Frank David Holly, Jr.

Over his 28 years in the U.S. Army, Frank D. Holly, Jr. served in a variety of posts in the United States ¬(Atlanta, Fort Hood, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Chicago) as well as in Vietnam, Germany and Saudi Arabia, primarily as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His last military assignment was as Deputy Division Engineer for the North Central Division of the Corps in Chicago, where he directed the activities of five district offices developing federal civil works projects throughout the Great Lakes region and the Upper Mississippi River Valley watershed. He retired from active service at the grade of Colonel in 1986. Military decorations and citations include: the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Overseas Service Medal and the Inspector General Cross, among others.

In 1989, he was named Deputy Commissioner of Facilities at the Department of Aviation at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, where he was responsible for managing maintenance and repair of airport facilities, including runways/taxiways, roads, parking structures and passenger terminals. He supervised a workforce of more than 300 technicians, engineers, tradesmen and laborers and managed related construction, repair and service contracts worth more than $30 million annually.

In 1992, Holly was appointed Manager of the Engineering Division of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) in Alexandria, Va., where he was responsible for the planning, design and construction aspects of the multi-billion program to renovate and expand both Washington National Airport (DCA) and Washington Dulles International Airport (Dulles). During Holly’s 20 plus-year career at MWAA, these improvements included new terminals (B and C), a new air traffic control tower and new parking structures at DCA and the expansion and construction of multiple facilities and related infrastructure at Dulles, including the underground AeroTrain system. In addition to his work at two major airports, Holly also oversaw construction of the $6 billion Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, which expanded regional Metrorail transit to Washington Dulles International Airport. He retired from MWAA in 2014.

Holly was preceded in death by his parents, the Rev. Dr. Frank D. Holly, Sr. and Annie Holly, and his sister Alice Holly Scott. Survivors include his wife, Betty Holly, stepdaughter Pamela Upsher, his brother Dr. John Holly (Jacqueline), three nephews (Christopher Scott, Dr. Langston Holly and Martin Holly) and a niece (Alison Scott-Williams).

“Frank’s background in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport equipped him well to handle a multi-billion-dollar program (and Washington National Airport). As more and more of the program moved from planning, through design and then into construction, Frank kept making timely decisions and the right adjustments to keep it flowing. He had many strengths, none greater or more important that recognizing the importance of cost control and schedule discipline. Frank also excelled at recognizing the pitfalls inherent in running such a construction program at active airports, and the need to work closely with the operating people at the airports. He was open and accommodating, but intent on keeping things moving.”

¬¬– “A History of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and of its Two Airports, National and Dulles” (2006) by James A. Wilding, Retired President and CEO, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority