Services Set for Longtime Lobbyist Hollahan

September 10, 2018

NSF Staff

A funeral service is scheduled Wednesday in Bristol for Richard “Dick” Hollahan, who lobbied in the Capitol for decades before retiring in 2010. Hollahan, 86, died Friday in Tallahassee after a lengthy illness, according to an obituary posted on the Bevis Funeral Home website. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Rock Bluff Assembly of God Church in Bristol. A Jacksonville native, Hollahan worked early in his career for Secretary of State Tom Adams and then became an assistant to House Speaker Fred Schultz, according to the obituary. Hollahan later lobbied for numerous clients. A 2009 story by the Tallahassee television station WCTV pointed to Hollahan’s longevity. "I haven't missed a day of regular session in 48 years for health reasons. I've never been called by a grand jury, and Willie Meggs still talks to me in public," Hollahan was quoted as saying, referring to then-State Attorney Willie Meggs. The WCTV story also referred to Hollahan’s penchant for telling jokes. "I try to bring a little good cheer, you see,” Hollahan was quoted as saying. “How many people do you see walking down these halls and say if this bill doesn't pass this afternoon, the whole world will come to a screeching halt. I'm sorry, I don't get that excited anymore."