'He put others first'
May 19—The impact left by the passing of Holly Pond councilmember Charles Holcomb stretches far beyond the municipal borders of the town where he served and reflects a life dedicated to putting others before himself.
Holly Pond Mayor Carla Hart said the last time she spoke to Holcomb was the Thursday before he passed away on Sunday, May 14. She said this was standard procedure for Holcomb, who made it a point to stop by the town hall most days to see if there was anything he could do around the town.
"Charles became part of the town council in 2020, the same time I went in office as the mayor. He attended town meetings for a couple of years before he became a councilmember and seemed to always have an interest in what was going on around Holly Pond. He had a kind and giving heart and wanted to be a part of making Holly Pond a wonderful place to live. He was a great asset to the town in many ways. He put others first before himself," Hart said in a statement sent to The Times.
Long before his time as an elected official, Holcomb was dedicated to greeting the students at Welti and Hanceville Elementary Schools as they boarded the school bus each morning. Welti Principal Gina Webb said she had worked with Holcomb for more than a decade and "could probably count on one hand how many times he's missed work."
Because of Holcomb's consistency and the humor he would use with the students each morning and afternoon on the bus, Webb said he quickly became somewhat of a grandfather figure for the children.
"He would joke around with them, but they also knew that he was somebody who they could count on. I can count on one hand, if not just one or two fingers, how many times he was not driving the bus. I think that he was just somebody that was a constant, and was consistent in their daily lives," Webb said.
Webb said Holcomb also spent the brief amount of time he was on the Welti campus each day to ask about the well-being of the faculty and school itself and could always be counted on to lighten the moods of those he came in contact with.
"He was kind, loving, and sincerely cared for all of our students. He brightened each and every day with his sense of humor. He had an uncanny ability to recognize when something was going on with our students and always tried to cheer them up. He was deeply loved by all of Welti and will be terribly missed. However, he will always be in our hearts," Webb said.
Hart said her experience with Holcomb was the same and that he was always ready to lend an encouraging word when needed.
"I, and I'm sure the council members and town clerk, will miss his humor, kindness and boldness on matters concerning the town and the advice and opinions he always shared with us. He was a great motivator. He would always tell me 'You've got this boss,' and encouraged me in everything I did," Hart said.
A celebration of life is planned for 6 p.m. on Monday, May 22, at Holly Pond Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting contributions be made in memory of Holcomb to Holly Pond Methodist Church or the church's Celebrate Recovery Ministry.
