Clarie Beall Hollenbeck

Dr. Clarie Beall Hollenbeck died on Thursday, February 26 in the early evening, surrounded by people who loved him. Clarie lived a rich life to the very end, even during the last 5 years when Progressive Dementia dimmed his bright and beautiful mind.

Clarie was born to John and Rose Hollenbeck in South San Francisco on April 18, 1947, the third of eight children. It was noted early that Clarie had an intellect that needed to be nurtured and encouraged, and that quality was apparent throughout his life. Anything that sparked his interest became another course of study, be it bread baking, beekeeping, Shakespearian plays and history, bird watching, banjo building and playing, environmental education, soccer refereeing, photography, dirt bike racing, or nutrition and biochemistry research and teaching - to name a few!

As a young man, Clarie was quite an athlete, earning awards as a high school football player and track star. He attended College of San Mateo and enjoyed many adventures both in and out of school. After achieving a BS in Cultural Geography at Hayward State University, Clarie attended Oregon State University and earned his PhD in Nutrition and Biochemistry. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University and continued as a Research Scientist. During his graduate work at OSU, the Oregon Health Science University, and time at Stanford, Clarie published an incredible number of peer-reviewed journal articles, advancing the knowledge of nutrition and various metabolic diseases. After 15 years of Clinical Research, Clarie switched careers and became a tenured professor at San Jose State University, sharing his enthusiasm and knowledge with students and colleagues alike. Clarie was very proud of his graduate students who, under his guidance, published many journal articles based on the Master’s Thesis work they completed.

Clarie is survived by Tamra, his wife of 47 years, his children Piper (Billy), Kelsy (Kenny), North (Stephanie), and Ky, his grandchildren Aurora, Kenny, Kaileigh, Luna, Knox, Elara, Kieran, and Ronan, and siblings Kitty, Ross, Rose, and Mary. He was loved and respected by his extended family who surrounded all of us during Clarie’s illness and continue to provide support and encouragement. We are particularly grateful to Kerrilynn, Jarod, and Bonne for their devotion and love as Clarie’s caregivers this past year.

Clarie was a wonderful son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, scientist, and teacher. He will be remembered as a strong, brilliant, curious man who loved his family deeply and always taught those in his life to challenge themselves and think critically. We will miss him. At his request, a Celebration of Life will be held in early April at our family home. In lieu of flowers, please honor Clarie’s memory by donating to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the University of Portland Women’s Soccer Program, or the Alzheimer’s Association. Thank you for being a part of Clarie’s “Village.”