Lee Holmgren

Lena (Lee) Kathryn Holmgren went home to the Lord at age 90 on October 7th, 2026. She passed in her home surrounded by family. Lee was born on February 1st, 1936 to Alexander and Anna Orfanelli. She was raised in Ocean City, New Jersey with an older sister and a younger brother. Her parents were both Italian immigrants from just west of Rome. After she was first married, she lived in several states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and settled in Virginia Beach in 1965 until 2014 when she moved to Jacksonville, Florida. When she lived in Virginia Beach, she worked for many years, in procurement, for the government in civil service.

Lee was married in 1954 to Matt Mathisen and they had three wonderful sons, Mike (Terry), Barry (Brenda), and Paul (Sheila) who loved her dearly. Her sons were her everything, you didn’t meet Lee without hearing about her sons. Then, several years after Matt's passing she remarried to Will Holmgren. She had six grandchildren, Kim (Chad), David (Shay), Laura (Stephen), Brent (Amanda), Jessica (John), and Kolby. She had a sister named Phyllis and a younger brother, Alexander Orfanelli (Dee). She had fourteen great grandchildren: Tyler (Ashley), Andrew, Anna, Catina, Ashton, Toby, Alex, Lola, Kai, Amelia, Mae, Chloe, Rosie, Eli, and many nieces and nephews.

She was very active in her church, Chets Creek, and belonged to Stonecroft Bible Study. She belonged to the Italian Club. She was very active and lived a very fulfilling life, living on her own. She loved playing card games, reading, going to shows, and listening to hymnals. She was a very strong Christian, a prayer warrior who rarely missed Sunday school or Sunday service. She will be remembered for the deep relationships she cultivated with family and friends, the generosity with which she loved, and the countless ways she gave of herself, often putting the needs of others before her own. She was one of the most thoughtful and detail-oriented people you could ever meet, with a remarkable ability to remember names, small details, and the positive qualities that made each person special. Anytime her family met someone who spent time with Lee, the first thing they would tell you is, “I just love Lee so much.” She was a shining light to the people around her.

She is preceded in death by her husbands Matt Mathisen and Will Holmgren, her sister Phyllis, and her parents Alexander and Anna Orfanelli.

I think we will all remember Lee as a loving sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, great grandmother, and, most of all, friend. She always asked, “How could I pray for you?” and, you better believe, she did. Her prayers could move mountains.

A funeral service will take place on Monday, October 12, 2026 at Chet's Creek Church- Hodges Campus, 4420 Hodges Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32224. A reception will be held at the church following the funeral service.

A private committal service will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Chet's Creek Church in Lee's name: chetscreek.com/lee