Hans Joachim Holland

Hans Joachim Holland was born in Mannheim, Germany on July 1, 1929 to Otto and Jeanette Liebrecht Holland. He passed away after a short illness on September 16, 2016 surrounded by the family he loved. Alert, engaged and active to the end, he was hiking at 10,000 feet in the Utah mountains just a few short weeks earlier.

In his own words, he lived an enjoyable and productive life that spanned the globe. At the outset of World War II, his Jewish family was separated and forced to flee from Germany. Showing the resourcefulness and determination that would be hallmarks of his life for the next 78 years, he traveled by boat to England on the Kindertransport when he was only nine years old, then a year later to the Dominican Republic with older brother Dick, there to be reunited with his parents and younger sister Anne. The family eventually settled in New York City.

With kind support from friends, family and perfect strangers during the turmoil of WW II, he continued his education in England and then the United States. Thus began his life-long adult commitment to education and family in the US -- a country to whom he was deeply grateful for providing refuge, stability and opportunity. After obtaining an advanced degree in geology he was drafted into the Army and stationed at Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah. There he met our mother, Charlene Coleman, who was also working at Dugway. They married in 1954, and over the next nine years added five children, Susan, Rodney, Charles, Paul and Jeanette. They were all raised as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which provided community and friendship for Hans all of his married life.

Along the way he obtained a Ph.D. in chemistry, on which he built a long and productive career as a research chemist for Corning Glass in Corning, New York. This is where he and Charlene raised their family. His childhood experiences had amplified his desire for a close family and he passed on to them the best he knew from life. He came from a musical family and all of his children played instruments - some continuing as adults. He emphasized education and they all grew to love and appreciate study and learning. He was honest and fair and they learned integrity.

For the last fifteen years he lived in Salt Lake City. He cared for our mother prior to her passing ten years ago. He loved traveling, nature, hiking, volunteering, and spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We love our Dad and will miss him. He will be interred in Wasatch Lawn Cemetery with a private graveside and memorial service. Hans is survived by his sister Anne, five children, 18 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. Donations may be made in his memory to the LDS Humanitarian Aid Fund or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.