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Item M12 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: September 19 - 20, 2001 Division: District 1 Bulk Item: Yes No Department: Commissioner Dixie M. Spehar AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of a resolution honoring the memory and community service of Captain Jerry Holmes, who passed away on August 11, 2001 at the age of 50. . ITEM BACKGROUND: Captain Jerry Holmes Served his country in Viet Nam and continued serving by devoting his life full- time to the Salvation Army. He greatly increased the disaster relief role of the organization helping countless people in need of food, water and shelter. Captain Holmes had a great impact on Monroe County and his presence will be missed. PREVIOUS REVELANT BOCC ACTION: CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: TOTAL COST: o BUDGETED: Yes No COST TO COUNTY: 0 REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes No AMOUNT PER MONTH Year APPROVED BY: County Atty ~ OMB/Purchasing Risk Management - - DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL: /I~ >no ~ (Commissioner ixie M. Spehar) DOCUMENTATION: Included x To Follow Not Required DISPOSITION: AGENDA ITEM #~,). Revised 2/27/01 COMMISSIONER DIXIE M. SPEHAR RESOLUTION NO. -2001 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY IN RECOGNITION OF THE LATE CAPTAIN JERRY HOLMES WHEREAS, Captain Jerry Holmes a fonner resident of Key West passed away at the age of 50 on August 11, 2001; and WHEREAS, Captain Holmes and his future wife Mary, met at a Salvation Anny summer camp where they spent 20 years teaching summer school and working with youth programs. WHEREAS, Captain Holmes a fonner U.S. Marine, served 13 months in Vietnam, and upon his return in 1970, he and Mary renewed their friendship and were married two years later; and WHEREAS, Captain Holmes worked as a Ford Motor Company Service Manager, and in 1991, he and his wife Mary decided to devote their lives full-time to the Salvation Anny; and WHEREAS, Captain Jerry Holmes, his wife, Captain Mary Holmes, and son, Kenneth Holmes moved to Key West in 1994, where they dedicated their lives to building up the Salvation Anny in Monroe County. During the time they were here, the Salvation Anny increased from just a handful of volunteers to more than 300 in 2001; and WHEREAS, Captain Jerry Homes, and his wife Mary, re-energized the whole Salvation Anny effort in Monroe County and expanded the Army's services throughout the Keys; and WHEREAS, the Salvation Army known for its thrift stores and social services offices throughout the Keys, Captain Holmes initiated Salvation Anny Advisory Councils in Marathon and Key Largo made up of locals; and there are also open-to-the public adult programs such as the Home League for Women, the Men's Fellowship, and the League of Mercy; and for the youth there are programs such as the Sunbeams, Girl Guards and Corps Cadets, emphasizing spiritual, mental, social and physical growth. All were given a big boost when the Holmes took the helm; and WHEREAS, Captain Holmes greatly increased the Salvation Anny's disaster relief role in Monroe County with mobile feeding units, disaster supply facilities and shelter management. During Hurricane Georges, Floyd, and Irene, and Tropical Stonns Mitch and Harvey, the Salvation Anny set up showers, and mobile kitchens which served 108,315 meals, provided over 120,000 gallons of water, 3 tractor-trailer loads of ice and sheltered 1,619 people; and WHEREAS, Lt. Cot. Donald Faulkner in a tribute to Captain Holmes said, "He made our world a better place and I am a better person because of him." He also said, Captain Holmes was "a man of noble purposes, a giant of a man"; and WHEREAS, Captain David Worthy noted, "He certainly had a significant impact on this community and his touch here will be felt for many years to come"; and WHEREAS, Captain Holmes was a loving and caring person and will be remembered for his care and concern for the people in the community, and will be missed by his family and friends; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Section 1: The Board hereby adopts this Resolution as an expression to the family of their deepest sympathy in the passing of the late Captain Jerry Holmes. Section 2: family. Commissioner Dixie M. Spehar forwards a copy of this Resolution to his beloved PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, at a meeting of said Board held on the day of , A.D., 2001. Mayor George Neugent Mayor Pro Tern Nora Williams Commissioner Charles "Sonny" McCoy Commissioner Murray Nelson Commissioner Dixie M. Spehar (SEAL) Attest: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, Clerk BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By By Deputy Clerk Mayor/Chairman Salvation Army's Jerry Holmes dies of cancer at 50 IIoIaeI BY tERRY seHMlDA Citizen Features, Editor A native of Florida, Holmes served as a Marine during the Vietnam War. Upon his return to the United States, he worked at a Daytona Beach Salvation Army summer camp for 20 years, where he met his future wife Mary. After he worked for a time as a Ford Motor Co. service man- . ager, he and Mary Holmes decided in 1991 to devote their lives full-time'to the Salvation Army. They moved to Key West in 1994 with their son Kenneth, now 11. . "They were a tremendous asset down here," said Salva- tion Army boaCd member "Ibm Hambright. "And a real nice Jerry Holmes, a former Key West resident who captained the MQnroe County Salvation Army for seven years until his reassignment in June, died of cancer Saturday night at a Fort Pierce hospital He was 50 years old See HOLMES, page SA I ~ '" ". '1:' .. <,. ,-' t . ,',' , ."',' ."~~~"'\$f;i1'..~,it:=~':~ , , ,'" ' ',.' '.' , ',' cant impact OD this co1lUllunity ~ou~~~'WO'.'\{$'fdedica,t~d, 111e ,and his touch h~ wmbe felt '~. ofpeOpMthe~ldjjeed's "for 'many, years t6' &nne." saidl ',more of..:th~.reaUylnvi"rat~d ,MOllrolitGounty SalvatioltArrny tlteWhOre ~on.AnJ1yefton I" Cap'&:. Davitt Worthy. who with '. inMOmo~CoWlty:' " ' ,~,'" ~eDawnWillattendHObnes# ,v M1911g..&_U'WS4GlU~,.,,-lt.uiew onWe.mes~)l ~'Wewill.' ments ct.~~,Hatn,!lf18htatF ',lle~vm. a~~orial'semc~ the Salvatf(fh ~ts "&'$, h~lat~>>qn this Week, or early mobile diSaster rell~~tc;>ft~~, next week'." ~e also c~~th~ili,~\l}u~:" HO~~!oVe.dtogolfan~l:fish, Ung the orgamt.atiort'li~cti though h~ never got much back into the blilek; 'WIne chatl~ to do so; said hiS' bt0th- simultaneously expandillg its er-in~law"MlCk.e'YMcOlafen,. of Chicago. "He was a, terrific guy,"" McGlaren said. "I met him., about 30 years ago and he liter- . ally became my b"}It.~.just h~da real concent"ftJr people." IniJ.qw.uog" to .,.,,' hi$' "wife, " Holin.is.:~'Vtd'i>y6"st)n" j KeJUleth, thre'e. brothers, one '.sister .aI1~bi&. mothlilf. , the funeral will be held at 3 ,p.rn. We~esday at the Sal- ;' vation Army building, 605 Ohio . St., in Fort Pierce.' For inf,?rma- tion an the local memorial, call; the SaJ,vatitmArmy at294-5611.' tsaimida@keysnews.coll'1 i<~.: On Saturday, Jerry Holmes, 50, a fonner Key West resident who captained the Monroe County Salvation Army, died of cancer at a Fan Pierce hos- pital Mr. Holmes and his wife, . Mary. left the Salvation Army ii1 June after seven years with the organization. Mr. Holmes, a fanner Vietnam veteran ,turned Ford service manager, and Mary, an administrative assistant turned real estate developer, spent 20 years teaching summer camp in Daytona and working with youth programs. When they came to the Keys, they helped the Salvation Army grow and dedi- cated themselves to helping others. During Hurricane Georges, for example, they built up dis- aster kitchens andled many, many people. They developed advisory boards to help them grow as an organization. They started with just a handful ofvolun- teers an<i.today there are more than 300. There are nOw also open-to-the public programs · stich as the Home League for Women, .the Men's Fellowship, and the League of Mercy, which visits prisoners and shut-ins. For youth, there are pro- grams'such as the Sunbeams, Girl Guards and Corps Cadets. emphasizing spiritual, social and physical growth. All of them were given a boost when the Holmeses took the helm of the organization. They also put the organization's finances back into the black, while simultaneoUsly expanding services. While we have lost a won- derful man who truly made a difference in our community, . Mr. Holmes' contribution will live on. A memorial for Mr. Holmes will take place at 1 p.m. Monday at the Salvation Army headquarters, 1920 Flagler Holmes Ave. For more information. call Salvation Army Capt. David Worthy at 294-5611. "He certainly had a signifi- cant impact on this communi- ty and his touch here will be felt for many years to come," said Worthy.