Wilson A. "Bill" Holden

Wilson A. “Bill” Holden, 91, of Oldsmar, Florida; beloved husband of 64 years to Rhoda (Bragg) Holden, passed away December 28, 2015 at Mease Countryside Hospital, Safety Harbor.  Bill was born in West Stewartstown, New Hampshire on October 29, 1924 to the late Myron L. Holden and Florence (Young) Holden Barber.  Bill attended schools in Colebrook, New Hampshire, and Duxbury, Massachusetts.  Before turning age 18 he worked at family farms in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.  He was employed at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Connecticut for 25 years as a machinist.  After his employment with Pratt & Whitney he moved to Greenfield, Massachusetts and bought and sold real estate.  Before moving to Florida, he enjoyed returning to Colebrook for fishing and hunting as well as family reunions.  In Oldsmar he was fond of visiting Tampa Bay Downs and also discovered his hobby of working in cement making statues and other things, mostly animals.  He made over 2,000 of his creations and gave them to his “subjects.”  Some were of local TV and radio personalities, doctors, politicians, bank employees, and numerous social contacts from doing his regular errands at Walmart and Walgreen's.  He always signed them as “Sculptor Bill Holden.”  He also enjoyed baking cinnamon raisin bread and giving it away to people he cared about.  He loved to make apple pies and enjoying how nobody could make them as good as he could...along with his spaghetti sauce.  He said it wasn't bragging if it was true.  Besides his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Cynthia Chapin and her husband Robert, also of Oldsmar, two grandsons, Michael of Connecticut and William Holden, Jr. of Texas, and three great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his son, William M. Holden, Sr., and all of his siblings; Evelyn Phillips, Edna Pierce, Pauline Duggan, Janice Bergeron, Hazel Auty, Wendy Duchesne, Priscilla Colby, and Lewis Holden.  

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