John Joseph Holmberg

Soon after graduating from the University of Iowa in February 1951, he entered the U. S. Army during the Korean War. Not long before shipping out with his rifle company for Korea, he was reassigned to Fort Belvoir outside Washington, D. C. At a USO dance in Washington he met foreign service staffer Wilma Ann Becker who hailed from Erie, PA. Practically love at first sight, the couple was married on April 25, 1953, and celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary this year. After brief residences in Sacramento, CA, and Cleveland, OH, the young couple settled in Louisville, where John worked for General Electric as a financial specialist for 35 years.

John was a member of Saint Rita Catholic Church for 50 years where he was active in the lay and music ministry and committee work. For the last 20 years, John was a member of Saint Athanasius and also active in its music ministry until recent years. He was a long-time member of “The Music Makers” as part of church ministry, often performing at care facilities and other venues.

John had a keen interest in history and geography. Family vacations were adventures by station wagon that took the family to 47 states and Canada. Camping and visiting family, historical sites, and national parks instilled a love of history, the outdoors, and travel in John and Ann’s children. John and Ann remembered these close-quarter long distance drives, camping, and cooking over campfires and Coleman stoves with four children as young as three when summer vacations began with great fondness. To this day, the children – now all in their 60s – have a hard time believing this could have been a vacation for mom and dad and think it earned them a special place in heaven.

John is survived by his wife Wilma Ann Becker Holmberg and children Kathleen Holmberg-Stover (Kevin), Janet Holmberg (Kosuke Imamura), James (Ruthe), and Ronald (Katrina). Daughter Patricia passed away in March 2022. He also is survived by 12 grandchildren and 35 great grandchildren.

A funeral mass celebrating John’s life will be at Saint Athanasius Catholic Church, 5915 Outer Loop, on Friday, August 2, at 11:00. Memorial donations may be made to Cedar Lake Foundation, 9901 Linn Station Rd., Suite 901, Louisville, KY 40223; www.cedarlake.org/donate or St. Labre Indian School, P. O. Box 758652, Topeka, KS 66675-8645 in memory of John Holmberg.

Arrangements are under the direction of Arch L. Heady & Son Funeral Home - Okolona Home, "Where Personal And Sincere Service Is Tradition."