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OBITUARY

Cleo Holladay Partington

May 28, 1932 – August 10, 2025
Obituary of Cleo Holladay Partington
CLEO HOLLADAY PARTINGTON

Actress, Director, Author and Artist

Born to Cleo Call Holladay and John Copeland Holladay of Suffolk Virginia

on 28 May 1932, passed away at home in Apalachicola Florida

on Sunday 10 August 2025 at the age of 93.

Cleo is preceded in death by her husband of over 52 years, Rexford Partington,

her first born grandchild Susan Ruth Partington,

both her parents and her sister Catherine.

She is survived by her son Tony Partington (Kristi),

her daughter Dixie Partington, Cleo#5 (Jerry Hall),

her grandson CR Partington (Emily)

and her sister Betty Ann Holladay.

Cleo

She could command a stage - tell a joke - create a beautiful painting -

enjoy multitudes of friends - light up a room - host an afternoon of bridge and

tantalizing conversation - cook... when absolutely necessary - cherish every moment

with her husband - be best friends with her children - love her grandchildren more

than she ever could have imagined - make us laugh - make an entrance.

Cleo was a democrat.

Cleo was a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association union and worked

as a professional actress since 1952…in that year, Cleo won the coveted

Virginia Drama Award presented by the Barter Theatre to college theatre majors.

Miss Mary Martin chose Cleo Holladay as the winner of the 1955 Barter Theatre

National Award. To this day, Miss Holladay remains the only performer ever to have won

both awards. She appeared on Broadway in Lunatics and Lovers, in the original disaster

film Airport, in Granada TV’s acclaimed Brideshead Revisited and in regional Theatres

from Minnesota to Florida. Miss Holladay acted in numerous productions in Regional

Theatre beginning with the Barter Theatre in Abingdon Virginia, Memphis Arena Theatre

in Tennessee, the Old Log Theater in Excelsior Minnesota (where she was crowned the

Queen of the Old Log), Heartland Productions in Southwest Minnesota and The

Cleveland Playhouse in Ohio. Cleo returned to the Barter Theatre in the early 70’s while

continuing to perform at the Old Log. In 1993 Cleo moved to Apalachicola with

Rex & Dixie and Co-Founded the re-opening of the Dixie Theatre in 1998 where she

acted and directed in countless productions, including the title role in

the Dixie’s 2014 production of Mrs. Mannerly, her very favorite character.

After publishing her first booklet The ABC’s of Theatre Etiquette,

Cleo was working on The ABC’s of AMD.

Cleo was happy to be a 93 year old teenager.

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