John Francis Holt

John Francis Holt was born on May 17th 1949 in Nottingham, UK.  His father, Frank Holt, was a veteran of the 117th RAF Squadron involved in the WWII Burma campaign and stationed at RAF Aboukir Alexandria during the war. Frank met Anastasia Alice, a schoolteacher, in Cairo - they married then moved to the UK in 1946.

John grew up in the city next to both the Arboretum (the oldest public park in Nottingham) and the Forest (location for the annual Goose Fair) providing him with a sense, as he put it, "of adventure and joy". His parents were keen gardeners. Frank had his own productive garden in St. Anns Allotments and no doubt this exposure to the great English gardening traditions contributed to John's love of and interest in gardens. He planted several in the UK and California, and always loved to visit new gardens to get ideas for plants and plantings.

At the age of three, John visited Egypt for several months with his mother and elder brother, Gregory, travelling by ship on the Union-Castle Line. While in Egypt, John was a pageboy at his Aunt Sophia's wedding, and there he met his grandmother, all six aunts and uncles, his cousins and extended family. His family returned the UK in August 1953 - after the overthrow of King Farouk but before Nasser finally took power.

John attended Nottingham High Pavement Grammar School. At 10 years old, he won one of four Boy Chorister places out of 400 applicants at Southwell Minster Cathedral School. There he would have been able to greatly expand his musical education and enjoy his love of singing; but it was not meant to be. In his late teens, he dreamt of becoming a classical guitarist and would travel to London for lessons. His passion and commitment could not overcome a weakness in his left hand - perhaps a sign of his later disease - and he stopped pursuing a musical career. John's musical tastes were eclectic, and he liked to turn the volume up!  Zappa, Ibrahim Maalouf, Ravel, Bill Evans, Debussy, Beady Belle were some of his favorites that he played again and again, and he was always keen to share his favorite artists with his favorite people. A musical soul, he was often moved to tears by the beauty of music.

When he was 20, John traveled to Israel to live on a Kibbutz. He had no idea of his Jewish ancestry at that time, but was drawn to "living in a different country, with a different way of life, working for the benefit of others". He stayed for several months, returning to the UK when his father died. Frank had suffered greatly from his WWII experience and died at an early age - John was impressed by his father's determination to "never give up" despite all his hardships. 

John once called himself a troubleshooter, and his strengths were his perseverance, his attention to detail, his intelligent and tenacious research, and his optimistic belief that there was a solution to most problems. These qualities were obvious in his professional life - he started his own Tofu production company from scratch, one of only two such companies in the UK; building-out a brand new factory unit; expanding his product line and developing a nationwide delivery system that included tofu, burgers, and ice cream. After running his own restaurant and acting as a consultant with local catering establishments, John went to work for Daybrook Fisheries, based in New Jersey and Louisiana. Always keen to use the latest technology, he was instrumental in many improvements and upgrades.

John was a Taurus, born in the Year of the Ox, and Lesley a Virgo, born in the Year of the Goat. According to astrological computations, the match should not have endured - but it did - for 51 years. John loved his family deeply and extended his patience and protection to anyone that he felt needed his help. He was curious and genuinely interested in people, often making lasting connections with people on their first meeting. John was compassionate and passionate, kind and generous, wickedly humorous, sometimes almost to the point of being risqué . He abhorred prejudice and bullying of all kinds, and was never afraid to stand up to it.

John realized from an early age that peace came from within, and that finding it was fundamental to a well-lived life: his daily meditation practice was a source of joy and stability - he was always keen to encourage others to find their own inner peace. Horrified by the terrible conditions of the incarcerated, John endeavored to bring some of this practice to prisoners. He spent many years as a volunteer interacting with the US and international prison systems, professional associations such as the CEA, and Victim Support groups. He managed a team of artists, graphic designers, translators, editors and publishers as he developed resources and programs that could be used in the personal education of prisoners. John traveled through mainland US, Hawaii and Europe and, as a result of his work, he received hundreds of letters thanking him for his efforts.

John's health was never great and over the years he suffered from various problems - he had chronic carbon monoxide poisoning that eventually, at 18, left him in a coma for a couple of days; a broken spine from a car accident; poisonous levels of mercury and pesticides; and severe Lyme disease. As part of his efforts to counteract memory loss, John learnt memory techniques and Mind Mapping, eventually teaching his own family, friends and clients.

After a particularly debilitating period, John started Lawn Bowling, joining two clubs in beautiful Santa Barbara where he became a strong competitor and valued team member until weakness in his left hand forced him to stop playing. He had long sought remedies for his worsening health before being finally diagnosed with ALS in 2021.

After a visit to the Broad Museum in Los Angeles, John became interested in the vivid colorations of Abstract Minimalism; specifically Carmen Herrera, Joseph Albers, and Ellsworth Kelly. Always claiming that he wasn't a real artist, he delighted in filling his house with large canvases of vibrant color. He had a lot of fun looking at books, choosing paints and canvases, and planning his next piece. Over the course of 18 months, he completed about 18 canvases, latterly relying on his son Jerome to paint under his instruction.

In his last years John enjoyed tooling around in his garden, watching his plants grow, setting up and sharing camera footage of the abundant fauna, continuing to learn from documentaries and travel programs, listening to music (loud) and recounting his many life stories. He wrested dignity and kindness out of a terrible incurable wasting disease, and tried his utmost to be grateful for his precious life. John was brave, curious and full of humor right to the end.

John died in the early evening at home in Ojai, California on March 16, 2026 at age 76. His last words were "I love you" and "Thank you".

John leaves behind his brother Gregory, his wife Lesley, children Celine, Gabriel, Jerome, Theodora, Sophie, and four grandchildren, Azielle, Yumi, Etienne and Gavin.

Celebration of life - details to be announced. Please contact Lesley Holt at lah5@me.com for details.

Any gifts will be gratefully received by the ALS Network or Team Gleason.