General:

Born in Rochester, New York on November 1^st, 1951.

My Parents are D. Gordon Hollinger of San Angelo, Texas and Luella May Hollinger of Canandaigua, New York.  My grandparents were Edward Bates Hollinger (1848 - 1931); Pauline Dixon Hollinger (1875 - 1976); and my mother's parents - Helmut (1898 - 1968) and Marie (1900 - 1958).

My Father retired from Eastman Kodak where he worked after WWII and Korea. My mother, after raising us and being a somewhat consistent officer of the local PTA, retired from Xerox where she was an executive secretary.

The family lived together in Pittsford, New York from 1961. After all of the children left for college and careers, my parents lived there together until my mother's death on August 3rd, 1997. My father lives in the Episcopal Home in Rochester.

My sister, Paula Marie Hollinger, was an Audit Principal for the North American Regional Audit team for the Xerox Corporation in Webster, New York.  She has since retired and currently resides in Pittsford, NY.

Her twin, my brother, Peter Helmuth Hollinger was a physician (Johns Hopkins & Mount Sinai) who died of AIDs in August of 1987.

The only "modern" picture of the three "kids" together at Paula's graduation from Mary Washington University in 1977

My relationship with Lauren,my wife, is the foundation of my life. Some of our life together is chronicled here

Outside of my family and career ... Bicycling and Road Bicycle Racing is my primary passion. Take this link for more insight into my hobby.

The newest novel - a suspense novel about love and bicycle racing.

Youth and speed fading, Zach's pregnant wife demands attention, while her lover despises him, and knows of a lonely road to leave him dead on.

Writing has always been a passion. My first novel, Lex, was published in April, 2002.  My second novel, Hangin' On, was published in December of 2002. I also write articles for The Racing Post. Take this link to find out more.

Education:

Pittsford Central High School, Pittsford, NY - 1969

Washington and Lee University, Lexington VA - 1973 - BA (Major in European History).  This is a picture of me during my Junior year.  My family visited for Parent's weekend in 1969 (my Freshman year) and we took our Christmas Card photo.  Here is the card.

Emory University, Atlanta, GA - 1976 - MA
(Major concentration in British Military History of the early 18th Century)

Numerous continuing education and training seminars and classes through my employers. Perhaps the most important was a certification to teach the Harvard Negotiation Process "Getting to Yes". Through this technique, one negotiates from a mutual perception of profit to a "win ~ win" settlement.

Heroes & Monuments:

Perhaps the most unique influence in my life is my choice of heroes. Since my childhood, these people, among others, have been models and guides in my effort to live my life. It is not always the most obvious or well known characteristic of these people that have inspired me, but some part of their lives, as I know them, have moved me toward what I consider a "better" state. More about Heroes, here.

But, there are heroes that have been lost to history or are too numerous to name. Most often they are "normal" or "everyday" people whose duty or simply time and place of life placed them in a heroic destiny. On each trip I take or place I visit, I try to take some time to remember those who have gone before and changed our world. Perhaps it is my interest in things military that makes me revere soldiers the most, but it to them that my thoughts continually return. There are two wars, our own Civil War and the First World War, that seem to symbolize the selfless sacrifice that soldiers make to their society, their world and to History, itself. I have included a couple of special pictures here to help you understand. For these pictures, please follow this link.

Passions:

These are aspects of my life that drive it forward and occupy my time. Like the old NCR advertisement ~ "I eat, drink and dream this stuff."

Interests are:

Inspirations:

These are things that inspire me to become more than I am. Less specific than heroes ... these are the people, ideas and philosophies that help me in my continual evolution:

Willy:

Its hard to remember when "Willy"  (fully named Wilhelm Von Hollenzollern Hollinger) came into our lives.  The family had just moved to Pittsford Village, so it must have been 1965 and we were without a dog.  Somehow or another we acquired a stray, gaunt one year old German Shepard whom we named "Willy."    He was active - tracking squirrels for hours as they moved about the neighborhood's giant elm and maple trees - and was, of course, very smart.  He knew he wasn't supposed to be in the dining room or the living room ~ when the family had been in either of these two rooms too long, he would lie down with only his tail in the room and subtly slide backwards to join us.  Even after he "slowed down" (principally because of his ability to jump over fences to meet female companions yet not having the motivation to jump back out  to escape and therefore being "jailed" by the Pittsford Village Constable one too many times ~~~ which motivated a certain operation!) he would range throughout the neighborhood.  He was favorite with all of my customers along my paper route during my high school years.  He was a dog of "Great Personality and Great Thoughts."  There were many adventures.  "Willy" was my great companion until 1979 or 1980 when we, after perhaps too long a hesitation, put him to rest.  Of all the dogs in my life, Willy was the best.

Other pages of interest are: 

 ©2002-7  A.G. Hollinger  All rights reserved.