William George Hollars was born on February 22, 1941, in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, to his parents, Harvey Hollars and Lorine Rosie Krietler. After graduating from Valle High School in 1959, he attended Western State College in Colorado on a football scholarship before joining the United States Air Force in March of 1960. Though he enlisted with dreams of traveling the world and seeing great sights, the military instead stationed him close to home at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Without a car to get around, Bill spent his free time at the Joyland Skating Rink on SE 29th Street. It was there that he met Selma Pedersen, a meeting he famously recalls by saying, “I swept Selma right off her feet, literally.” The couple married on June 22, 1962, and have now shared 64 beautiful years of marriage.
The family grew with the birth of their daughter, Edee Ann Hollars in 1966, just two months before Bill joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in July 1966. Bill found his true calling as a Highway Patrolman, and upon his graduation, he was assigned to Elk City. In 1971, the family welcomed their son, Christopher William Hollars. That same year, Bill was promoted to Second Lieutenant, which brought assignments in Pawnee and Stillwater before he transferred back to Oklahoma City in 1973. While serving the state of Oklahoma, Bill dreamed of and helped establish the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Honor Guard, traveling across the United States to honor fallen law enforcement officers. In 1975, with the support of the Elks Association, he also founded the Cadet Lawmen Program. This week-long introduction to law enforcement history and patrol work for high school juniors remains a vital program today, celebrating 51 years of active operation.
Bill’s career continued to flourish with a promotion to First Lieutenant and District Commander of the Safety Education Division in 1980. He retired from active patrol duty in June 1986, but immediately transitioned into public service as a civilian, becoming the Assistant Director of the Accident Records Division the very next day. He rose to Director of the division in 1991, and in 1998, he was promoted to Director of the Transportation Department for the Highway Patrol. He officially retired from the Department of Public Safety in 2011. Alongside his distinguished law enforcement career, Bill also worked in private security. He started part-time with Dillard’s Department Store Security in 1975, helping to open multiple locations across Oklahoma. In 1980, he was promoted to oversee security for five regional stores—Midwest City, Quail Springs, Penn Square, Shepherd Mall, and Norman—a role he dedicated himself to until his retirement from Dillard’s in 1998.
Bill deeply loved his entire family both in Missouri and Oklahoma, cherishing a life filled with meaningful connections and shared adventures. He found great joy on countless camping trips with family and friends, and his passion for fishing led him to organize numerous excursions so others could share in that experience. Together with Selma, he traveled to several countries enjoying the beautiful world God created. A dedicated servant to his faith, Bill loved serving the Lord and was deeply honored to be a deacon. He and Selma were great hosts to many, feeding and hosting endless games of Spades, Hearts, and Rummikub—though his loved ones always knew that when Bill pulled out the vacuum sweeper, it was time to go home.
Bill wore many titles throughout his life as a son, brother, husband, son-in-law, brother-in-law, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and colleague, but most of all, he was a true friend to many. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harvey and Lorine; his siblings, Bob, Don, Charles, Ethel, Betty, Alice, Marilyn, and Peachie; and his cherished father- and mother-in-law, Bill and Nadine Pedersen. Bill’s legacy lives on through his surviving family: his wife, Selma; Edee, Dan, Emma, and Shephard; Christopher, Riley, and Mackenzie; and his great-grandchildren, Julian, Hazel, and Elliot.
To leave memorial donations in Bill’s name, please make payable to the Cadet Lawman fund. Memorials can be mailed to DPS Federal Credit Union, 3650 N. Martin Luther King, Oklahoma City, OK 73111