Walter A. Holden

Walter Holden passed away at home on May 13, 2019. He was 94 years old.Walter was born on September 5th, 1924, in Ann Arbor Michigan, to Edward Fuller Holden and Beatrice Card Holden. Walter's father, a Geology professor at the University of Michigan, drowned at North Deer Isle ME, less than a year after Walter was born.Walter's early years were spent in Hillsboro, NH. His family later lived in Maine and New Jersey; Walter graduated from Memorial High School in West New York NJ, in 1942.After his 18th birthday, Walter attempted to enlist in the Army. He was rejected due to his poor eyesight, only to be drafted into the Infantry a few months later. He was assigned to the 104th Infantry Division, and served as a combat infantryman in Holland and Germany. He was wounded during the crossing of the Roer River in February 1945.Walter attended the University of New Hampshire from 1946 to 1951. It was at UNH that he met the love of his life, Barbara Natalie Ford from Danbury NH. They were married on June 23rd, 1951. Walter's first job after college was as a high school English teacher in Chelmsford MA. He went on to teach high school in Marshfield MA, Marblehead MA, and Keene NH before joining DC Heath as an editor of text books in 1963. He went on to hold the same position with Harcourt Brace in New York and Houghton Mifflin in Boston. Walter and Barbara lived in Big Stone Gap VA from 1976 to 1990, where she worked as an elementary school teacher and he was an English professor at Mountain Empire Community College.Walter spent much of his free time researching and writing about a variety of historical subjects. He was the author of articles on Geronimo, Teddy Roosevelt, and others, and the author of the book "Stand Firm and Fire Low: The Civil War Writings of Colonel Edward E. Cross". Walter and Barbara were inseparable during their 64 years of marriage. They formed the perfect partnership, and were happiest when they were together. Most pictures of them later in life show them holding hands. Sadly, Barbara passed away in November 2015. Walter was predeceased by his brothers Edward and Richard Holden, and is survived by his sister Mary (Stevens) Backels and his brother William Stevens. Walter is also survived by his son Richard and partner Marilyn Moore, and son John and wife Donna Desmond Holden. He was immensely proud of his four grandchildren - Hank Moore, Luke Moore, Caitlin Holden, and Steve Holden - and of his great grandchildren Isaac and Stella Moore. Walter will be remembered at a small service at the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery at Boscawen NH at 10:00 on June 24th - 68 years and one day after he married Barbara.Donations may be made in his name to the Hospice program at Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association at The Slusser Center, 30 Pillsbury Street, Concord NH 03301.For an inline guestbook please visit www.neunfuneralhomes.com