Join AFIO Member Login
You are logged in as Logout DONATE
Allan Lavert Hollis, 88, of McLean, Virginia, passed away peacefully on August 27, 2025.
Allan was born on August 8, 1937, in Odessa, Texas, to Jimmy and Letha Hollis. He spent his early years as an “oil gypsy,” moving throughout West Texas and New Mexico, working on oil rigs to support his father’s oil business in the Permian Basin. Allan graduated from high school in Lovington, New Mexico, in 1955 and studied Chemical Engineering at both Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene and Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He interrupted his studies to proudly serve in the U.S. Army's 102nd Army Security Detachment, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, including a deployment to Berlin during the tense confrontation with Soviet troops prior to the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961. Following his military service, he studied International Economics at Heidelberg University and later completed his bachelor's degree in International Relations at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Choosing to see the world and serve his country, Allan pursued a career with the United States Government rather than succeed his father in the family oil business.
Allan joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and served in a number of international assignments, including Africa, South America, and Europe. He traveled frequently on temporary duty to the Soviet Union, Central Europe, Africa, and South America, ultimately visiting more than 140 countries during his lifetime. After retiring from the CIA in 1989, Allan combined his deep knowledge of the Soviet Union with his family roots in the oil industry to lead private oil exploration projects in Raduzhny, Siberia; Baku, Azerbaijan; and Lviv, Ukraine, before retiring to Northern Virginia in the early 2000s.
Allan had a lifelong passion for fishing. His favorite pastime, aside from learning new languages to add to the seven he spoke fluently, was donning a pair of waders and casting a line into the streams of the Shenandoah River. A dedicated member and volunteer for Trout Unlimited, Allan helped teachers set up and maintain trout aquariums, feed fish, and educate students about aquatic life and water quality.
Allan also championed civil rights throughout his life, standing up for social justice and equality in both quiet and public ways. From participating in marches in Washington, D.C., to teaching his children and grandchildren the value of diverse perspectives, he lived his belief that equality must be both celebrated and defended.