Hollis Irving Noel, avid collector

Hollis Irving Noel, 82, of Bridgeville passed away Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, at his home after a long illness.  He was born in New Brunswick, N.J., son of the late James and Gertrude (Boekhout) Noel.

A graduate of Newton High School, Newton, N.J., Hollis spent most of his working years as a mechanic and quality control manager in the auto industry, with over 30 years at Intercar Inc. in Newton. He has been retired since 1998.

Hollis moved from Stroudsburg, Pa., to Bridgeville in December 2005, and enjoyed gardening with his wife and building his outdoor railroad. He was an avid reader and collector of anything with wheels: planes, trains, tractors and cars. 

With a love of travel, Hollis and his wife Mary were very fortunate to complete their bucket list and travel to Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, Panama, Hawaii, Europe, along with sailing on many cruises and visiting most of the mainland United States over the years.

He was a member of Union United Methodist Church (choir), The Shoreline Garden Railroad Club and The Seaford Historical Society (docent).

Hollis is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Mary (Deiter) Noel; his son, James H. Noel and his wife Lisa of Bangor, Pa.; his daughters: Cheryl Noel of Georgetown and Christine Fusselman of Etters, Pa.; his granddaughters: Sydney Noel and Justina Noel; his grandsons:  C. Alexander and Benjamin Fusselman and James M. Noel; his great-granddaughters: Paige and Ashlynn; his sister, Virginia L. Knoll of Newburg, Pa.; and his many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m., at Union United Methodist Church, 2 North Laws St., Bridgeville, where friends may visit beginning at 1 p.m.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Hardesty Chapel, Bridgeville.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, masks must be worn and social distancing protocols must be observed by all participating in any aspect of the services.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Union United Methodist Church, 2 N. Laws St., Bridgeville, DE 19933, Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963, or the Parkinson’s Foundation of the National Capital Area, 8830 Cameron St., Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Please visit Hollis’ Life Memorial Webpage and sign his online guestbook at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com.