Isaac Daniel Holmes, Sr.

Isaac Daniel Holmes, Sr., 80, of Delaware Avenue, Asheville, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, January 19, 2006, following a battle with leukemia. A native of Horry County, SC, he was a son of the late Daniel Iverson and Iola Todd Holmes. He was also preceded in death by a brother, William McKinley Holmes, his wife Annabelle and their son Samuel. He attended Loris High School where he won 3rd place in the mile relay at the State Track Meet in Columbia. After graduating from high school in 1943, he immediately enlisted in the Naval Air Technical Training Center, NAS, Jacksonville, Florida, where he graduated as an Aviation Machinist Mate. He was a member of the NATTC boxing team and served at NAS Sanford and NAS Vero Beach, FL. As a crew leader he serviced and maintained the F6F Hell-Cat night fighter plane and SB2C Curtis Hell-Driver Bomber. He attended specialty schools for these planes, flew as a Night Flight Safety Observer crew member and was a member of the hurricane evacuation team. He and Susie DeBerry of Rockingham, NC were married on October 9, 1944, in Florence, SC and lived in Vero Beach while he was in the Navy. They enjoyed the warm, sunny strolls across the golf course and orange groves to go fishing off the Indian River Bridge, walking and picnicking on the beach. Upon release from active duty, Isaac became a “Weekend Warrior” for the next twenty years, training out of NAS Atlanta with annual two weeks training missions around the country. He attended Kings College in Charlotte, NC majoring in accounting and receiving honorable mentions by the president of the school at graduation. In 1958 he became an inheritance and gift tax examiner for the NC Dept. of Revenue, serving the 21 western most counties in the state and working closely with the courts, bank trust departments and other estate attorneys. He held certificates from the International Association of Assessing Officers in fundamentals of real estate appraisal and income approach appraisal. He earned a certificate from A-B Tech in sales and brokerage of real estate and was a candidate for LLB degree from Blackstone School of Law. He audited and evaluated estates and gift tax returns in his district acquiring many dear friends in the judicial, legal and banking communities and with realtors in his work throughout Western North Carolina whom he missed after retirement. He was awarded the Revenue Employee of the Month in September 1976 for “meritorious service rendered to the department and community”. His photo and plaque adorned the entrance to the Revenue Building in Raleigh. He retired in 1989 after 32 years of service. Following retirement, he and Susie enjoyed traveling, making many trips throughout the USA and visited four continents around the world. His hobby was playing his D28 Martin guitar and writing songs about Susie, the Smokies, Florida and his late Precious Katie schnauzer and the current Miss Noel. For several years he attended Sand Hill Baptist Church where he served as chairman of the Deacon Board. Later he attended Christ Fellowship Church and served as deacon and elder. More recently he attended The Rock of Asheville where he enjoyed the preaching of the Word, worship and praise, the music program and the kind, loving fellowship of the church including his church adoptive children and grandchildren. Isaac is survived by his dearly beloved and devoted wife of 61 years, Susie DeBerry Holmes; a daughter, Brenda Holmes Hopkins and husband David of Arden; a son, Isaac Daniel Holmes, Jr. and wife Joyce of Asheville; brothers, Henry H. Holmes and wife Mildred of Darlington, SC, Alton D. Holmes and wife Marie of Conway, SC and James E. Holmes and wife Myrtle of Conway, SC; a sister, Willie Ann Holmes Kelly and husband Otis of Florence, SC; one granddaughter and several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Graveside services will be 2:00 pm Sunday at Forest Lawn Memorial Park with the Rev. Kirk Bowman officiating. His family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 pm Saturday at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue and request that memorials may be made to “Seize The Future” Program, c/o The Rock, 273 Monte Vista Road, Candler, NC 28715.