David Arnold Holmes

Dave will be missed by all who knew him, having participated in many groups and communities. He lived in the same home in Venice California since 1976. He is survived by his only son, Clayton Holmes and his brother Stephen Holmes.

Dave was born in Orange County, CA in 1937, and being a child during World War II, he developed a lifelong interest in modeling boats, airplanes, and especially trains.

After the war, Dave’s Father bought an orange grove in rural Orange County where they lived until they moved to Santa Ana in 1952. As a kid in the early days of television Dave and his brother were fascinated by Frankenstein movies, Horror and Sci-Fi shows.

He was popular at Garden Grove Union High School and made friends easily. Dave enjoyed working at Disneyland for 3 summers while he attended High School. After high school he attended UCLA where he joined the Theta Chi Fraternity and was elected as house president. Dave’s younger brother, Steve followed him to UCLA and also joined the Theta Chi Chapter. Dave was a member of the Inter Fraternity Council and was known by many. Dave maintained lifelong relationships with both the University and Theta Chi and was President of the Alumni Board of Theta Chi’s UCLA Chapter for many years.

Immediately after graduation in June of 1960, Dave began his career with IBM. He worked on such iconic accounts as Hughes Aircraft, Lockheed’s Skunkworks, and was one of IBM’s Senior Area Managers during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Early in his career at “Big Blue,” Dave also served in the US Army Reserve from 1961-1966. His IBM career of 32 years allowed him to participate in many activities and he had many hobbies.

Having had a love of aviation and a fascination with airplanes and flight, he became a private pilot. In true fashion of not settling for good enough, he also earned his Commercial and Instrument ratings before purchasing the first of the two Beechcraft Bonanzas he would own.

Dave was a Big Brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. This mentorship led him to adopt his son, Clay. A trail blazer in many ways, he was one of the original single father adoptions in Los Angeles County. He was determined, and knew when and how to fight for something he believed in.

An avid boatman and skier, he often took family and friends to Lake Powell during the summers and to Mammoth Mountain in the winters, where he had property and served for many years on the Board of Mammoth Estates Condominiums.

David was a member of the Knights of Pythias, and served as Chancellor Commander of his Lodge as well as Grand Secretary for the State of California. He was honored by the organization for his outstanding service to the community.

Perhaps his biggest hobby was model railroading. A member of several train clubs over the years, his favorite was the Los Angeles Model Railroad Society, (LAMRS). One of the original members, he served as Treasurer for more than 20 years, and reluctantly resigned the position once diagnosed with cancer.

Dave was a long time donor to the Wooden Athletic Fund and loved UCLA Men’s Basketball. A season ticket holder for many decades, he will be missed at future games.

Musical theater and the performing arts was another of his many passions. For many years he was a member of the Musical Center’s Ahamanson Foundation.

He loved a good dry Manhattan or a Rusty Nail and his eyes sparkled in front of an abundant buffet. He enjoyed meeting his closest friends and family for hours of playing cribbage and backgammon. In his last years he spent many hours in his big chair watching television with his two dogs, Sparky and Sammy, on his lap. He was a great animal lover.

David Holmes was a mentor to many, a friend to all who knew him, a brother, and a loving father. He will be sorely missed.

A memorial celebrating the remarkable life of David Holmes will be held at a later date when the current health crisis we are all facing is behind us.

In lieu of flowers, donations in the name of David Holmes may be made to the UCLA Chancellors Association. Please contact Gil Ramirez at [email protected] for more information.