O’Fallon remembers ‘Mr. Wonderful’ who did a little bit of everything for the community

Former O’Fallon Alderman Ray Holden is being fondly remembered not only for his accomplishments in the U.S. Air Force, but also as someone who got things done in his community.

“He was a very good man, a good council member, a good leader and a good friend,” said Mayor Herb Roach.

After a long and distinguished 30-year military career, Holden retired in O’Fallon and became involved in civic projects and serving his constituents, including two terms on the city council.

Holden, 83, died July 25 after five and a half months of a hospital battle that began with a ruptured appendix.

A memorial service will take place from 4-8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, at Wolfersberger Funeral Home, 102 W. Washington, O’Fallon. The family requests people “come as you are.”

Holden was a founding member of the Friends of Scott group, which was instrumental in establishing an Air Force Junior ROTC at O’Fallon Township High School.

For the O’Fallon-Shiloh Chamber of Commerce, he was chairman of the Scott AFB Military Affairs Committee for over 25 years. Holden also founded the Salute to Scott Annual Picnic and was a founding member of the Scott Field Heritage Air Park.

Chamber Director Debbie Arell-Martinez warmly recalled Holden’s contributions.

“Our military affairs committee wouldn’t be what it is today without Ray Holden. We are going to miss our friend,” she said.

“As a veteran himself, Ray loved keeping involved with Scott AFB. I think his favorite thing to do was to have our Salute to Scott picnic in the park. The event grew so much over the years, and he was very proud of that,” she said. “At the end of the event, committee members would gather and have a beer that Ray would bring in his little cooler, and talk about what went right, what went wrong, and what we could improve on the next year.

“We looked forward to Ray’s little cooler!”

She said Holden also enjoyed going out to the dorms at Scott AFB the nights they would cook dinner for the residents.

“He’d spend the time talking to the airmen. This past year we even got him to help make tie blankets for Fisher House,” she said.

His humility is why some of his successes flew under the radar, commented his twin daughters, Amanda and Heather.

“He never wanted credit for any of it, didn’t do anything for the attention. He was happy to sit back and watch how things grew. That was his reward — to see how things progressed,” Amanda Holden said.

Holden was elected as a Ward 6 alderman in 2013 and again in 2017, opting not to run in 2021.

Roach spoke highly of Holden’s temperament and leadership skills.

“Ray was one of the most even-keeled people you will ever meet. I don’t believe that I ever saw him lose his patience when dealing with some very trying topics. He always tried to look at both sides of an issue prior to making any decision. His leadership in discussions was second to none,” Roach said.

Air Force Career

Holden joined the Air Force after college, and his career spanned 30 years, rising to the rank of colonel. As a navigator, he accumulated more than 4,000 flying hours, including over 900 combat hours and 237 combat missions.

Among his proudest achievements was his pivotal role in the construction of the replica of the Berlin Airlift Memorial, which was located on the joint use airport at Frankfurt. For that accomplishment, he received the Commanders’ Cross for Distinguished Service from the Federal Republic of Germany.

In his final assignment at Scott AFB, Holden helped make the Airlift Memorial a reality, and coordinated air delivery of large pieces of the Berlin Wall to display. He also was a Crisis Action Team director for Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Holden was born April 30, 1939, in Ludington, Michigan, and raised in Whitehall, Michigan. He graduated from Ferris State University and later earned a master’s degree from Central Michigan University.

Commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant, Holden served as a supply officer at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona, then in Cape Romanzof in Alaska. He trained to become a navigator at Mather AFB in California and then was stationed at Forbes AFB in Kansas. That’s where he started his world tour flying missions as a C-130 Hercules navigator with temporary duty assignments in Europe and South and Central America.

In Vietnam and Thailand during two years of the Vietnam War, Holden flew C-130 aircraft TDY missions with the 41st Tactical Airlift Squadron at Naha AFB in Okinawa. They supported the nightly Blind Bat Mission, which included dropping flares over North and South Vietnam.

Next was Dyess AFB in Texas, with more travel to Europe, South America, and Africa. After that stretch, Holden moved to a desk job as a staff officer, serving at McGuire AFB in New Jersey, Scott AFB, and the Pentagon.

His favorite assignment was as Combat Support Group Commander at Rhein Main AFB in Frankfurt, Germany.

Life in O’Fallon

After retiring from the Air Force in 1992, Holden began a second career as a co-owner of RE/MAX Preferred.

The Holden twins, who were adopted in Korea when they were 6 months old, said they were 3 1/2 when they moved to O’Fallon.

“Everything he did was for others before himself. When we were growing up, he based his decisions on our well-being. Family meant everything to him,” Heather said.

“He always saw the best in people. He’d always say ‘life is good.’ I admired that in him even though I could not always emulate it. He would tell me ‘don’t give up on the world yet. There is a lot of good out there.’”

‘Mr. Wonderful’

Holden served on the O’Fallon Planning Commission, including participation in the Wednesday Morning Economic Development Group. He was on the planning committee for the city’s 150th Anniversary.

While serving on the city council, fellow aldermen referred to him as “Mr. Wonderful.”

Roach explained he started calling him that because when you asked him how he was doing, his response was always, “Wonderful.”

He wanted to be re-elected in 2017 because of his “desire to keep O’Fallon the No. 1 city it is,” he told the News-Democrat.

Holden was on the board of directors for Beacon Ministries, served on the Salvation Army advisory board, and belonged to the O’Fallon Rotary Club.

He was an avid cyclist and would head out with his “bike crew” on lengthy rides, with Drost Park in Maryville one of his favorite stopping points.

More about Holden

He is the father of five children: Martin Holden of Denver; David Holden of O’Fallon; Dr. Christopher Holden of Chicago; and twins Amanda and Heather Holden, both of O’Fallon. He also has one grandson, Milo.

Holden is survived by one brother, Tom Holden of Flower Mound, Texas. His siblings Jack and Paul Holden, Mary Alice Ranthum and Barbara Westbrook are deceased.

He was cremated and the burial of his cremains will be in a private family ceremony Monday, Aug. 15, at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.

Memorial donations may be made to the Salvation Army at www.salvationarmy.org.

For the obituary information, visit https://www.wfh-ofallon.com/obituary/ray-holden.

This story was originally published August 9, 2022 at 12:39 PM.