Thomas E. Holtz

Visitation for Thomas E. Holtz, 62, of Bradley, will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at the Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home, Bourbonnais. A procession will leave the funeral home at 10 a.m. Tuesday to proceed to Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, for the 11 a.m. burial services, with military honors. Memorials may be made to Pause for Patriotism Inc. He passed away Tuesday (Jan. 31, 2012) at his home. He was born Feb. 19, 1949, in Kankakee, the son of Fritz and Julia Gulczynski Holtz. He resided in Bradley most of his life. He graduated from Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School and joined the U.S. Marines. He was sent to Vietnam in 1968, where he was severely wounded. He survived, but lost his left leg below the knee. He retired/disabled from the U.S. Marine Corps that year. Tom went on to attend numerous barber and hair styling schools both locally and in Europe. He then began his career as a stylist, and after more than 20 years in the business and having three local shops, he retired. Tom never considered himself disabled. If anything, it made him more determined to be active both in his personal life and his community. With that said, he went on to be one of the founders of the much-noted, communitywide Pause for Patriotism (1993 to present) program held each year on Veterans Day. He did so out of a sense of patriotism, as a salute to the military and our nation's freedom. This was especially true for our wounded and fallen military heroes. He was associated with a number of other community and veteran organizations. Tom was an avid boater and belonged to his much-loved Kankakee Valley Boat Club. He always said, "If I miss anything, I will really miss boating and being with those guys and gals down at the boat club." He enjoyed water-skiing and snow-skiing. One thing for sure, anyone who met Tom will have varied and numerous memories: Compassionate, determined, wild and crazy, helpful, opinionated, humorous, or just your good friend Tom. In the end, Tom's sense of duty to his country and love for his family and friends will surely be missed by all. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Erik and Kasey Holtz, of Wheatridge, Colo.; grandchildren, Maddison and Davis; former wife, Vickie Wright, of Sandia, Texas; close friend, Jan Bartels; one brother, Richard L. "Butch" Holtz, and sister-in-law, Karen, of Virginia Beach, Va.; his niece, Erica Holtz Thompson, her son, Logan, and husband, Mark Thompson, of Reston, Va. He is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends in and out of the Kankakee area. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Thomas E. Holtz

February 19, 1949 - January 31, 2012