Obituary of Mary Holder

Mary W. (Latta) Holder, a resident of Burlington for over 47 years, passed away at the Lahey Clinic on Tuesday morning, February 6, 2007. The wife of the late Ralph F. Holder who passed away in June of 2005, she was 85 year old. Mary was born in Washington, D.C. She was the daughter of the late William J. and Sarah Latta. She was raised and educated in Somerville. She was a graduate of St. Josephs in Somerville and the Somerville High School Class of 1939. Mary went on to attend Burdett College in Boston. Mary and her husband Ralph settled in Burlington in 1959 where they raised their three children. She was employed for many years as a receptionist and switchboard operator at Microwave & Technical Operations both located in Burlington and E. B. Badgers in Boston. Mary was a talented seamstress and loved to sew. She also enjoyed shopping at the mall, playing bingo and taking trips to Hampton Beach. Mary was a kind and loving woman who was blessed to live a wonderful life filled with many special times spent with her late husband Ralph, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mary is the beloved wife of the late Ralph F. She is the loving mother of Edward Holder & his wife Donna of Lowell, Robert Holder & his wife Judy of Brookline, NH and Leslie & her husband Guy Leva of Bradford, MA. She is the sister of the late William, Edward Henry & John Latta, Margaret Codner and Theresa Monagle. Mary is also survived by 11 grandchildren & 7 great grandchildren and she is the “Special Life Long Friend” of Phyllis Massa of Watertown. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Friday, Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Thursday 4-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Mary’s name may be made to St. Margaret’s Building Fund, 111 Winn St., Burlington, MA 01803. Carly's Eulogy Eulogy This is my remembrance of my Nana, Mary Winifred Holder, who died at the age of 85, February 6th, 2007. I think that I have been acquainted with all of you here today but, for those of you who don’t know me; my name is Carly, Mary’s Grandchild, and daughter of Bob and Judy Holder. My Nana was truly a remarkable woman! Intelligent, Passionate, Curious, Outgoing, Strong-willed, and extremely Independent! I got the joy of really seeing who my Nana was this past year while living with her…and sharing a bathroom… she got 99% of the toiletry cabinet space with all of her makeup, lotions, hair products…and I got 1% It was actually the other way around, she was a trooper! Everyday when I came home from work Nana was always sitting at the kitchen table waiting with anticipation to talk about my day….did I win a contest, how many men did I out-sell, and what did I do for lunch! Nana would get especially excited when I came home with shopping bags. She told me that I was a woman of her heart because she would skip lunch, as well, and shop! (Your never gonna know what’s gonna be on that clearance rack) Our conversations quickly changed from how was your day at work to where did you shop and what did you get! Nana loved to shop!!! I truly believe that she loved being a woman! Even after her passing, her doctor that had been treating her for years told my father that he always thought of Nana as a “Classy Yankee Lady” and SHE SURE WAS! She always had her hair done, nails were always perfect, she had the best shoes and of course the perfect purse to match, the best suites, and make-up…and wouldn’t ya know, Granddad never understood any of that but, appreciated ALL of it! And, dear I forget to mention her jewelry, which by the way she loved to take out from time to time and explain where it came from, how long ago she got it and how precious it was to her. What I will hold dear to my heart about Nana is our conversations…she literally was a never ending-pit of conversation! She knew everything about anything and we seemed to effortlessly relate to each other. Nana told me a couple months ago that she felt like a 30 year old woman in an 85 year olds body…and I have to say, her body may have been failing but, her mind, her mind has always been as sharp as a needle! And, now that I think back about it, it could have been all the tea that she drank. Nana drank up to 10 cups a day! This wasn’t just any cup of tea, it was a Lipton brand, at a rolling boil, filled to the brim and the bag left in so that the tea was good n’ strong…anything less, and it had to go back! (As we all found out). I was thinking about acknowledging her accomplishments through life but that seems pointless because what she truly valued was her family and friends! Nana was a devoted wife to Ralph, my grandfather…they were truly a living example of what a marriage and friendship of 57 years should be. They leave behind 3 beautiful children: My uncle Eddie, My father Bob, and My auntie Leslie, 11 amazing Grandchildren, and 7 adoring Great Grandchildren! Which I’m sure, all hold their own special remembrances of our Nana. Nana- May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your field and until we meet again May God hold you in the palm of his hand. Thank You, Carly Herter