Early Friday morning, late Sampson County lawyer Ross Holland was honored with the unveiling of a portrait that will soon hang alongside his father’s in the Sampson County Courthouse.
The ceremony was a bittersweet occasion as friends, family and coworkers of Holland, who passed away in 2022, gathered together to share their fondest memories of the longtime lawyer. Labeled “a true southern gentleman” by those who knew him, Holland is often remembered by offering grace and kindness in what can often be a brutal and unforgiving line of work.
Holland and his law partner Sandy Sanderson met at the Coharie Golf Course when Sanderson was in high school and Holland was a young lawyer following in his father’s footsteps. According to Sanderson, the way in which Holland treated him upon their first meeting was something that he never forgot.
“In retrospect, the thing that really stays with me about my first meeting with Ross is the respect he showed me,” said Sanderson. “As a know-nothing high schooler, he treated me the same way that he did 10 years later when I was working at the firm.”
Sanderson and Holland, along with Holland’s father Maurice and attorney Billy Poole worked at Holland, Poole, Holland & Sanderson, P.A. The firm was founded by Holland’s father in 1948. Later in 1965, Poole joined the firm and was later followed by Holland in 1981, and Sanderson in 1992. Each of the namesake partners worked at the firm for the duration of their careers. Today, Sanderson remains the only surviving member of the group with Maurice’s passing in 1996, Poole’s in 2021 and Holland’s in 2022. Today, a portrait of Maurice hangs in the Sampson County Courthouse, an achievement that is now shared with his son.
“Ross loved this courtroom,” said Sanderson. “He loved the fact that his dad was on this wall. He told me that having his dad on the wall was like a reminder that ‘Maurice was looking over my shoulder.’ It was not only a reminder to him, he was facing his dad every day. He absolutely loved his dad.”
The painting had been requested by several friends and family members of Holland’s and was painted by North Carolina artist Irene Bailey. Bailey specializes in oil portraits and other artworks that can be seen in many courtrooms and other places throughout the state. Currently, 19 of her portraits can be found on East Carolina University’s campus.
“I’m very moved by the love that I feel everyone had for Ross,” said Bailey. “It’s been a privilege to be able to do this and hopefully bring out what everybody is feeling for him. He must have been a very nice and well-respected man. I feel very honored to have been able to paint his portrait.”
As the painting was revealed, many attendees of the ceremony who knew Holland remarked that it “looks just like him.” The portrait of Holland now resides in the Sampson County Courthouse alongside that of his father, forever preserving the legacy of two renowned Sampson County lawyers.