Bob Holder was born Jan. 17, 1931 in Waterloo, IA, the son of Carl and Emilie (Winter) Holder. He died of multiple myeloma on March 13, 2015 in Redmond, WA at age 84.
He was a graduate of West Waterloo HS, and earned a B.S. and Master's degree in Chemistry at the University of Idaho. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honorary Society, Blue Key, Captain of the University of Idaho football team and an All-Coast line-backer in 1951. Bob was also a member and president of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and a NROTC cadet. He received a commission June 7, 1953, and served aboard the USS Gurke (DD-783) as a naval officer during the Korean War. In 1959 he joined Merrill Lynch in Spokane, WA, for 42 years and became a Vice-President before retiring. He recently lived in Bellevue and Vashon Island, WA. Bob was a former president of the Vandal Booster Club, a member of the U of I Foundation Board, the Exchange Club of Downtown Spokane, the Presbyterian Church, the Elks Club, the Spokane Club, and the Manito Country Club, and an avid fisherman and outdoorsman. He was preceded in death by his parents and an infant daughter, Suzanne Katherine Holder. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne Jones Holder, son, Michael (Lisa) Holder, and children Emily, Jessica and Eric of Federal Way, WA; son, William Holder and daughters Meg, Betsy and Annie of Seattle WA; daughter, Ann Holder Strand (David) of Boulder CO., and sons Zachary and Charlie; and by his sister, Maxine Heise of Waterloo, IA and nephews and cousins. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 21, at 2:00 at Emerald Heights Retirement Home, 10901 - 176th Circle NE, Redmond WA, 98052. The family suggests that memorial gifts be sent to: University of Idaho Athletic Endowment, UI Foundation, 875 Perimeter Dr, MS 3147, Moscow, Idaho, 83844; or the Emerald Heights Benevolence Fund (address above).