Herbert Holt

Herb Holt

Central Valley, Utah

Herbert "Herb" Lancaster Holt, 83, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died Friday, March 24, 2017 at his home in Central Valley, Utah surrounded by his family, due to complications related to follicular lymphoma. Herb was born January 24, 1934 in Greensboro, North Carolina to William and Agnes Steele Holt. He was the youngest of four children, and raised in Asheville, North Carolina.

Herb served in the United States Air Force as an airplane mechanic from 1952 to 1957. He began his service in Japan, and retired from active duty while stationed at Hill Air Force Base.

While attending the University of Utah, Herb met Martha Linnea Ohrn. They married on December 21, 1957 in Salt Lake City, and lived there while Herb finished his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. He began a successful career at Hercules (now ATK) in Salt Lake City as part of their aerospace division. During his career, Herb achieved a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah. He retired from Hercules at age 58.

Herb and Linnea were blessed with four boys – Thomas "Tom," Andrew "Andy," James "Jim," and William, "Bill." As an avid outdoorsman, Herb took full advantage of Utah’s recreational offerings while raising his family. Summer camping trips, mountain hikes, and winter skiing were a way of life in the Holt household. As years passed, he continued to enjoy these hobbies lived on with his children and grandchildren. His most recent excursion was hiking Machu Picchu in Peru last June with his oldest son Tom. Herb and Linnea also enjoyed "snowbirding" each winter as they drove their trailer to Yuma, Arizona.

Herb had many hobbies. He was an avid tennis player and competed in Utah’s senior games for over 25 consecutive years, often placing in his division. He was a talented builder and a do-it-yourself guy who enjoyed any engineering challenge. A family cabin, three restaurants (owned by his sons), a Long-EZ personal aircraft, an airplane hangar are among many testaments to his engineering talents. In all things, Herb was resourceful and industrious. There was simply nothing he couldn’t figure out. In recent years, Herb planted a small apple orchard and enjoyed an abundant apple crop each fall.

One hobby Herb is most known for is his love of aviation. He received his private pilot’s license in 1986 and enjoyed flying throughout the inter-mountain west and Sevier Valley. At the time of his passing, Herb’s license was current.

Herb was a lifelong learner. He explored new hobbies and continually expanded his mind. He would often purchase textbooks from local thrift stores and read them during his leisure time. He was a faithful subscriber to both the Wall Street Journal and Salt Lake Tribune. A visit to the Holt home always revealed a folded newspaper with that week’s crossword puzzle face up and a mechanical pencil nearby. Herb also encouraged and supported his family in their educational endeavors. He would help his grandchildren with various homework assignments and as each grandchild attended college, Herb and Linnea have generously covered the cost of their books.

Herb is survived by his wife, Linnea Holt; sons: Thomas (Lori) Holt, Andrew Holt, James (Christa) Holt, and William (Janalyn) Holt; 15 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren. Herb was preceded in death by his parents; brothers: William and Francis Holt; and sister Jane Blodgett.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 1, 2017 at 12:00 Noon in the Magleby Mortuary Chapel, 50 South 100 West, Richfield, UT, where friends may call Saturday morning from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com

The family extends their appreciation to the physicians and support staff at Sevier Valley Medical Center who helped care for Herb over the last several months.