Dr. Holly Renee Staggs

Dr. Holly Renee Staggs was a rare and beautiful combination of human warmth and keen intellect—a gift to everyone fortunate enough to know her. Her presence made people feel instantly at ease, welcomed, and deeply valued. She was a friend to all, and those who knew her would say she had a remarkable ability to make others feel comfortable and loved.

Holly earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Memphis. She also earned multiple certificates for related fields, including Autism, reflecting her lifelong passion for learning and understanding others. She passed on her lifelong love of learning to her children and grandchildren, all of whom reflect her inquisitive thirst for knowledge. Even while she deftly navigated the winding road to her own doctorate, she chose to homeschool Aaron Gregory from the very beginning of his school career. At 14, he owes his excellent scholarship skills and enviable grades to her, and he continues her tradition of self-motivated learning, which will serve him well for life.

A devoted cultural explorer, Holly held a deep love for all things Scottish, and having traveled to Scotland numerous times, even went so far as to learn to read, write, and speak Scots Gaelic. Her dedication to Scottish culture was evident through her leadership within the Memphis Scottish Society, where she served as president for three years and vice president for three years. She also shared her global curiosity and insight as a presenter at the Lancaster Global Summer Series at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.

Beyond her academic and cultural pursuits, Holly was a certified herbalist and a gifted gardener. She lovingly designed and cultivated an elaborate English garden in her backyard—a peaceful, living reflection of her patience, creativity, and care for the natural world. Holly could grow anything, indoors or out. Her sunroom brimmed with plants she used as healthy food and medicines. She even took her research to her oncologist and argued successfully to implement her own regimen of teas, herbs, and salves in conjunction with treatments for her non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The oncologist was impressed enough to often schedule a team of physicians from other departments, pharmacists, and other medical professionals to be present for her consultations. She walked in with so much information; they often had to take notes and get back to her after they could confirm and verify her findings.

She began in the deep end, having first learned of her cancer when it was already stage four and critical. This was more than 15 years ago, but she refused to simply go home get her affairs in order, as she was initially advised. She tailored her entire lifestyle, changing diet, exercise, and living habits to outlive all of the patients treated by her doctors when she first learned of her illness. She even went so far as to eliminate the use of all chemicals in her home, choosing instead to hand craft everything from soaps, laundry detergents, shampoo and conditioners, to bug spray and anti-bacterial ointment, which healed better and faster than Neosporin. There was nothing from a store that Holly could not create a healthy, natural analog for.

Holly's enthusiasm for Christmas was legendary. Her home glowed with joy, featuring more than 15 Christmas trees each year. Every surface possible was reworked for Christmas, removing shelf items, wall artwork, and even furniture to replace all of those things and more with a set designer's dream of Santa's home. She delighted in traditions, making her signature fudges, cookies and a Yule log cake annually, and spending months preparing a perfectly marinated fruitcake especially for her dad. Creating a warm, festive, and welcoming holiday home brought her great joy, and that magical joy was felt by everyone who entered her realm.

While Holly had an insatiable passion for adventure and learning, her greatest love was her family. She was a devoted wife to her husband, Todd, a loving mother to Rickey and Lauren, and a proud grandmother to Aaron Gregory, Olivia, Jackson, and Joe. She also leaves behind her beloved parents, Ronald and Lynne Davis, her sisters, Hope Bragg and Haley Schmidt, and many nieces and nephews who adored her. Holly was preceded in death by her grandparents, Robert and Carolyn Clay and Clarence and Matilda Davis, along with her nephew Dalton Thurmon.

Holly will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all whose lives she touched. Her legacy of kindness, curiosity, generosity, and love will continue to live on in the hearts of those who received the gift of knowing her. Holly passed peacefully on January 5, 2026.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date in time. In lieu of flowers, and as an ongoing request, the family respectfully requests donations be made to Blood Cancer UK https://donate.bloodcancer.org.uk/ (formerly, BloodwiseUK). Holly greatly admired the work of this organization as they are world-renown for actually seeking cures for cancer as opposed to treating cancer symptoms. They fund world-class blood cancer research and offer crucial information and support to patients and their families.