William F Holt

Mr. William Frank "Billy" Holt, 71, retired from the Middle Tennessee Experiment Station and resident of Azalea Drive in Columbia, died Tuesday, December 26, 2006 at Maury Regional Hospital after a brief illness. The funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Thursday at St. Catherine Catholic Church with Father Davis Chackaleckel as celebrant. Burial will be in Santa Fe Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. Catherine Catholic Church, 3019 Cayce Lane, Columbia 38401 or Santa Fe Cemetery Association, c/o Norman Harris, 3929 Sowell Hollow Road, Columbia 38401. Notes of sympathy may be sent to www.oakesandnichols.com. A native of the St. Mary's Community in Lawrence County, he was the son of the late William Anderson Holt and Anna Gieske Holt. Following graduation from Columbia Central High School in 1954, he attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and later entered Middle Tennessee State University where he earned a degree in Animal Science in 1959. Mr. Holt was employed as a dairy herdsman at the Middle Tennessee Experiment Station for 36 years. Known as "Smiley" by his many friends and acquaintances over the years, he was an avid sportsman, loved and was an enthusiastic supporter of Central High School, MTSU, and University of Tennessee sports. Mr. Holt was a communicant of St. Catherine Catholic Church and served as an usher for a number of years. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus Chapter #7477, and Randolph Howell 4th Degree Assembly #2163. He was married December 16, 1967 to the former Frances Sowell of Santa Fe, who survives. He is also survived by a son, William Paul Holt of Nashville; special friend of the family, Natalie Corwin of Nashville; a sister, Shirley Holt Walters of Columbia; 3 nephews, John Anderson " Chip" Walters of Murfreesboro, Mike (Kristi) Pennington of Hendersonville, Mark (Carole) Pennington of Durham, North Carolina; 2 nieces, Anne Walters (Vince) Springer of Spring Hill and Jan Walters Cook of Columbia; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Sally Sowell and A. B. Pennington of Hendersonville; and an aunt, Cecilia "Sis" Silver of Loretto. Active pallbearers are Chip Walters, Vince Springer, Michael Pennington, Mark Pennington, Blake Pennington, Eric Rogers, Todd Gieske, Stanley Silver, and Jackie Holt. Honorary pallbearers include A. B. Pennington, Daniel Pennington, Nick Pennington, Bobby Potts, Jackie Potts, James Ed Pollard, Ned Pollard, Paul Bryant, Jimmy Wilsford, Gable Campbell, Joe Bell, Ray Holden, Billy Pugh, Jerry Haynes, Jimmy Bloss, Mack Miles, Bill Reischman, Joe Ed Reischman, Tommy Reischman, Gaston Norris, Jerry Norris, Jay Norris, Kenneth Snelgrove, Richard McAdams, Joe Caudle, Phil Hulsey, George Gieske, Carl Gieske, Steve and Dee Konz, Dr. William Robinson, Dr. Amit Choksi, Mike and Cindy Dugger, Betty Howard, Cheryl Edlin, Rayburn Ellis, Tara Freeland, Greg Freeland, Joe Perko, Knights of Columbus, Hardees Coffee Drinkers, Central High School Class of 1954, past and present employees of Middle Tennessee Experiment Station, Maury County Park walkers, Staff of Maury Regional Hospital, and Staff of NHC Hillview.