On Wednesday, January 4, 2023, William (Bill) Guy Holbert‘s spirit was released from its worn-out shell of a body. In his time here on earth, he was an extremely honest, intelligent, wickedly funny and universally loved family man and successful businessman. He loved his family, his music, dancing, a good laugh, good scotch, golf and Penn State football. He was intensely proud of and grateful for his entire family.
Bill was born on April 20, 1935, to Guy Holbert and Virgeline Westlake in Elmira, NY. After graduating high school, he joined the Army during the Korean conflict and served in Germany. Returning from overseas, he met and married his sweetheart, Jean Cox, in 1957. They moved to Pennsylvania so he could attend Penn State University on the G.I. Bill while starting a family. He graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1960, the first in his family to graduate college.
After graduation, Bill began his professional career working for the U.S. government’s Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in Washington, DC. His entire business career was in the communications industry, selling the technology used to build our amazing telecommunications infrastructure. Working in sales and marketing he traveled extensively and relocated his family through four states finally ending up in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. When he retired as Sales Manager for NEC America in 2000, he was selling the fastest core network switch in the world.
After retiring Bill enjoyed being off the road, playing golf, watching Penn State football, visiting Hawaii, listening to his beloved music, etc., but most of all, spending time with his family. He also started his own business, ‘Doubleagle Golf’.
In addition to his parents, his sister, Kay Holbert, predeceased Bill. Two recent hard-hitting losses for him included two favorite cousins, Russell Brown and Ken “Pete” Powell. Surviving is his loving family: wife and best friend, Jean Holbert, Colleyville, TX; his children: Shelley (Terry) Aday, Bedford TX; Sheila (Paul) Gendron, Keller, TX; Guy (Sherry) Holbert, Colleyville, TX; Gregg Holbert, N. Richland Hills, TX; Cindy Hopwood, Mansfield, PA. Bill also leaves behind two beloved “little” sisters, Janine Zarbock and Rita Henning, both of Carrollton, TX; seven grandchildren: Haley (Craig) Martin, Alec (Ali) Gendron, Kyle (Kendall) Gendron, Corey (Adrianna) Gendron, Shelby (Spencer) Rutledge, Vanessa Hopwood, Grant (Hattie) Hopwood; and seven great-grandchildren.
For those of us left here that loved him, it is as the great Roger Miller once sang (along with Dwight Yoakam) “The only time I feel the pain is in the sunshine or the rain”, “and it only hurts me when I cry.” We will always remember, however, what we have had.
A Celebration of Life was held on Tuesday, January 17th, 2023 at 3:00 PM CST. So many friends and family that loved Bill attended, and we are sure that he was bent over a stereo somewhere up in heaven playing Frank Sinatra’s Strangers in the Night to close the celebration.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (michaeljfox.org).
Click the link below to view the memorial slide show of William
Guy “Bill” Holbert
Bill was not only my father in-law. He was also a great friend to me for over 30 years. We had common interests like aviation and electronic gadgetry. My world will not be the same without him. Rest in Heaven, Bill.
Remembering you on Father’s Day June 18th, 2023