Herbert William Holm

Herbert William Holm, 89, long-time resident of Winter Park, died peacefully May 6, 2018. Mr. Holm was born June 30, 1928 in Midlothian, Illinois to Herbert Wendell Holm and Eleanor Mary Stevenson. He is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Vernetta Weiss Holm, children, Linda Arico and husband Sal, Richard Holm and wife Gale, and Amy Holm and partner Rich Crepeau; four grandchildren and four great grandchildren, and predeceased by his sister, Sarah Marion Lyons. He enlisted in the Army during World War II and with aid from the GI bill he graduated from the University of Denver. He attended graduate school at Northwestern University and Rutgers University where he received highest honors as his thesis was accepted into the Library of the American Banking Association and the Graduate School of Business at Harvard. He became a legacy builder for Winter Park as a founding board member of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation as well as their vice-president and treasurer. Later, he provided the same services for Hugh and Jeannette McKean, benefactors of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. A devoted family man, he dedicated himself to his wife, children, and community. His volunteer efforts benefited St John Lutheran Church, the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, Sertoma International, Orlando Speakers Club, Florida Foundation for Special Children (as a Founder of Camp Thunderbird, a camp for developmentally disabled children), Florida Symphony Orchestra, YMCA, Winter Park Community Chest, and Winter Park Memorial Hospital. His family is proud of him for undergoing groundbreaking surgery at 80 years of age which left him a type 1 diabetic which he embraced without complaint. He also hand-built a log cabin for the family in the mountains of NC. He loved reading, science fiction movies, collecting coins, dogs and cats, and always ate dinner at 6pm. A quiet man, who's actions spoke for him, will be missed for his kindness, gentleness, and wisdom. A Memorial Service with be held on Monday, May 14, 2018 at 3 PM at St. John Lutheran Church, 1600 S. Orlando Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789. www.mysj.org. 407-644-1783 In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Herbert Holm Memorial Endowment for St. John Lutheran Church. See above for contact info. From his colleagues: Herbert W. Holm is the long time financial confident, trustee and advisor to the philanthropic interests of Hugh and Jeannette McKean and Edyth Bush. Known as the “Trust Officer of Trust Officers” Herb Holm came to Winter Park 40 years ago to oversee the Trust Department of CommBank, Winter Park. For the past 40 years he has been a trustee and former CFO of two of Winter Parks foremost philanthropies and the fortunes that made them possible. He was a past Board member of the Florida Foundation for Special Children (Quest, Inc.), the Florida Symphony Orchestra, Winter Park Y.M.C.A., Winter Park Community Chest (United Way) and Winter Park Memorial Hospital. Herb was a part of the University of Winter Park - Financial Luncheon Group curriculum for 20 years. Herb has quietly influenced the lives of countless people in Winter Park and throughout Florida. Herb Holm is a thoughtful and reserved person, but when Herb speaks, people listen. The following is the write up from Herb having been named an influential person in Winter Park in 2017. https://winterparkmag.com/2017/07/20/the-influentials-3/ THE CALM COUNSELOR Retired Businessman, Legacy Builder Behind many of the cultural gems and good works of Winter Park are foundations bearing the names of Edyth Bush, Charles Hosmer Morse and Elizabeth Morse Genius. And helping to guide those philanthropic organizations for four decades has been Herb Holm, a steadfast investment guru known as “the trust officer of trust officers.” An Army veteran of World War II, Holm came to Winter Park from Detroit in 1965 to oversee the trust department of ComBank. A decade later he became vice president and treasurer of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, carrying out Mrs. Bush’s legacy of supporting arts and education and “helping people who could not help themselves,” as Holm puts it. The foundation’s assets were $90 million worth of 3M stock, so Holm says his No. 1 job was diversifying the portfolio. Later, he provided the same services for Hugh and Jeannette McKean, benefactors of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. His conservative investment outlook earned him the nickname “Mr. Doom and Gloom” during his regular financial talks at the University Club of Winter Park. But it also earned him the respect of those who relied on his advice. “People know me as cool, calm and collected — a rare quality in our world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity,” says Holm, now 89. He retired in 1993, but has remained on the boards of the Bush and Genius foundations. All three foundations have had a huge impact on Winter Park and surrounding communities. The Bush foundation has made more than $100 million in grants, and the Tiffany glass treasures at the Morse “have made Winter Park known throughout the world,” Holm observes. But his legacy isn’t limited to his guidance of the foundations: Long ago, he was instrumental in founding Camp Thunderbird for developmentally disabled kids by finding a site in Apopka and raising money for construction. Like Holm himself, Camp Thunderbird continues to make a difference. WHAT HE SAYS: “I’m a firm believer in the sage advice that is beautifully framed in the boardroom of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation: ‘There is no limit to what a man can do as long as he does not care who gets the credit —Anonymous.’ ” WHAT THEY SAY: “Herb is thoughtful and reserved, but when he speaks, people still listen … he’s the steward for a whole lot of money, and there’s nobody you could trust more … highly respected.” Arrangements are entrusted to DeGusipe Funeral Home and Crematory, 9001 N Orlando Avenue, Maitland, Florida 32751, 407-695-CARE(2773)

Herbert William Holm

June 30, 1928 - May 6, 2018