Please accept my deepest sympathy.  i wish i could have met him.  Please know that many are praying for your family at this time.

What a wonderful man Frank was. I always thought that,. but hearing how he changed people's lives yesterday at his memorial gave me a new appreciation for how special he was.

I had the honour of knowing Frank for just a short period of time, but knowing him briefly is knowing him forever.  He was the salt of the earth. A man you would be proud to call your father.  No second personality, no hidden past, no selfish reasoning, no one but Frank.   He dearly loved his children and his friends. In fact anyone he came in contact with that would give him a kind word.  Most of all he loved his best friend and wife Dixie, for whom he selflessly gave over 60 years of devotion.  I personally will miss his inquisitive questions of all things British and his fatherly encouragement during those far too brief encounters at Kathy's home. Memories I will always treasure of a man I will dearly miss.  God bless you Frank. The treasures of heaven are yours.

Ever since Suzy “adopted” me into the family, she and Kathy each became my “Sis”, so obviously the rest of the family became mine and I theirs so it is with great pride and affection that I call Frank “Dad”.  

Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time with Dad but there were many things about him that especially touched me and drew me to him.
  
“Steadfast” comes to mind first.  He was absolutely committed to his family…in an unobtrusive way.  I could see that he didn't mind staying in the background so that his family could shine.  I saw him as a “Father Hen” with his arms outspread behind his beloved wife and all his “chicks”, guarding and loving and beaming with pride, keeping them safe and protected.
  
“Servant of God”.  I don't recall him speaking openly about God or the Bible…he didn't really have to.  Around me, Dixie, “Mom”, was the spokesperson for both of them when it came to their faith and in proclaiming the good things the Lord has done but it was obvious that Dad was behind her and beside her in his devotion to our Lord.  His eyes shone with it!

Dad was a “gentleman” and “gentle man”.  He observed the Southern Gentleman courtesies, making this northern gal feel like a princess!  And the gentlest of men, he was.  You knew by watching him that he used his words and his hands only for working hard and loving tenderly.
 
 “Welcoming” in his quiet way.  Brian and I knew from the first that because his girls loved us, we were all right by him!  Just the warmth in his eyes, the little comments he made let us know that he was behind us 100%.  Along with Mom and the rest of the family, he had adopted us into his heart!

You are sorely missed, Dad.  Not only has the family lost a piece of their hearts when you left for Home, but the world lost a beautiful role model for what is good and kind and wonderful in a man as a husband, father, grandfather and friend.  I praise God that you're all well now and enjoying being with our Lord and our Kathy again.  I SO look forward to being there too!  Tell Kathy I love her and miss her and, please, give her a hug from me (and get one from her from me as well!).

Love,

Mary

Frank was a truly awesome man, I remember meeting him as a little girl of 9 yrs old, my brother was going to be marrying his daughter, very exciting. He made a huge impression on me, even at such a young age.  I remember asking him what I should call him and he said "well, even though you are my son-in-laws sister you are still almost the same age as Amy, so Papa works for me!" Then he laughed that wonderful laugh. He was a wonderful child of God, husband father, father-in-law, grandfather, and man. While you will be greatly missed, we are re assured that we will all see you again one day soon. We love you

   83 ½ years of laughter, memories, testimonies, and most importantly love.  Papa loved EVERYONE! His genuine spirit was revealed to anyone he spoke with. He always made sure people knew about The Lord. 

   So many memories with my papa, but one that will always be my favorite was when I was little, Friday nights were “spending the night with Mema and Papa”. We would have dinner, watch tv or a movie, and then Papa and I would go in the kitchen to make popcorn. I would sit on the floor and we would pour what I called the “popcorn seeds” and some oil into a pot.  I thought I was so cool until I found out that all the grandkids did this too…..yeah, not easy being the baby LOL!   Then it was time for bed and I would crawl in bed next to Mema and Papa would be at the bedroom door and would say, “One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go!” AND THEN JUMP ON THE BED!! And then in a low stern voice, he said “Fee Fi Fo Fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman, be he live or be he dead. I'll grind his bones to make my bread!!” Then papa would tickle me for about 20 seconds!!  Once we settled down,  they would read from a book called  “God's Creative Power for Healing” which had scriptures that he would proclaim for himself and for the family. Then we would pray over the family. We would name every single family member and then every friend of the family. I can guarantee, everyone of you was mentioned!! 

 We all have memories with him and every single one will be cherished.  I will miss your hugs, your kisses, your voice, your laugh, your scruffy beard, and your love. 

 Rest well my sweet Papa! I love you so much! You are without a doubt the greatest man I have ever known! You taught me to love, laugh, stay close with God, and no matter what you go through, family will always be the most important thing life! You showed me how a man should treat a woman and you showed me that a marriage is not something to be taken lightly. And when you go through difficult times, you both seek God and work it out together. You and Mema did it for 60 years! I love you Frank Earl Holiday Jr! Forever my papa, forever your Noeypooh!!  *Well done good and faithful servant*

 Mr. Frank was always such a special person to me and our family. I loved the way that he would always call me "Darlin" and would always greet me with a big hug...the kind that comes from the heart. He, along with Divie, welcomed my family into his family as if we were always there. Give Kathy one of those big hugs for me. It's not "Goodbye", but "We'll be seein' you soon!"

Frank was a wonderful example of what a Godly husband, father, grandfather & friend should be.... He will be greatly missed! If at all possible... Heaven is even sweeter now with you there Frank! Give Kathy a big hug for me....

Frank was a very gentle loving man. He helped me through some tuff times with one of our sons. I just remember that he didn't say much but when he did you really listened. How he grlled Chuck and me when we were being interviewed for the music minister position at Bouquet but he was our strongest supporter and for three years we had the best music program we had ever had. I could go on for hours but I'd better quit. Please sing "There is a Fountain Filled with blood" at the memorial *(the old melody). He loved that song.

My Uncle Bubby as we called him was a wonderful man who (as his granddaughters have said) loved God and his family with all his heart.  I don't ever remember seeing him upset or angry.  He was like his father (my grandfather) that way.  My mom, Clara, was his sister who was three years older.  She tried to say "brother," but it came out "Bubby," and the name stuck.    

I have a special memory of him.  When I was little, I was spending the night with Kathy one night.  The movie, The Yearling, was on TV.  He let us stay up late to watch it, and it was the first time I ever stayed up past midnight.  I thought I was so grown up.  He made us popcorn, and we had a great time.  He always made me feel valued and loved.  He also made me appreciate my hometown (New Orleans) in a way I wouldn't have otherwise.  I couldn't have asked for a better uncle.  Thank you, God, for blessing me with my Uncle Bubby.

Papa is awesome.  I of course grew up knowing Papa was my grandpa, but I also grew up observing him as my Mom's dad and my Grandma's husband.  I watched him dance with my Grandma in their living room when I was a little kid, I listened to them sing together at home for pleasure or even at church.  Everyone of his grandchildren have shared memories with Papa, and individual memories.  Papa always to keep "spending the night" nights very traditional, with putting up on his feet pretending to be a giraffe, standing in the hallway counting one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to goooooo... of course on go, he would run to the bed where I was laughing hysterically cuddled next to Mema and grab my feet... He just always tried to keep memories alive by having a tape recording random conversations or constantly looking through pictures.  Papa also had a serious side of course.  He was serious about school work  for his kids and grandchildren.  I know that through high school he and Mema both really helped me with certain topics.   I remember he always had breath mints on him, never gum, he didn't like gum, so anywhere you looked you knew papa had been there because there were usually breath mints on top of his dresser or under the seat of his car, in the entry hall, in the chair he sat in, lol everywhere...  I still remember when I was really young him taking me to K-Mart to get a grilled cheese sandwich.  Well I guess I should leave room on here for others, lol.

I don't know if all of you know that the last few years of Papa's life were not easy as he had developed Alzheimer's.  I did want everyone to know something, although he had lost his short term memory, he did not lose his long term memory and to his last day with us he still was making sure we were all okay and had everything we needed. He also knew Mema's phone number that he called her on when they were dating, he knew address and he even remembered the day he met her so well he could tell you every single detail, and its no surprise as if any of you have know him and mema as a couple you know how crazy he was about mema.  That crazy love for his wife of over sixty years spread into a crazy love for his daughters, and their husbands and his grandchildren and his great grandchildren.  I will forever miss Papa and will always keep his memories close to my heart.  I Love You Papa....... WHAT AN AWESOME MAN

I feel so honored to be the first person to write about my dear Papa, and I look forward to hearing stories from others about this amazing man.  

My Papa was to me the perfect grandfather.  His special whistle still rings in my ears and makes me want to run to the door to see him.  He was the first to get down on the floor with me and play the silly games that I came up with.  He indulged my imagination, entertaining me with wild stories, taking me to hunt for polar bears in the backyard at night with flashlights, leaving walnuts on the back porch and waiting quietly for the squirrels to arrive, always falling for my requests for "magic," sneaking candy out of his pockets and into my little hands.  And I know he loved every moment.  Even as a little child I knew that he really wanted to play with me, that his desire to be my Papa was genuine.  I wanted to be like him.  I would lay on the floor next to him to watch TV, and put my foot up on my knee just like he did.  I would lower my voice as far as a little girl could, pretending to be a salesman selling draperies, just like him.  I can still hear his joyful laugh bursting through the room at the sound of a little girl trying to mimic a serious salesman.

He loved history- world history, American history, family history, recorded and passed down in stories from generation to generation.  When he came to visit, he would always bring with him an interesting article from National Geographic, a newspaper from the day I was born, a paper that my mom had written in 5th grade.  It was all equally fascinating and important to him.  He was a great recorder of our family history.  I loved to hear him talk about when he was a little boy, riding the streetcar in New Orleans, buying a Coke for some ridiculously cheap price.  He would pull out his tape recorder at every holiday and just record the conversations we were having in the room.  He loved looking through old photos and telling the stories behind them.  He was one of the sparks that lit my interest in genealogy and creative ways to record family history.

One of the greatest things that I will always remember about Papa is his love for his family.  It shone through him brightly every day of his life.  He was head-over-heels in love with his wife, his beautiful daughters and their husbands, his four grandchildren, and his three great grandchildren, and he was so thankful to the Lord for blessing him with his life and his family. He was so proud of each and every one us, and we all felt it.  We all knew it.  That kind of love never goes away.  We will carry it with us in our hearts every day, until the joyous day when we are all together again.

I love you, Papa.

OBITUARY

Frank Papa Earl Holiday Jr.

October 4, 1929 – July 1, 2013

Eternal Valley Memorial Park & Mortuary

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