LDS WWII Vet and Rangers fan throws out ceremonial first pitch

Chester Hollingsworth, a 99-year-old WWII veteran and resident of Colleyville, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Texas Rangers game last Tuesday evening.

As a young man, Mr. Hollingsworth joined the Navy one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, in December 1941. He served his country faithfully and says now, “I was just glad that after being in the service in the South Pacific, that I came out alive, unscratched.” He returned home to enjoy a long and successful career in the carpet and flooring business here in the Dallas area. Even now, two days a week, he still goes to work at the S&H Distributing showroom in Dallas, checking to make sure that everything is ship shape.

Hollingsworth is a life-long Texas Rangers fan and has been a season ticket holder since the ballpark opened in Arlington in 1994. Speaking of his love of baseball, he says, “I played baseball growing up in Jacobia, in East Texas. It was a big deal for us boys out there on the cotton farms. I played on the school teams, from grade school through high school—usually left field.”

This isn’t the first time he has been honored at a Rangers game, but it was his first time on the mound. He brought his own baseball mitt and despite a few reservations about the ball making it to the catcher’s glove, he was pretty confident he could handle the pressure of the moment. He was also humbled by the experience. “I just loved the honor of throwing out the first pitch. That was great. It was really something being recognized. People even came up to me outside the stadium and thanked me for my service.”

Mr. Hollingsworth is member of the Colleyville Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As for his secret to longevity, Chester lives a clean lifestyle. He avoids alcohol and smoking and stays youthful by working and spending time with his family. He also has one more trick up his sleeve: a chocolate donut for breakfast every so often.