Karl Hollingsworth

Karl Max Hollingsworth, age 59, departed from this life on January 1, 2020 and began his new life in heaven. Also known as ‘Mack’ or ‘Hollywood’ to many, to us he was Dad. He was the coolest person we will ever know. He met our mom, Karen, over 30 years ago, and was married to her for 23 years after he finally convinced her to say yes.
With a larger than life appearance and booming voice, when people first meet him, there often was a bit of hesitation due to his strong, intimidating build. But Dad was the sweetest, kindest man who always tried to get laughs from anyone in the room. Naturally funny, his laugh was so unique that you couldn’t help but laugh with him. He never met a stranger and taught us to view the world in the same way. He also had an interesting sense of style with clothing which could be courageous at times. Thankfully, he took our teasing well.
Years ago, our Dad was a big teddy bear type. His passion of boxing trimmed him down and kept him extremely fit for over a decade. But, for someone so active, he always had a pocketful of candy. Picking up candy wrappers was a way of life for us, but if you ever needed a sweet treat, he was the man.
Dad was a selfless mentor to many, lover of red meat, grill master, solid competition at any video game and an avid fisherman. He taught us how to fish as soon as we could hold the pole. The only fishing rule he had to follow from mom was, “…bring the kids back the same way you took them…”. Which he did most of the time. Flexible and very family focused, Dad was present and our biggest supporter at everything, attending sporting events, whether it was soccer, baseball of golf. Or just providing a listening ear when we needed it.
Our home was filled with laughter, even when Mom wanted him to be serious. Normally calm by nature, a meltdown would occur if Cam Newton wasn’t playing well or if a big fish on his line never made it to shore.
Our dad was a man of few words but could tell a lifetime of stories. We will miss him more than words can ever express. We are lucky that he fostered a close network of extended family, friends, and his brotherhood that goes back to his childhood as a legacy. We look forward to learning more about him through them. We are so thankful and blessed that he was our Dad for the time God permitted. Please continue to pray for our family as we move forward without him.
With love from his sons,
Aaren Maxwell Hollingsworth, Alexander Karlson Hollingsworth and Aiden Bryce Hollingsworth
In lieu of flowers, Karl’s final wish was for donations to assist with his medical expenses and support the future educational costs for his children. Contributions can be submitted at https://www.gofundme.com/f/karl039s-cancer-journey

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at Hudson Funeral Home Chapel. A visitation will be held one hour prior to service from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.