Deceased January 1, 2000
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In Memory
After many years of illness, David Holmes ’76 passed away on January 1, 2000. He is survived by his wife, Pat Holmes; his daughter, Tamala Wilkins; and his grandson, TaMarus Crutchfield.
I became close friends with Dave our junior year, and we roomed together our senior year with Eddie Floyd '76 and Marc Meister '76. Dave was a wonderful friend. Maybe it's my fading memory, but I don't remember him ever angry or moody. He was always Dave, with a smile and an open and warm expression, ready to dive into whatever bit of fun we could think of. There were many in our group of friends, but he was the glue that held us together. He had a way of making all of us feel good about ourselves and feel happy to be doing whatever we were doing.
Dave had a gift for people. He had an amazing perceptiveness that allowed him to quickly understand and react to both old friends and new friends. And at the first sign of harsh or unpleasant words, he would quietly and calmly walk away.
Mark Magyar '77 and I attended the service celebrating his life. One of the themes that was echoed throughout the service was that during his many years of pain and illness, he was a good and cheerful person who never complained. That is the Dave I remember and will always remember.
Kent Mason ’76