Hollister
– Local residents mourned one of Hollister’s most beloved and
recognizable philanthropists, Marley Holte, who died Saturday at
Stanford Hospital.
Hollister – Local residents mourned one of Hollister’s most beloved and recognizable philanthropists, Marley Holte, who died Saturday at Stanford Hospital.
Holte, 80, was best known for his annual Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, which fed hundreds of needy residents and brought the community together each year. Friend and business associate David Baumgartner said Holte died peacefully Saturday afternoon following a lifetime of community service.
“You can just go on and on,” Baumgartner said Monday. “He was special and I will miss him dearly. People will remember him as a giving person.”
Holte’s son, Dan, said he has received a tremendous outpouring of support from the community following his father’s death.
“They are coming out, they’re asking what they can do to help,” he said. “They’re stepping forward and showing a lot of support.”
But Dan said his father wouldn’t want many tears shed on his behalf.
“My dad always wanted a big party, a celebration of his life, a celebration of life,” he said. “He didn’t want crying and sobbing.”
Holte dedicated his life to service and his accomplishments are many.
“He was the most dedicated person I ever met,” said San Benito County Supervisor Reb Monaco, who worked with Holte at both R.O. Hardin and Rancho San Justo schools. “Marley was just very supportive of the downtrodden. He’s going to be missed.”
Congressman Sam Farr said he was saddened by Holte’s passing.
“Marley never stopped looking to improve peoples’ lives and make the world a better place,” Farr said Monday. “I will miss his friendship and voice of conscience in the public arena.”
Although Holte’s death will leave a void in many organizations, San Benito County Supervisor Pat Loe said it was an opportunity for a new generation of civic-minded leaders to step forward.
“When Marley got an idea of how we wanted to help, he was going to make it happen,” Loe said Monday. “And he had the tenacity to follow through. There will be a void, but it’s time for new people to step forward.”
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 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.
After accepting an award last year, Holte told the Free Lance that his civic work wasn’t motivated by a desire for acknowledgment.
“I never did this for the recognition,” he said last year. “I’ve always done it because it needed to be done.”
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. Holte said the success of the dinners is the result of widespread community support.
Dan Holte said his father’s legacy will live on.
“People will remember his fight for the homeless and his holiday dinners,” he said. “Getting a homeless shelter built would be his greatest wish.”
Hollister City Councilman Doug Emerson said he and the other members of the city’s Homeless Task Force would continue to strive to that end.
“We’ve got a responsibility to do that,” he said. “He drove that vision and we will continue to make that vision a reality.”
Brett Rowland covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or br******@fr***********.com.
