Gerald "Jerry" Holman

Gerald J. Holman was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on November 14, 1930, to Clifford and Elsa Holman. Around age 10, the family moved to Pomona, California for opportunity. He attended Pomona High School, excelling with trumpet performance and picking up the game of tennis. During his senior year of high school, he was the drum major for his high school band in the Rose Parade.

During his high school years, he developed what would become two lifetime friendships. He described Southern California – the Orange Groves, the cars and beaches as idyllic.

Upon high school graduation, he attended Mt. San Antonio Junior College, then La Verne College, playing tennis (and the trumpet) for both schools. During this time, he met and ultimately married Eloise Ford, just before he entered the service during the Korean War. He and mom travelled to Houston, Texas and lived on base and in a travel trailer during his time in the service, where he served as editor of the base newspaper.

Once his service was complete, he and Eloise moved back to California, where Eloise worked to put Jerry through his last two years of college. Following graduation with honors from La Verne College, he went to work for Household Finance Company for 13 years, rising to District Manager in charge of the bulk of the offices in the Los Angeles Division. 

In early 1968, Jerry received a phone call from Jack Melhorn, his college sociology professor, who had become the president of McPherson College. Ultimately, Jerry became the Director of Development and later tennis coach for the Bulldogs, positions he held until his early 60s.

Kansas afforded the family for more time together, developing interests in horses with Sheree, continued tennis with Craig, boating and vacations. All were big changes when compared to life in Southern California.

While in McPherson, Jerry and Eloise began acquiring rental properties, adding to the portfolio when Jerry’s brother, Dwain, moved to McPherson to work in that business. At one point, he, Eloise, and Dwain managed more than 60 rental units in town.

Upon “retirement”, Jerry and Eloise liquidated their real estate holdings, selling many, and giving others to McPherson College in the form of lifetime annuities.

During his life, he loved automobiles, homes, vacation places, boats, and RVs, trading often, and always for a better “deal”. Later in life, he estimated he’d owned 61 different automobiles, accurately listing the years and models of each.

He and Eloise enjoyed automobile travel, visiting each of the “lower 48”, Canada and Mexico, boating in many rivers, lakes, even navigating the Eastern Seaboard’s inland waterways from Florida to New England. RV destinations included Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, enjoying winters down south, and huge churches for snowbirds, making many friends along the way.

One of Jerry’s greatest sources of pride became all the young men he coached at McPherson College. He was proud of the people each of them had become, which was far more important to him than the quality of athlete each one was. He followed each of their careers, families and accomplishments, largely taking credit as each did well.

Jerry is survived by Eloise, his wife of 72 years; daughter, Sheree Collins and her husband, Charles, and daughter, Sara (Tyler); son, Craig Holman and his wife, Karen, and children, Alyson and Michael (Bernitez).

He was preceded in death by parents, Clifford & Elsa Holman; sister, Judy; and brother, Dwain.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM, Saturday, February 8, 2025, at Stockham Family Funeral Home, with Rev. Kathryn Whitacre officiating.  Burial will follow at McPherson Cemetery.  To view a live stream broadcast of the service, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Memorial donations can be made to McPherson College Tennis in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.