Hollister
– More than a hundred family members, friends and colleagues
filled the First Presbyterian church Wednesday morning to say
goodbye to one of San Benito County’s most beloved characters,
Marley Holte.
Hollister – More than a hundred family members, friends and colleagues filled the First Presbyterian church Wednesday morning to say goodbye to one of San Benito County’s most beloved characters, Marley Holte.
“Marley was truly one of the greatest men I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing,” friend Diane Ortiz Petersen said in a eulogy.
Holte, 80, died at Stanford Hospital Sept. 16. The man has been a familiar face in the community for decades, thanks to his efforts on behalf of local youth, minorities and particularly the homeless, though friends remember him as a modest person who was reluctant to take too much credit for his good deeds.
“If he looked in on us today he’d say, ‘What is the big thing here? What’s the deal? I didn’t do that much,'” friend David Baumgartner said. “That was typical of Marley.”
The church was filled with faces from county and city government, local community service organizations, and the local education, business and faith communities for a celebration of Holte’s life. Though tears were shed, many times during the ceremony the sanctuary rang with laughter as friends remembered Holte’s competitive spirit, tenacity and unique sense of humor as well as his good works.
“Toward the end of his life … he told me, ‘I’ll be honest with you, I don’t even buy green bananas anymore,'” friend Al Castaneda said.
The generally upbeat ceremony was in accordance with Holte’s wishes – there was even a band on-hand for the reception afterwards.
“Marley wanted a celebration, a big party,” Pastor Rick Pennington said.
Holte moved to Hollister in 1966 and taught at R.O. Hardin School for several years before becoming a principal. He served in that position, at both R.O. Hardin and Rancho San Justo School, for 18 years. After retiring in 1987, he went into real estate and eventually opened Crown Realty in 1994. That same year, he served as mayor of the City of San Juan Bautista.
Holte had also served as president of the San Benito County Little League; commissioner of Hollister’s Parks and Recreation Commission; director of the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce; member of the San Juan Bautista Planning Commission; president of the 33rd District Agricultural Fair Board; chairman of the Rotary Club and president of the San Benito County League of United Latin American Citizens.
In addition to serving on nearly every local community organization, Holte had piled up an astounding collection of accolades, including “Realtor of Year” in 1993 and “Outstanding Man of the Year” in 1996. He was also a strong advocate for the creation of a homeless shelter, which opened on a seasonal basis last winter.
He founded Marley Holte’s Community Assistance Program and provided free dinners on Thanksgiving and Christmas. He started the Christmas dinners about 20 years ago after he and his wife decided to pool their money and feed the needy instead of buying gifts for each other. Several years later they started organizing Thanksgiving dinners as well. The Holiday Dinners began in 1985 and have continued since. The annual dinners, which have more than doubled in size since their inception, are funded entirely by donations from area businesses and community members.
“It wasn’t just the awards and accolades that made Marley who he was,” Ortiz Petersen said. “It was his enthusiasm, his willingness to do what others were unable to do, his determination to tackle the hard stuff and say what needed to be said. It’s those moments of courage that inspire us, and how he lived his life with warmth and integrity.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
ds****@fr***********.com
.
