Obituary of Vernal "Gary" Holland

Vernal G. (Gary) Holland, 77, a resident of West Columbia, and husband to the late Ann S. Holland, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2024 at his residence.

Gary, born Feb 5, 1946, grew up in Spartanburg, SC, and at a young age, enlisted in the US Army.  He served bravely for several tours of active combat duty during the Vietnam war, and afterwards, served stateside as an Army drill sergeant at Ft. Jackson and later, as an Army recruiter.  He retired with honors from the Army and was an active member of Our Lady of the Hills Catholic Church.  

Gary is survived by a stepson, Larry Schumpert of Gaston; three stepdaughters: Merci Hair (Farrell) of Elgin, Cathy Pfisterer (Brian) of Herndon, VA and Mary Roca (Luis) of Mooresville, NC; a stepson-in-law, Tracy Tyner of West Columbia; and a number of step-grandchildren, step-great-grandchildren and a number of close friends. He was predeceased by his brother, Clyde Holland, a stepdaughter, Marie Tyner, and his loving wife of 49 years, Ann Holland.

A Funeral Mass is planned for Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 10:30 AM at Our Lady of the Hills Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Woodridge Memorial Park.

The family requests that those wishing to make memorials do so to the Wounded Warriors Project,  https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/