Frank Harvey Holcomb

To his chagrin, Frank was born outside of Texas on the 2nd of September 1948. His father, Frank Herman Holcomb and mother, Inez Elizabeth Harvey were living in Centralia, Illinois where his father was employed as a geologist for the Tex Harvey Oil Company.

As a young child he and his family moved back to Texas. Frank grew up in Dallas and graduated from Highland Park High School. He attended the University of Texas where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha. A University of Houston law degree (Law Review) was followed by an LLM in Taxation from Georgetown University.

While in Washington, DC, he worked in the Chief Counsel’s Office of the Treasury Department handling income tax issues which prepared him for his career as a Tax and Estate Planning Attorney in Houston. His future wife Carol Crump was working on Capitol Hill for her Congressman Dan Kuykendall of Tennessee. Frank and Carol were married the 19th of February 1977.

Frank’s legal career began in Houston in 1976. Frank loved his law practice, respecting and personally caring for his clients. He was at his desk when he died unexpectedly on Friday, the 1st of March 2024.

Frank and Carol were ardent supporters of the historic Moravian village of Old Salem, North Carolina and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) where Frank served on the MESDA Advisory Board. His wife Carol is a docent at the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens and Frank felt honored to serve on the Bayou Bend Collection Subcommittee.

Anyone who knew Frank, understands he had a passion for maps, particularly maps of Texas. He was a member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas and his map collection reflects his knowledge of early Texas history as well as his love of art.

Though he and Carol collected furniture and folk art, Frank was at heart a map collector and believed that his maps should be shared with the people of Texas and beyond. He was a member of the Philip Lee Phillips Map Society of the Geography & Map Division of the Library of Congress.

Frank loved a good joke. He was a master of puns and associated word plays. Humorously Frank claimed that he always did exactly what Carol told him to do. A friend said she had always doubted that, but now she is convinced of the fallacy of that statement, for Carol would never have permitted Frank’s departure and his loss will leave a huge void in the lives of all who knew and loved him.

He will be especially missed by his son Frank Charles Holcomb and Carol’s son John King and wife Stephanie.

At the family’s request there will not be a service.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to, Old Salem Museum & Gardens (MESDA); 600 South Main Street; Winston-Salem, NC 27101; Bayou Bend Docent Accessions Endowment; 6003 Memorial Drive; Houston, Texas 77007; Save Texas History,Attn. Archives; P.O. Box 12873; Austin, Texas 78711 (TX General Land office); or the charity of one’s choice.