Joseph F. Holman ’47

Joseph F. Holman ’47 died on October 12, 2008, in Farmington, Maine.

Born August 15, 1925, he was the son of Currier C. Holman of the Class of 1906. He prepared for college at Farmington High School, where he was a member of the state championship basketball team of 1942, and at Hebron Academy. He was admitted to Bowdoin as a member of the class of 1947, but volunteered for the U.S. Navy pilot training program in October of 1993 and attended Middlebury College and midshipman’s schools, obtaining his commission. The V-5 pilot program was cancelled, and he was discharged in 1946 as a lieutenant. A member of Delta Sigma fraternity, he graduated from Bowdoin magna cum laude and then attended Boston University School of Law, graduating in 1950. He was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Maine in 1951 and joined his father at the family law firm in Franklin County. He served as president of the Maine Medical-Legal Society, was a member of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, as well as the American Bar Association. A member of the Maine State Bar Association executive committee, he served as its president, a position also held by his father and grandfather, in 1971. He served local and state government positions over the years, including three terms as county attorney and service as state senator from Franklin County. He was active leader and member in his community, Old South Church, and the Republican Party. He enjoyed skiing and was an original stockholder of Sugarloaf Mountain and an organizer and director of Saddleback Mountain ski area.An avid fly fisherman and a registered Maine master guide, he was clerk and member of the Megantic Fish and Game Club for over 40 years. He is survived by his wife, Brenda Hart Holman, whom he married in 1977.