Susan Elizabeth Holt

Susan Elizabeth Holt, died suddenly on January 16, 2026. She was born on February 12, 1964, in Ellicott City, Maryland, to Howard Edwin and Irene Elizabeth (Gregory) Johnson, who both predeceased her. She spent her childhood and early adult life there and in nearby Columbia. She was a member of the 1982 class of Howard High School and continued her education at University of Baltimore.

She met the love of her life, L. Keith Holt Jr., while playing competitive volleyball. Their official first date was March 11, 1997. They married on September 20, 2001, in an idyllic setting, Red Rock Canyon, Summerlin, Nevada.

She joined CSX Corporation (a successor to the Chessie System Railroad) in 1986 as a programmer trainee and progressively moved up to become director of advanced technologies in 1995. Desiring to remain in Maryland, she resigned in 2001 when the technology unit moved its workforce to Jacksonville, Florida. She joined Cape Computing, a start-up technology consulting company in Baltimore as vice president of operations.

Susan and Keith moved to Colorado in 2004 where she then embraced her entrepreneurial spirit. She started two companies; one was a cutting-edge firm for the design and installation of home theater and home automation systems; the other was Silver Hawk Tea Company, a purveyor of gourmet teas and tea ware. Thirteen years later, they fulfilled her European dream and moved to Stuttgart, Germany, in June 2017. She became the Executive Assistant to the U.S. Army Africa Command Director of Resources and Assessments. While in Europe, they took advantage of the opportunity to explore and frequently traveled around Germany, visited Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy. She enjoyed staying in ancient European castles.

In 2020 they moved to Oahu, Hawaii where she worked as a systems analyst for First Hawaiian Bank. At the end of 2022, they decided to move back to Colorado Springs, CO, and she took a position as a Senior Analyst and Supervisor in the Sales Tax Department for the City of Colorado Springs. She enjoyed her colleagues very much, and the challenge of her work kept her focused and engaged.

She had many passions, but foremost was her love for her puppy dogs! Over the years, she had eight wonderful furry family members who often traveled with them on their many adventures. She had a deep love for and connection to the outdoors and nature, enjoyed gardening and planting, but most of all, she reveled in the quantity and variety of wildlife in the areas they lived. She was also an expert with arts and crafts – from jewelry making, sewing, knitting, beadwork, to paracord weaving, often gifting her creations to her family and friends. Additionally, she enjoyed home improvement projects and was a perfectionist when it came to transforming a home to make it their own.

In addition to her beloved husband Keith, her German Shepherd, Ascona, and American Staffordshire Terrier, Chance, Susan is survived by her siblings, Shalla (Michael) Dahl of Knoxville, TN; Jack (Barbara) Johnson of Fairfield, PA; Kathleen (Dan) Burns of Bel Air, MD; Rob (Aleda) Johnson of Greensburg, IN, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, 610 Abbot Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80905 or online at https://www.hsppr.org/donate/tribute-giving/tribute-giving-donation/.