John Hollender

John William Hollender Jr., aged 88, passed away on January 16, 2026, in Atlanta, GA surrounded by his family. Born on November 16, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois to John William Hollender Sr. and Marie Kenbeek Hollender, he was the youngest of four. John was a cherished figure in both his family and community.

John was a graduate of Chicago Christian High School, class of 1955, and furthered his education at Illinois Tech and the University of Iowa, where he received his PhD in clinical psychology. The day after graduating from Illinois Tech with his Bachelor's degree, John and Nelda Kingma were married in the Third Christian Reformed Church of Roseland on June 6th, 1959. John then served in the US Navy for four years as a supply corps officer before becoming a lieutenant. His academic journey paved the way for a teaching career at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was a Psychology Department faculty member for 14 years. Following his tenure at Emory, John opened a private practice, dedicating his work to helping people navigate the difficult times in their lives. During his retirement, John was a consultant for years at the Disability Adjudication Section of Georgia Social Services and developed long lasting friendships. He was also a president of the Georgia Psychological Association.

John was instrumental in developing the neighborhood recreation center and pool in Drayton Woods, Tucker, where he also served as the first president. An avid participant in community vegetable gardens, multiple book clubs, poker groups, the church volleyball and softball teams, John also cherished time spent on the water. He and his family enjoyed many days boating on Lake Lanier, entertaining others at their condo on Hilton Head Island SC, and spending summer days at the beach in the ocean or in the pool with his grandkids.

John was a dedicated member and elder of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church for 59 years, further developing his relationship with God. Singing bass with the choir was a joy. For seven years he and Nelda made an annual trip to New Orleans to help restore family homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. He also was a founder of the Initiative for Affordable Housing and his one dollar bill purchased the first house from HUD (Housing and Urban Development). His commitment extended beyond local communities as he participated in mission trips to Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Cuba with Nelda. Beyond serving his global communities, he also loved traveling with his family. Throughout his life, John visited all 50 states and 36 countries with his family, the farthest being New Zealand. While teaching at Emory, John took his family with him on his sabbatical in New Zealand, where they spent 5 months living and working in Auckland, as well as touring the country.

John's grandchildren gave him so much happiness. He and Nelda enjoyed spending quality time with them, even taking each of them on a single "grandchild trip" of their choice anywhere in the world. This took them to Italy, the Netherlands, Grand Cayman Island, Hawaii, and Iceland. John, Nelda, and their grandchildren cherished this time immensely.

He is survived by his loving wife and partner of 66 years, Nelda; sons, Michael (Ruby Karamali) and Kenneth (Elizabeth De Armond); and grandchildren, Jasmine, Charles, Kathleen (Katie), Meredith (Michael), and Drew (Abby). John was preceded in death by his parents, Marie Kenbeek Hollender and John William Hollender Sr., his brothers Jim and Frank Hollender and sister, Phyllis De Jong.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, January 30th at 2pm at North Decatur Presbyterian Church, 611 Medlock Rd, Decatur, GA 30033. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Atlanta Food Bank or North Decatur Presbyterian Church.

John led an interesting and fulfilling life, for which he was grateful. He was known for his wisdom, kindness, and compassion. He was a good man and very much loved.