[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16898]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



        REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF DEACON JOHN SIDNEY (SID) HOLLAND

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 2000

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Deacon Sid Holland, a long-time friend and colleague of mine, who 
departed this life on July 5, at the age of 92 after sustaining 
injuries in an automobile accident. He was a Mason and served as past 
Master of King Tyree Lodge No. 292 and was a Charter member of the 
Fairfax County Democratic Party. Sid was a small business owner of the 
J. S. Holland Sand and Gravel Hauling Co. He was a hard worker and a 
dedicated family man.
  Born on August 13, 1907, in Palmyra, VA, Sid was one of 10 children 
born to the late John and Mary Odie Holland. As a young man, Sid came 
to Fairfax County seeking employment and subsequently joined the Mount 
Pleasant Baptist Church. He also became involved in a number of civic 
and social organizations. Sid was a natural leader transition Fairfax 
County through the Civil Rights revolution. Sid always was respected 
for his ability and friendly demeanor.
  As a dedicated member of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church for over 
65 years, Sid served as Sunday School Superintendent, Chairman of the 
Deacon Board, Trustee and member of the Senior Choir, Usher Board, 
Pinkett and Chairman Emeritus of the Deacon Board. He was also active 
in the Northern Virginia Baptist Association and the Mount Vernon 
Baptist Association. Sid knew God and the work of the church and he 
translated this into his daily life.
  In addition to his church activities, Sid was an officer and member 
of the Mount Pleasant Lincolnia Association, Harelco Land Developments, 
Higher Horizon Day Care Center, Fairfax County-Wide Black Citizen 
Association, Fairfax Human Rights Commission and the Manassas 
Educational Foundation. He also served on a special commission of the 
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors charged with writing County Housing 
Hygiene Code and on a Citizen's Advisory Committee to establish a 
Housing Authority. His efforts to promote desegregation in Fairfax 
County are recognized in the recorded history of the county and won him 
plaudits from leaders of both parties. In addition, he was the longest 
serving member of the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission, where he 
continued to advocate for the minority rights amid a growing and 
diverse minority population.
  In closing Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure and honor to speak 
of Deacon Sid Holland on the House floor today. He will be greatly 
missed but remembered for his service to his community and dedication 
to his family. Sid is survived by his wife of 17 years, Constance; his 
two children, J. Sidney, Jr. of Washington, DC and Dr. Dorothy Mann 
Mazzola of Seattle, WA; two stepchildren, Solomon Lee of Lakeridge, VA, 
and Bernice Lee of Falls Church, VA; three sisters, Vera Marshall and 
Mamie Bruce of Palmyra, VA, and Bertha Payne of Washington, DC; a host 
of nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. His first 
wife, Susie C. Holland, passed away in 1982. He leaves a legacy of 
racial progress that will long be remembered in Fairfax.

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