Obituary of William Thomas Holt

On Saturday, January 20, 2018, we lost our amazing father, William Thomas Holt Jr. (Bill), 84. He passed away peacefully in Sunnyvale, CA after a short battle with pneumonia and a very long battle with Alzheimer's disease surrounded by his three loving daughters. Bill is survived by his three daughters and their spouses, Cindy Mercer (Rick), Suzie Bargetto (Jim), and Linda Ronning (Mitch). He is also survived by his six grandchildren, Allison (Trey), Amy, Joe, Sarah, Kylie, Emma and great grandson, William, his two brothers, Jack Holt and Jim Holt, and sister-in-law, Charlette Holt and many nieces and nephews. His wife, Ella Mae Holt, parents, William Thomas Holt and Mary Morrison Holt of Liberal, Kansas and sister-in-law, Karen Holt of Shawnee, Kansas, precedes Bill in death. A native of Liberal, Kansas, Bill attended local schools and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas University in mechanical engineering. After graduation from college, he joined the United States Air Force as a navigator, which drove his passion for aircraft and flying. After the Air Force, he worked for Aerojet in Sacramento before moving to San Jose, CA to work for General Electric in 1968 where he met his wife, Ella. He eventually received his private pilot's license after moving to San Jose and belonged to a local flying club. Bill retired from GE in 1995 after 27 years. He and Ella had a love for golf and retired to Cameron Park shortly thereafter where they lived in a home on the Cameron Park golf course, were avid golfers and belonged to the Cameron Park Country Club. A funeral service celebrating Bill's life will be held Saturday, February 10, 11:00 a.m. at The Oakwood Chapel 3301 Paul Sweet Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95065. A reception will follow at the home of Suzie and Jim Bargetto. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to VITAS Hospice Care, 670 N McCarthy Blvd. Suite 220, Milpitas, CA 95035 or to the Alzheimer's Association 1777 Capitola Avenue #A Santa Cruz, CA 95062. The family wishes to extend their deepest appreciation to the caregivers, nurses and staff at Sunrise Senior Living, Sunnyvale, CA and VITAS Hospice Care, who provided exceptional care before and during his transition.