ago, he did an excellent job and we decided to submit it as is for how do you condense or make this any better?

LIFENOTES ON PHILIP J. (PHIL) HOLWAGER

Captain Philip J. Holwager, Chaplain Corps, USN, retired, died August 4, 2024. He was born in Indiana on February 8, 1933 to Reverend George Holwager and his wife Lois Jessup Holwager. He is survived by his wife, Bessie Van Hook Holwager, of 69 years and daughter, Phyllis Holwager Lowry of Knotts Island, North Carolina, and his son, Van Holwager and wife, Marion Lawnik of Williamsburg, Virginia.  Christina Lowry Brown and husband Jeffrey Brown of Knotts Island, North Carolina, is his granddaughter and grandson-in-law.  He was predeceased by his parents, an adult son, Philip J Holwager, Jr., and his son-in-law Richard K Lowry.

He grew up in Indiana and Tennessee where his father was minister of Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ). He graduated from Rockwood, Tennessee, High School. He was selected on the All East Tennessee football team in 1950 and represented his school at Tennessee Boys State. An avid fisherman on Watts Bar Lake, he and his father founded Roane Wigglers Bait and raised and sold over a million fishing worms throughout east Tennessee.

He entered Vanderbilt University on the NROTC program in 1951. At Vanderbilt he was elected to the Student Senate, served two years as President of the Student Christian Association, was promoted to Director of the Naval ROTC Midshipman marching band (which played at home football games) and he was Vice-President of the DKE social Fraternity. He chaired the first Religious Emphasis Week in 1954.  He was tapped into the ODK Leadership Fraternity his senior year. At graduation in June, 1955, he was commissioned, Ensign, USNR. Two days later on June 8th, he and his high school sweetheart, Bessie Van Hook were married in Knoxville, where she attended the University of Tennessee.

His first Navy tour was on the USS Fort Mandan (LSD 21), home ported Little Creek, Norfolk, Virginia. While serving as ship Protestant Lay Leader he made the decision to become a military Chaplain. In 1957 he entered Yale Divinity School and also became Pastor of a West Haven, CT, Congregation Church. In addition, he was assigned as a Training Officer at the New Haven Naval Reserve Unit. In his four year reserve tour he directed over 50 Yale undergraduate students through a Reserve Officer Training Program. Phil was elected president of his Yale senior class and won the preaching award while majoring in Pastoral Counseling and Church History. Bess worked at Yale and also served their church as a teacher and Pastor's assistant.

Following his graduation and ordination in May 1961, he was called to Pastor the First Christian Church in Melbourne, Florida. The congregation grew rapidly with the "space coast" population explosion and built a new facility in 1965. In 1962, he was commissioned in the Navy Chaplain Corps and began reserve drills at the Orlando Naval Reserve Unit. He and other reservist from the Melbourne area formed a new reserve unit in Melbourne and the weekly drills were held in his church educational wing.  He was part of a small group that studied the higher education needs of the area and initiated the Florida Institute of Technology. Some of the initial classes met at his church. He also chaired the Church Development Committee of his church in Florida and in his four year term, 12 new churches were established.

Chaplain Holwager was recalled to active duty in 1968 as ship's Chaplain of the USS Prairie, home ported in San Diego. During his tour the ship made two seven month deployments to the Western Pacific in support of the Vietnam War. He organized volunteer teams from the ship for "People to People" projects in Taiwan, the Philippines and Hong Kong. Between deployments, the Navy selected him for postgraduate studies in counseling at San Francisco Seminary.

Following an assignment as Administrative Chaplain in support of the 26 Chaplains at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Chicago, he returned to the Vietnam Theater in 1971 to serve as the Assistant Wing Chaplain of the First Marine Aircraft Wing in Da Nang. He became senior Chaplain of Task Force Delta which located in a jungle air base in north Thailand where over 4000 Marines served 13 months until the Vietnam cease fire. In addition to their Marines, he and his Chaplains served a large group of Air America professionals operating out of their base in the effort to free Cambodia.  His ministry to Marines included 4 day retreats in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for small groups to interface with American missionaries.

Other assignments included: The Public Works Center, Norfolk, as Chaplain to the military housing areas and two chapels. The Senior Chaplain's 9 month course in Newport, RI, where he was selected as best creative writer in the course. The Fleet Religious Support Activity, Norfolk where he led the Chaplains serving ships at Little Creek and also deployed to the Mediterranean to coordinate circuit riding Chaplains in the 6th Fleet. The Naval Air Engineering Center, Lakehurst, NJ, . Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps as Deputy Chaplain and also served with the IG team and visited most of the 275 Navy Chaplains serving with Marines.  Next, he served as the Force Chaplain with the Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, and visited Marine units in Europe, including  detachments in American Embassies. His final 4 yr. tour was at the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, where he retired in 1991.

Highlights of his career: He planned and led the Memorial Service in the National Cathedral, Washington, for the 250 Marines and Sailors killed in the 1984 Beirut Barracks bombing. He served with the last Marine Air units operating in the Vietnam war.  He served on seven promotion boards for the Chaplain Corps, and served on the board that selected the first 650 enlisted personnel in the Religious Program Specialist rate. He served 10 years as President, Disciples Chaplains Association of the Christian Church which included over 200 Chaplains serving in the military, in hospitals and prisons.

Following his military career, Chaplain Holwager served 5 years as Pastor of the Diamond Springs Christian Church, Virginia Beach. He and Bess were involved in the initial stages of a merger with First Christian Church, Norfolk, to form Chalice Christian Church of Virginia Beach.

The Holwagers enjoyed traveling and took several "Space Available" flights to Europe. They also visited many places in the US and Canada in their RV. During winter trips to Florida and Texas they served in ministries to feed the homeless, worked in church construction and as volunteers at Wycliffe Bible Translators Headquarters in Orlando.

The Holwagers moved from Norfolk to Lake Prince Woods, Suffolk, in 2007. They continued traveling in their RV for several years to accomplish volunteer work. In 2009 they became members of Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church, Suffolk. Chaplain Holwager became an Elder and took many families in the congregation under his care. He and Bess hosted a weekly church covenant group in their home. He served as Clerk of the Restoration Commission, a part of the church Session. He sang in the Worship Choir, served in the Timothy Ministry for seniors in the church, taught classes and especially enjoyed teaching in Vacation Bible School. In addition he assisted the church staff in making hospital and nursing home visits.  With cooking as a favorite hobby, he provided dinners for Elder meetings for a number of years.  Another hobby was golf and he played with a special weekly group from the Norfolk area for over 20 years, and played many courses in Williamsburg with his son, Van.  He had a deep respect for military veterans and was often on call to conduct military funerals at the Horton Veterans Cemetery.  He was immensely aware of the grace of God and claimed each day "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

Services will be held at Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church, 3488 Godwin Blvd, Suffolk VA, 23434 on Friday, August 30, 2024 with viewing beginning at 11:30am.  Service starting at 12:00pm followed by an honorary military committal at the Albert J. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk at 2:00pm.  Following, the family invites you to a reception at Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Phil's name to Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church, Missions Fund at https://ppay.co/se0o3-MwyRk .  Condolences may be registered online at www.parrfuneralhome.com.