Dr. E. Hollis Mentzer, 89, of Hearthstone Retirement Home, died on May 6, 2025. Born in Waynesboro, PA, July 26,1935, he was the son of Hollis J. and Louise Hockenberry Mentzer. Hollis was preceded in death by his sister, Corinne Crumbacker, special friend Gene Cooley and close friend Don Weller. He wishes to acknowledge them as well as his sister, Loretta Rosenberger, and Peggy Weller for their friendship, love and support.
After graduating from Waynesboro-Mont Alto Joint High School in 1953, he served four years in the U.S. Navy, working as a Hospital Corpsman. He then pursued studies at Franklin and Marshall College, receiving a B. A. in English, followed by a M. A. in English and a PhD in Philosophy, both from the University of Washington, Seattle. He traveled in Europe and Asia where he did field research, spending 18 months doing a psychological study of a Thai peasant village in Lopburi, Thailand. He also did research on delusional behavior in Bangkok hospitals. He continued this research when he moved to Birmingham, AL where he taught at the University of Alabama Medical School in psychiatry, public health and Epidemiology. He later taught at the University of South Carolina, Spartanburg, SC.
He returned to Waynesboro in 1999 to retire and to pursue more fully his art. He was an adjunct faculty member, teaching Anthropology at Penn State Mont Alto, where he was awarded the student nominated Martha Fisher Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2014.
Hollis was an accomplished artist. He was a potter for 20 years. Gardens held a special place in his heart. He studied Japanese brush painting and the aesthetic principles of Japanese gardens and Zen art. This passion and knowledge led to his creating several Japanese gardens. He explored Asian and Western techniques of paper making and then began printing plant specimens. He considered his art a form of meditation. Throughout his life, Hollis was committed to Zen Buddhism, a practice which gave him a sense of fulfillment and peace. He was a docent for Destination Art and a member of the 42 West Art Co-op where he displayed and sold his art.
Hollis volunteered with Friends of the Library. He enjoyed classical music, reading and gardening. He had a quick wit and will be remembered for his genuine, calm, accepting, gentle, patient and kind nature.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alexander Free Library, 45 East Main St. or Hearthstone Retirement Center, 102 S. Potomac St., both of Waynesboro. It was Hollis’s wish that there be no service.
Grove-Bowersox Funeral Home, Waynesboro, is assisting with arrangements.
