Community Champion

Longtime banker and community volunteer remembered as ‘cheerleader’ for city

BY: Sharla Bardin

A class act, esteemed colleague, kind and considerate friend, a champion for the community. These are some of the many qualities that friends and colleagues said they will celebrate and cherish about the late Charles Hollingsworth, a longtime banker and community leader in Norman who died Oct. 1 at the age of 82.

Friends said Hollingsworth had a heart for helping others, compassion for co-workers and customers and a desire to see the community thrive.

“There was never a better cheerleader for Norman than Charles,” said Scott Martin, a friend and the president and chief executive officer of the Norman Chamber of Commerce.

Martin said Hollingsworth “invested his time and heart” into helping Norman succeed, through his profession and involvement in community organizations. Hollingsworth’s longtime career in banking included working with Security National Bank, Arvest Bank and 1NB Financial Center.

Jason Casey remembers the graciousness and guidance that Hollingsworth offered when he began working at 1NB. Casey, now a senior vice president, said Hollingsworth was always ready with an encouraging word and enjoyed celebrating “important things in your life” be it a birthday or accomplishing goals at work. He was impressed with Hollingsworth’s work ethic and his camaraderie with colleagues and customers.

“He took great pride in his work and it showed by his professionalism and the way that he approached conversations and meetings and just the way that he made everybody feel so comfortable,” he said.

Hollingsworth also had “a fantastic sense of humor,” said Vicki Anderson, vice president at 1NB and a longtime friend and neighbor of Hollingsworth. “We had some really, really good laughs.”

She described Hollingsworth as “the true definition of a gentleman,” always well dressed so much so that she referred to him as “Mr. GQ.” He was thoughtful and loved to give gifts to friends, such as tomatoes from his garden or souvenirs from a vacation.

Hollingsworth also was quick with a thank you note and cards to encourage friends. Anderson said he had a servant’s heart and was always thinking about others and how he could give back.

One example of Hollingsworth’s desire to help people was in his dedication to the Christmas Store of Cleveland County. Hollingsworth oversaw operations and volunteered with the store for more than 30 years.

The Christmas Store is a nonprofit run by volunteers that offers shopping opportunities for families with low incomes to select gifts and food for Christmas.

Justin Davis, executive director of the store, remembers Hollingsworth’s enthusiasm about the work and mission of the store.

“He loved that we were able to give back to people in need,” he shared. “His joy spread to all of us.”

The two became close friends and they kept in touch. Davis said he spoke with Hollingsworth in recent months and Hollingsworth was happy to hear that the store would still be able to help families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hollingsworth’s compassion for others is one of the qualities that Martin said he’ll certainly remember.

“He was one of the kindest, most encouraging and welcoming people you could ever know,” Martin said.

The two got to know one another through Martin’s work with the City of Norman and later through the Norman Chamber of Commerce. Martin said he appreciated Hollingsworth’s thoughtfulness and attentiveness.

“He was always so interested in you as an individual,” he said.

Martin remembers how Hollingsworth would call him regularly to see how he was doing and ask about his family.

“He was so gracious with his compliments and such an encourager. He wanted everybody in the community to succeed together,” Martin said. – BSM