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Stewart “Stu” Donald Hollenbaugh of Prague, Oklahoma, left this life surrounded in love by his devoted wife, his brother-in-law, and the compassionate nurses at Integris Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City, and entered into the arms of Jesus on January 21, 2022. He was 62 years old. Stu was born on November 17, 1959 in Baltimore County, Maryland. He was the son of Garold Donald and Betty Lou (Royer) Hollenbaugh. Stu was raised in Reisterstown, Maryland and was a 1979 graduate of Franklin Senior High School.
Stu relocated to Oklahoma in February of 2000, after meeting the love of his life, Carla Thompson. The two were married on July 27, 2001. Carla and Stu were soulmates and he loved her with everything he had. The two were happily married until his death. Stu was a loving family man. His family was the most important thing in his life. Stu had one son, John Garold Hollenbaugh from a previous marriage, and gained two “bonus” children, Kelsey Hart and Beau Hart. Stu was a kind and devoted father figure to them, and loved them as his own.
Stu was a master certified mechanic and was known for his hard work and skill in the automotive industry. He was certified with Mazda, Ford, and Chevrolet and worked in dealerships in Maryland and Oklahoma. Following his retirement, Stu and Carla fulfilled their dream of being full-time RV'ers. They left their home in Shawnee, Oklahoma to spend time together traveling in their RV and volunteering as “workcampers" for the USDA Forestry Service in Arkansas and a privately-owned RV park in Texarkana, Texas. Stu thoroughly enjoyed taking care of the campgrounds. One of his favorite pastimes was mowing and performing trail maintenance in and around the campgrounds of state parks and recreation areas. He and Carla volunteered for the Oklahoma State Parks Department and spent many summers camp hosting at Little Axe Campground at Lake Thunderbird. They experienced incredible adventures together, and they met many wonderful people and built lasting friendships wherever they traveled. Stu often referred to these years spent with Carla as the best years of his life.
Stu and Carla left their “RV” retirement behind to take on adopting and raising their two young grandchildren, Jack and Max. The family settled back into their new home in Prague to be near Carla's family and their closest friends. The move back to Prague was a blessing for them all. They joined the family of Faith Bible Church and immediately gained a loving church family.
Stu was a gentle giant with the heart of a warrior. He valiantly fought heart disease and end-stage heart failure for many years. In April 2018, after years of struggling with heart failure from major heart attacks, Stu was given the gift of more time with his family when he received a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) at Integris Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City. He was only the 399th LVAD implant recipient in this region at that time, and he and his family were blessed with several more years with their beloved Stu. Stu’s family would like to offer a special thank you to “his angels” with the LVAD team, the nurses on 8 East at Integris Baptist Hospital, and especially to Rickie Farar, RN, who was there from beginning to end of his LVAD journey. The family would also like to express their sincerest appreciation for the nurses and lab techs at Prague Regional Memorial Hospital who worked so closely with Stu’s LVAD team and cardiologists.
Stu was preceded in death by his father, Garold Donald Hollenbaugh and one brother, Barry Gene Hollenbaugh.
Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 20 years, Carla Hollenbaugh of the home; his son John “Gary" Garold Hollenbaugh and daughter-in-law Samantha, and granddaughters Alyssa and Kasey Hollenbaugh of Reisterstown, Maryland; his children by marriage, Kelsey Hart of Oklahoma City and Beau Hart of Prague; his children by adoption, Jack Hart and Max Hart of the home; granddaughter, Alora Hart; his mother, Betty Lou Hollenbaugh of Reisterstown, Maryland; his sister, Diana “Dee” Cooper and her husband, Jerry of Reisterstown, Maryland; his mother and father-in-law, Mary and Charles Dostal of Prague; brother-in-law, Jason Thompson of Midwest City, and a host of nieces, nephews, extended family and dear friends.
A memorial service will be held 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, February 5, 2022 at Faith Bible Church, 1409 E. Main St., Prague, OK with Pastor Scott Smith officiating.
Services are under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Service of Prague. An online guestbook is available at www.parksbrothers.net.
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