Mary Louise Akert Hollowell

1930 - 2020

Mary Louise Akert Hollowell, 89, died March 30, 2020, surrounded by family at home in Portsmouth, Virginia. Mary Lou was born and reared in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. Her parents, Isabelle Burns and Arnold H. Akert, arrived in this remote mining town by train, canoe, and portage from Alaska, where both had relocated in the 1920s, she as a registered nurse from New York City, he as a mining engineer from Salt Lake City. Mary Lou had fond lifelong memories of her Canadian childhood, which included snowshoeing, ice fishing, dog sled racing, and ice skating (at which she became proficient, winning several awards), among other winter activities. She was delighted to return to Flin Flon for a final visit with family and friends in July 2019.

After high school graduation, Mary Lou traveled by train to New York City to attend and graduate from the Roosevelt Hospital School of Nursing, her mother's alma mater. While at Roosevelt, she met her future husband, John W. Hollowell, MD, chief urology resident. Following their marriage at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Chelsea (NYC), Jack and Mary Lou returned to Jack's hometown of Portsmouth, where he established a urology practice.

Mary Lou's life was one of quiet and unassuming service - to her husband and children, friends, community, and God. She found meaning and quiet joy for more than 60 years in her devotion to the altar guilds of St. Christopher's and Trinity Episcopal Churches in Portsmouth. Across those years, some of which were spent as chair, she trained many altar guild members in the reverential care of altar vestments, linens, and vessels. As a Portsmouth General Hospital Auxiliary member, she served for three decades as a weekly volunteer in various capacities before the hospital's 1999 closing. She was also a member of the Portsmouth Students Club.

In addition to these activities, over the years Mary Lou knitted caps for preemies and newborns at Portsmouth General Hospital, and slippers and socks for the gift baskets she assembled for families in need at the holidays. She also took in many abandoned, abused, and neglected dogs and cats, whom she nursed back to health and for whom she subsequently provided a loving home across their lifetimes and hers. She was known for her thoughtful thank you, sympathy, and other notes, which she drafted and revised by hand before carefully transcribing onto cards and stationery in her meticulous penmanship.

Mary Lou is survived by four children: Heather Hollowell (Portsmouth), Mary Louise Shelton and husband Curtis Lee Shelton (Cary, NC), Lesley Hollowell and husband E. Stanley Murphy (Hartfield, VA), and John W. Hollowell, Jr. and wife Cynthia East (Lancaster, VA); four grandchildren: Sarah Tucker Hollowell, Emma East Hollowell, John Curtis Martin Shelton, and Mary Caroline Annunziata; and her dog Chloe and cat Lilah. She was predeceased by her husband Jack; her parents Isabelle (Bella) Burns and Arnold (Arnie) H. Akert; and brothers John Arnold Akert of Flin Flon and Penticton, British Columbia; and Norman Akert of Flin Flon.

The family would like to thank neighbors Valerie Adair and Jeffrey L. Riblet, and Marsha and Mike Fink, who looked in regularly on Mary Lou, providing meals, advice, and friendship across many years.

A Eucharistic Celebration in thanksgiving for Mary Lou's life will be scheduled at a later date at Trinity Episcopal Church Portsmouth. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Trinity (500 Court Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704) or the Portsmouth Humane Society (4022 Seaboard Court, Portsmouth, VA 23701). Condolences may be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com.