The kind, gentle soul of Lillian E. Holmes 90, of School Street, Marlborough, NH, will be greatly missed by her passing on Sunday, February 14, 2021 at the Cheshire Medical Center Dartmouth Hitchcock, Keene, NH, with her family at her side.
Her parents, David and Pearl (Gould) Spaulding welcomed their daughter into the world on July 21, 1930 in Canaan, Vermont. Lillian spent most of her adult life in Keene, moving to Marlborough five years ago.
Being deaf at birth, Lillian overcame many challenges, allowing her to be successful in anything she set her mind to do. She attend the Austine School for the Deaf in Brattleboro, Vermont; VA Community College; and the NY City School for the Deaf, where at a mere "four foot eleven inches", she was a successful point guard on the school’s basketball team.
Lillian enjoyed being with and helping people. Her work career encompassed aspects of customer service including working with the National Grange Mutual Insurance Company for ten years and the Douglas Toy Company for over thirty years. Following her retirement, Lillian was not happy sitting at home. She returned to the workforce providing services to other that she truly loved doing, working part-time at TJ Max in Keene for fifteen years, retiring at the age of 85.
When not hard at work, Lillian continued to keep busy doing ceramics and was an avid "yard-sale attendee". She loved to go gallivanting with her many girlfriends, and was loved by all that she encountered. Her infectious charisma made her a beloved member of her residence.
Lillian was a longtime member of St. James Episcopal Church in Keene.
She will be greatly missed by many, especially her two children, daughter, Debra J. Norris and her husband, John, of Keene, and her son, Allen D. Holmes, Sr. and his wife, Paula, of Merrimack, NH; her grandson, Allen D. Holmes, Jr.; her granddaughters, Angelica and Monica; four great-grandchildren, Aurora, Alaina, Damian and Jeovanni; a sister, Sally Corliss of Virginia; and many nieces, nephews and extended family members. She was predeceased by her husband of 23 years, Harry W. Holmes in 1986; two brothers, Bill Spaulding and Bert Spaulding; and a sister, Jean Hubert.
In keeping with Lillian’s wishes, a graveside service and celebration of Lillian’s life will be held on Friday, May 14, 2021, at 1:00PM in the Monadnock View Cemetery, Park Avenue, Keene, "on a sunny day in May, before 4PM, before the bugs come out". There are no public calling hours.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Holmes’ memory to the Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, 56 Old Suncook Road, Suite 6, Concord, NH 03301; or to the Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue, Suite 102, Washington, DC 20002.
