As many have undoubtedly heard, Kenneth Earl Holt recently passed away, thus embarking on his next great adventure. It is difficult to find the appropriate words to portray the amazing life he led, and the countless lessons he passed onto his four daughters, thirteen grandchildren, and growing number of great-grandchildren.
Despite a very poor childhood, 'Gramps' made a comfortable life for his wife Barbara and their children. To those who knew and worked with him, including those at SUNY Morrisville's Norwich extension where he taught, Norwich Pharmaceutical, and even the farmer markets and garage sales he frequented, Ken was known for his honesty, fairness, and sense of humor. He was a man of ideas and planning, a man who was never lost even if he had no idea where the road was taking him. He had exceptional business sense, whether helping his wife Barbara with Paradox Books or most recently, with his wildly efficient and entertaining F.R.P enterprise. Above all, he was a man of love.
He enjoyed telling stories from his life: as a boy in Utica, donning a black cape over his skinny body and sneaking through the blackouts during WWII, pretending to be the superhero The Night Stalker; causing mischief with his best friend Nick during their Army days; traveling throughout Europe with Barbara; his experiences programming first-generation computers.
He adored his grandchildren and we in return adored him equally. He taught us innumerable life lessons, from the importance of hard work, the joy of learning, and that it is always okay to be goofy. The thirteen of us are as different as family can be, yet we're bound together by a love for Gramps that will never wane (and the knowledge of how much a banana-box of books weighs).
As his family, we do not ask for condolences or your sadness. Yes, his absence is palatable and we will forever miss him. Yet we are not sad. Instead, we wish to focus and celebrate the loving, unique man. He lived a life that any metric would deem a success. He spent over sixty years with the love of his life, had a gaggle of grandchildren that adored him, traveled extensively throughout the world, and through it all, remained true to himself. We can all aim to live such a life.
Ken, Dad, Gramps, Poppa. Thank you for all the greatest lessons. We love you.