Hollis Phillip Posey

Hollis Phillip Posey was born on December 1, 1944, in Santa Barbara, California, and raised in Brookhaven, Mississippi. He endured many childhood challenges, including the loss of his mother at age 4 and his father at age 19. He persevered, working his way through the Mississippi State University School of Engineering as a first-generation college student, and receiving both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in electrical engineering. However, he would say that his greatest accomplishment in college was meeting the love of his life, Cay, marrying in 1968. In 1969, Hollis and Cay moved to North Carolina to begin a new life and family, and Hollis began his career at IBM. Hollis contributed to developing technologies that we now take for granted, including IBM’s first ATM and the UPC barcode. After holding multiple technical, managerial, and executive positions, Hollis retired in 2006 as an IBM Distinguished Engineer and Chief Technical Officer of the Retail Store Solutions division. Though he had a lengthy and distinguished career, Hollis’s highest priority was always providing for his family; he sacrificed several professional opportunities to ensure that his wife and children had the secure and stable home that he did not. Hollis served his church for decades by volunteering in lay leadership roles, teaching adult and youth Sunday School classes, leading Bible Study Fellowship groups, and participating in Walk to Emmaus retreats. He served the community as a youth soccer coach for over a decade, and in later years volunteered in the Color Guard of the North Carolina Society of the Sons of the Revolution. He was always ready to teach or advise young people as requested. Hollis passed away on December 14, 2023, at age 79, after a long and fiercely-fought battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Cay; his sister, Charmaine, and his brother, Michael; his three children, Celeste, Bari, and Jay, and their spouses; one former son-in-law; ten grandchildren, one granddaughter-in-law, two bonus grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He was blessed to hold his great-granddaughter just a few short weeks before his death. He also leaves behind beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins, and a host of colleagues, neighbors, and other dear friends. We honor the legacy Hollis leaves as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, mentor, teacher, and friend. The world is a better place for the life that he lived. Memorial donations may be sent to the Cary Alliance Church Missons Fund (4108 Ten Ten Rd, Apex, NC 27539) or to support the Hollis Phillip Posey/James Rye Barton Endowed Scholarship to provide tuition support to future first-generation students in the College of Engineering at Mississippi State University ( https://dda.msstate.edu/give-now?f=502732).

Hollis Phillip Posey

December 1, 1944 - December 14, 2023