Francis Richard (Dick) Holt

On the night of 31 Jan 2015 at 10:29 PM, Dick passed away at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma after a short battle with cancer. Dick was 92 years old.

Dick was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 6 Apr 1922. He was the oldest of four children of Lillian Irene and Lester Berry Holt.

At the age of 10, his parents divorced and he, along with his brothers and sister, moved with his mother to Springdale, Arkansas. They lived on a fruit farm owned by his maternal grandparents just outside of the city. While living on the farm, he played Evel Knievel, successfully jumping and crashing the family Ford. Anytime he talked about life on the farm, he complained how he hated to pick grapes. 80 years later he was still complaining about picking grapes. He attended school in Springdale and graduated from Springdale High School in 1940.

After graduating high school, Dick moved to Los Angeles, California and worked at Lockheed Aircraft Company. He moved to Wichita, Kansas and took a Sheet Metal course from Sep 1941 – Oct 1941. Starting in Nov 1941 he began working at Vega Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed, where he riveted skins on fuselages and bomb bay doors of the B17 Flying Fortress. He worked for Vega until Dec 1942.

His work in the aircraft industry prepared him for service during World War II. He was inducted into the Army 3 Jan 1943. While in the army, he attended the National School of Aeronautics in Kansas City, Missouri for four months, studying basic engine overhaul and maintenance and repair of engines and accessories. He served as an airplane mechanic for 24 months and spent 26 months in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater in the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. He worked on all parts of the aircraft and was responsible for the proper operation of the aircraft. He inspected the aircraft for damage or wear and made repairs. He also worked for 3 months as an airplane carburetor repair specialist. He was honorably discharged from service on 3 Jan 1946.

After returning home from his military service, Dick enrolled in school at the University of Arkansas. He attended school there from the fall of 1946 until he graduated in January of 1953. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management.

After college Dick moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma and went into business with his father. They owned and operated Industrial Sales and Engineering where they were sales representatives for Furnas Electric and sold commercial electrical equipment all over the state.

Dick spent his first years in Tulsa living at the Downtown YMCA. He spent most of his free time playing volleyball and pool. He was a member of the National Volleyball Association and participated in many tournaments.

In 1954, Dick was introduced to his bride by a mutual friend. At the time, Janet was working at the YMCA as the secretary to the president. While dating, they spent much of their time fishing at the lake where Dick's father owned a cabin. On 2 Oct 1954, they tied the knot in a ceremony in the Rose Chapel at Boston Avenue Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He drove Janet to Colorado for their honeymoon. He was supposed to get her to Gunnison but somehow wound up in Leadville. After spending the night in Leadville, he got a course correction and made it to Gunnison. They fished the local river and proudly would up with 2 trout which the hotel cooked and turned them into a memorable meal. After a week in the mountains they return to Tulsa to begin their married life and start their family. Tamara Lynne was born in July of 1955 and Barry Francis was born in November of 1956. Barry was named after Dick's father but changed the spelling of his name. Barry's middle name is Dick's first name but one has ask why. Dick did not like the name and never used it as his signature was F Richard Holt. So he did not like it so much he gave it away to Barry. Tammie's name has a much less exciting story as it was picked out of a book.

Dick took the family on a very interesting vacation one summer. He rented a trailer, packed up all the camping gear, threw the family in the car and headed out for Red River, New Mexico. The drive across the desert of New Mexico was very long and very hot. After hours of driving and on the verge of running out of gas he came across a small gas station but the owner had closed the station to attend a funeral. With no other option, he pumped some gas and left the money under a rock on top of the pump. After melting all day driving across the desert, he got the family to Tucumcari near sunset. The town was nestled in a valley and could not be seen from the highway. As he got nearer to the city, all that could be seen in the distance was a gas station sign rising in the sky. The sign said "HELL". Apparently the "S" on the sign had burned out, but the family thought what it said was more appropriate.

Dick was an avid golfer and spent every Saturday at the golf course. He played year round in the heat, the cold and the rain. The only thing that ever stopped him was too much white fluffy stuff on the ground. After he retired he could be found on the course twice a week. He finally reached the pinnacle of golf on 10 Apr 1985 when he made a Hole in One on the 12 hole at Page Belcher Golf Course.

Dick was preceded in death by his mother Lillian Irene Holt in 1991, his father Lester Berry Holt in 1981, his sister Patricia Elizabeth Buffington in 1967, and his brother John Lester Holt in 2013.

He is survived by his wife Janet Sue Holt, brother Gene Alfred Holt, children Tamara Lynne Holt and Barry Francis Holt, grandchildren Barry Ryan Holt and Corry Richard Holt, and great-grandchildren Juliana Elizabeth Holt and Annabella Rose Holt.


He will be missed by his family and friends.