Dr. David "Dave" S. Holland, Jr.

Dr. David S. Holland, Jr., passed away on March 17th, 2021. He was preceded in death by his beloved parents and father-in-law. He is survived by his loving wife, Dashika; brother, Terry Holland and wife Nita of Midland, Texas; mother-in-law, Eva Pethiyagoda; brother-in-law, Nikila Pethiyagoda; sister-in-law, Manesha Pethiyagoda, all of Kandy, Sri Lanka. He is also survived by his nephew, Travis Holland and wife KC; great niece & nephews, Lyla, Cayson and Cole of San Antonio, Texas; nieces, Katie Holland of Ft. Worth, Texas and Sara and husband Matt Blatnick of Flower Mound, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making memorial contributions to an organization which Dr. Holland held in high regard: Save Our Springs at https://www.sosalliance.org/ or another charity of your choice.

Courage over death

Husband, Brother, Uncle, In-law, Cousin, Professor, Friend

My brother, uniquely different to the ordinary, an individualist akin to Ayn Rand, journeying through Earth’s portals of time and space, his mind and body absorbing known science, devoting his resources to resolve ambiguities of the unfamiliar.

David, acknowledging “cutting edge” science, applied futuristic solutions to contemporary regimented industry standards. In the late 90’s, David assisted early scientific entrepreneurs in design and implementation of private commercial rocket, launching and retrieval, atop Gulf Coast platforms, to mine celestial asteroids of essential mineral resources. To his younger brother, an exploration geologist, drilling for oil, the concept seemed impractical, nearing on the absurd, yet today, considered academically brilliant and obtainable.

My brother, as a young child, cultivated a keen sense of science visiting our paternal grandmother in Los Alamos, he and I visiting a nuclear fission museum, the seed planted, a lifelong quest of scientific principles. By high school, David, a voracious reader, developed a passion for an understanding of the Universe. Our paths, distanced, time schedules uncorrelated, David occupying late night and early morning, scanning celestial planets, solar systems, constellations and distant galaxies with his 6” mirror telescope, while I slept.

Loyal to ancestral histories of our family tree, David enjoyed conversing with relatives, inclusive of aunts, uncles and cousins. Gatherings at family reunions, in Brownwood, Texas, would find my brother seated next to close or distant kinships, exchanging life experiences. He became a walking family historian, easy to talk and share stories with adults and children alike, retaining details and knowledge of pertinent information. More than once, David would call me, reminding me of a necessity of someone on the family tree, to be acknowledged.

David, obtaining his doctorate in computer science, only a few years ago, an endeavor pursued, yet shared with other competing interests, was illustrative in his tenacity of purposeful achievement. Married thirteen years to Dashika Pethiyagoda-Holland, David shared a wonderful life, either in their Austin or San Antonio homes, frequently traveling to Sri Lanka, appreciating terrestrial beauty and Sri Lankan culture.

David, an avid swimmer, routinely visited Barton Springs in Austin as enjoyable exercise and peace of mind, summer or winter, regardless of temperature. Witnessing swimming feats, inclusive of traversing the width of Lake Brownwood, impoundment of Pecan Bayou or navigating the confluence between the Colorado River and Llano River, David never ceased to amaze me. His endurance, steadfast commitment to achievement, was a trait few are incapable of ever experiencing.

David’s greatest feat of all, his battle with the horrific ailment, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), is a testament of his courage, a victory over death, living life to the end, not allowing death the valor, instructing a virtual class for Alamo College, San Antonio, before “hitching a ride” on an Asteroid. I learned, and hope others do as well, my brother’s living, a commitment in courage, demonstrated a resiliency in overcoming death.

A funeral service will begin at 10:30 AM on Sunday, April 11, 2021 at La Escondida Celebration Center in Helotes, TX, located at 9888 Escondida Rd, Helotes, TX 78023 (The first 30-40 minutes will be a Buddhist Prayer.) Interment and a celebration of life will take place at a later date

In lieu of flowers, please consider making memorial contributions to an organization which Dr. Holland held in high regard: Save Our Springs at https://www.sosalliance.org/ or another charity of your choice.