Charles Thomas Holt's Obituary
CHARLES THOMAS HOLT 55, of Manoa Valley, passed away on Saturday, August 4, 2018 surrounded by his family. Charles was born on July 26, 1963 in Honolulu, the seventh child of the late Lemon Wond “Russ” and Carol Ann (Hunnicutt) Holt. A 1981 honor graduate of Roosevelt High School, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics at Whitman College and taught science and mathematics at Waipahu High School for three years. In 1993 he earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from UC Berkeley, receiving numerous awards, and later completed a residency in primary care at the San Francisco Veteran’s Administration Hospital. Dr. Holt was the owner of Honolulu Eye Care and later a co-owner of Buena Vista Eyecare in San Jose, California. He founded an outreach program known as Sight2Success to provide top level pediatric eye-care for at-risk children in the San Jose area, and served on the board of the Healthier Kids Foundation in Santa Clara County.
Charles was an enthusiastic adventurer. Among other things, he and his friends or relatives rafted (kayaked) rough currents off Molokai’s east end, bungee-jumped from a railway trestle in Northern California, survived a 5-hour whirlpool off Oahu’s leeward coast on surfboards, and swam 1.5 miles from Alcatraz Island to shore in an “Escape from the Rock” event.
Before returning to the Islands in 2017, Charles and his family lived in Fremont, California for 18 years. He enjoyed supporting his children as they participated in activities ranging from sports to music to dance. In particular he expressed “fond feelings for the Gator Swim Team and their positive fun style that helps so many kids in swimming and in fun and in life.” Charles never missed an opportunity to create memories via family road trips, cruises, and tours exploring national and international landmarks.
Charles is survived by his wife, Carole Anne (Dung) Holt, and by their children Catherine, Christina, and Christopher. He leaves behind six sisters, Karen, Ann (Milo) Wiltbank, Susan, Jeanne (James) Brady, Mary (Dan) Holt-Gosselin, and Alice (Mark) Taum; two brothers, Paul and Steven (Deanna); and his ‘calabash’ brothers, Bobby Driskill, Todd Wataoka, and Steven Jandoc.
Visitation will be at 10:00 am on Friday, September 7, 2018 at Central Union Church. A Celebration of Life will begin at 10:30 am, with a reception to follow. Aloha attire
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