Kenneth “Doc” Holladay was known throughout Eudora not only for delivering over 1,400 area babies, but for dropping everything to help residents with any health needs.
Community members agreed Holladay was the embodiment of what a small-town doctor should be. He was deeply embedded in so many lives, birthing many babies of mothers he had also delivered. He was a physician in Eudora for over 40 years before retiring in 2004.
Holladay died Feb. 11 at age 89.
His daughter, Thais Holladay, knew her dad as a generous man who was committed to his patients and the community. He was someone patients could reach directly by home phone 24/7. He always put his patients first, she said.
Once he dug his roots into Eudora by raising his children there, it became his community and that’s what kept him practicing here for so long, she said. Before his tenure, Eudora had frequent turnover in doctors over a decade, she said. Holladay provided stability.
She remembers her dad’s commitment to making sure he helped patients whenever they needed him.
“If we went to a movie back in the day, he’d have to call the hospital and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be at this movie. I’m going to be in the back row.’ And then when we got to the movies, he had to tell the people, ‘OK, we’re in the back row if they call,’ and sometimes he’d have to get up and leave,” Thais said.
If patients couldn’t afford care, Holladay would do whatever he could to arrange other methods of payment. He would allow patients to just pay a portion a month or offer up trades for tasks and other forms of payment. He wanted to provide people care no matter what, something that doctors just can’t do now, she said.
He was committed to his wife and the first love of his life, Elisabeth, and was a loving father and grandfather, she said. He was quiet, soft spoken and intellectual, and emphasized the importance of education to his children.
He always wanted to make Eudora a better place, whether through involvement in the school board or helping create the first nursing home in town.
He loved traveling, especially to see his great-grandchildren. He took a lot of photos during his life, and loved creating memories and looking back at old albums, one of the things Thais loved most about him.
One of his other favorite things earlier in life was going to amusement parks. He would even go to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City by himself, she said. He loved all the craziest rides, something you wouldn’t expect from such a gentle and quiet man, she said.
He also loved ice cream and said there was always room in your stomach for ice cream, she said.
Holladay graduated from Lawrence High School in 1951 and received his undergraduate and medical degrees from University of Kansas. For two years, Holladay was in the Air Force as a physician before moving to Eudora.
He was part of many Eudora organizations, such as the School Board, nursing home and Eudora Baptist Church.
Peter Bock worked with Holladay for many years as a physician at Holladay’s office.
Bock had just finished his residency in Wichita and knew he wanted to work in a small city around Lawrence. He wrote to Holladay, the two met and immediately hit it off.
He had a great bedside manner, hospitality and treated patients with respect, Bock said
Bock learned from Holladay to be quick to respond and always available to his patients, and that’s the legacy he leaves behind.
“I think it definitely provided a sense of security and longitudinal care,” Bock said. “He was easy to talk to so you can even consider him as a friend.”
People were comfortable with him because he was never condescending or overbearing, he said. Eudora having an approachable and trustable doctor was a major asset, Bock said.
Bock said Holladay and Elisabeth were always showing their pride and advocacy for Eudora.
“They were really good ambassadors for the city,” Bock said.
Sometimes Elisabeth would have to fill in at the front desk of the physician’s office, Bock said. Seeing the two work together gave the office a family feel, Bock said.
Holladay’s office was next to the since-closed Byrne’s Pharmacy, run by Stan Byrne. The two forged a close relationship inside and outside of work.
The two continued working together for about 30 years. Byrne always knew what Holladay was thinking and vice versa, he said. At all hours of the night, Holladay would give Byrne a call from his bed and ask him to fill a prescription for someone in town.
He stayed calm and collected during emergency situations, and he always knew exactly what to do.
“He knew what he was doing. There was no doubt about it,” Byrne said.
He would come visit with Byrne and work on the daily crossword puzzle. He was gentle and loving, he said.
Debbie Carden lived down the street from the Holladays growing up.
When Carden struggled with health issues as a teen, she began seeing Holladay as her own doctor. He was comforting, sure of himself and quickly made her feel accepted and not judged.
His confident treatment and diagnosis had a huge impact on her life, which continued into the rest of her life — especially on the day of her high school graduation. Since Holladay was previously on the school board, he stood and handed out diplomas to graduates, a monumental moment for Carden, she said.
“When I saw him look at me, and I’m going to try not to cry, and the smile and the pride that just oozed at me, and he handed me my diploma and shook my hand. It was an incredible moment. It was just so deeply heartfelt,” Carden said.
He knew she was struggling at home and in school as a kid, and the moment felt like a huge, “You did it, Debbie,” moment courtesy of him, she said.
He was straightforward, matter of fact and always had a smile to greet everyone. Everyone thought of him as family, and he made a point to remember everyone, she said. She knew Holladay as a reliable and trustworthy doctor.
“There were emergencies at my house growing up where a neighbor would say, ‘I have to drive your mom and your dad to Doc Holladay’s,’ and we all knew they’d come back OK. Whatever it was, they’d come back OK,” Carden said.
Holladay is survived by his wife, Elisabeth, his four children: David, Kevin, Matthias and Thais, his siblings: Donna, Dean, Christine and Clay, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
His full obituary can be found here.
The service for Holladay will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Eudora Baptist Church. Visitation is from 6-8 p.m. Friday at Warren-McElwain Mortuary-Eudora Chapel.
Memorial contributions can be made in his name to Eudora Parks and Recreation Foundation and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected]
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