JAY D. HOLMES

Longtime Sitka resident Jay D. Holmes died suddenly Nov. 8, 2005, at the age of 63.

A memorial service will be held Monday at 2 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in Wasilla, 900 Leatherleaf Loop.

Mr. Holmes was born July 24, 1942 in Washington. During that time, Sitka's women and children were evacuated from town for fear of Japanese invasion.

Alice Holmes returned to the family home in Sitka when Mr. Holmes was 6 weeks old.

Spending most of his life in Sitka, Mr. Holmes left for school in Bozeman, Mont., where he met and married his wife of 40 years, Rebecca.

Mr. Holmes was self-employed in construction and commercial fishing for many years and involved in the building of Castle Hill, the current St. Michael's Cathedral, Totem Park Visitors' Center and Harrigan Centennial Hall.

Mr. Holmes served Sitka as a fire department volunteer as well as sitting on the borough assembly as chairman shortly before the combining of the borough and city governments.

For the last decade, Mr. Holmes and his wife lived in Wasilla, and he was doing what he truly enjoyed, working with the Alaska Craftsman home-building program.

Mr. Holmes developed and taught classes on the science of building homes for Alaska's climate throughout the state.

Other than five years spent in the rural villages of Alaska's interior, Mr. Holmes and his wife raised their three children in Sitka.

His family wrote, &#8220His greatest joy in life was time spent with his family, friends and enjoying the outdoors.”

Mr. Holmes was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca; his children and their families, Jody, Korie, Zoe, Orland, and Owen Holmes of Sitka, Merry, Kierra and Lacy Holmes of Anchorage and Joel Holmes of Wasilla, and his seven siblings and their families.