Rodney (Rod) Hollenbeck

Rodney (Rod) Hollenbeck, 82, of Manchester, Missouri, passed away unexpectedly on November 8, 2024, at his home. Rod began his life story born to Duane and Vera Hollenbeck on September 25,1942, in Cherokee, Iowa. His childhood years were spent on the farm near Quimby, Iowa. After graduating from Iowa State University in 1964, he began his career as a real estate appraiser for the US Army Corps of Engineers serving on the Lake Shelbyville Project in Illinois. It’s there he met the love of his life, Carol Connerly, whom he married on November 6, 1966. They were blessed with two children, Jill and Ryan. In 1972 an opportunity in the mortgage industry with Missouri Mortgage and Investment Company (a subsidiary of Boatmen’s Bancshares) resulted in a move to St.. Louis from Sullivan, MO, where he worked on the ill-fated Meramec River Project. Rod spent 34 years in commercial banking which included the acquisitions and mergers of Boatmen’s Bank to Nations Bank to Bank of America. After his first retirement in 2004, he returned part-time to National City Bank for 18 months, retiring again in 2007. He maintained a real estate broker’s license for years and served the community in positions with the Keystone District Boy Scouts. He remained a farmer at heart and was in his “happy place” maintaining the yard, raking leaves in the fall, planting flowers and maintaining a vegetable garden. He was an avid reader always stressing the importance of reading for lifelong learning. One of his favorite pastimes was golf, although he was teased about his short swing, and enjoying the camaraderie of his buddies one or two times per week during golf season. After his games, Rod could do a play-by-play of the number of strokes taken at every hole. Another love was fishing, especially trips with his son and grandson, and the fun stories they shared. Rod and Carol loved traveling to the US National Parks and creating memories on their seven trips to Europe with their dear friends, the Ziemanns. His greatest love was attending and supporting the sports activities of his six grandchildren-baseball, cross country, basketball, gymnastics, hockey and volleyball along with school activities. Being with the grandchildren brought great joy. He loved them immensely and was so very proud of each one. After triple by-pass surgery in 2004, he became a volunteer at St. Luke’s Hospital on Tuesday afternoons for close to 17 years. Church was his second home where he served in various positions in over 50 years of membership. He shared his knowledge of finance participating on finance teams, stewardship committee, co-chaired a capital campaign fund, building committees, and was a past president. Rod is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carol, daughter, Jill Hollenbeck-Hill and husband Tim Hill, son, Ryan and his wife Leigh Anne, and six grandchildren-Ethan (Lizzy), Larson, and Chase Hill, Norah, Rowan and Ainsley Hollenbeck, brother Larry (Ina Jane) Hollenbeck and sister-in-law Judy Connerly, nephews, nieces and their extended families. He was predeceased by his parents, sister Jane Mauck, mother-in-law and father-in-law Richard and Lieuzetta Connerly, and brother-in-law Gary Connerly. Services: Visitation will be held at the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road, Ballwin, Friday, November 22, from 4-8 p.m. A memorial service will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 327 Woods Mill Rd, Manchester, Saturday, November 23, at 10 a.m. Livestreaming of the service will be available. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Rod can be made to: International Dyslexia Association (IDA), Kansas Missouri Branch, 16628 Bond Street, Overland Park, KS 66221 or St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation, NICU Unit, PO Box 955423, St. Louis, MO 63195-5423. Friends may sign the family’s on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.

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Rodney (Rod) Hollenbeck

September 25, 1942 - November 8, 2024