Jerry Holtz Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.)

Jerry Holtz, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.) passed away at his rural Ocean Springs, MS, home on July 7, 2020. Jerry was born in Edgewood, Iowa on April 4, 1938 to George and Eunice Holtz. He graduated from the Edgewood High School in 1956, where he excelled in basketball and baseball. He maintained close ties with his classmates and enjoyed their reunions. Jerry attended Loras College in Dubuque, IA., and graduated from the Alexian Brothers School of Nursing in Chicago. He was married to Kay Hermsen at Petersburg, IA., on August 26, 1961. After several months’ employment at the former Xavier Hospital in Dubuque, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. He received his anesthesia training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX. Along the way, Jerry also earned a BA degree in Economics from Park College in Missouri. He and his family lived at nine Air Force bases in the United States, Canada and Japan. His last duty station was Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, MS. Upon his retirement from the Air Force in 1982, he began his second career, in anesthesia at the Ocean Springs Hospital, retiring a second time in 2000. Jerry was a member of the St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Ocean Springs where he sang in the choir, was a member of the Knights of Columbus and was a part of the Friday morning cleaning crew. He happily mowed the fields at the church. He was in charge of running the semi- annual Blood Drives for the Knights for many years. His hobbies were 1957 Thunderbirds, wood working and collecting Lionel trains. He enjoyed playing Hearts and Euchre with his family, poker and bridge with friends. Left to mourn his death are his wife of over 58 years, Kay; his daughter, Nancy Hough of Ocean Springs; sons, Terry Holtz of Vancleave, MS., Brian (Melisse) Holtz of Los Altos Hills, CA., and Duane Holtz of Ocean Springs; five granddaughters, Charlie and Morgan Hough of Ocean Springs, Zoe, Shannon and Heather Holtz of Los Altos Hills, CA.; in-laws, Lillian and Bob Steger of Dyersville, IA., Don and Shawn Hermsen of Epworth, IA.; as well as many nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death are his parents; his parents -in-law, Leonard and Hilda Hermsen; his brother, Jack (Mary Jane) Holtz; his sister, Dorothy (Bob) Strub; his grandson, Blake Holtz; son-in-law, Ronnie Hough; and sister-in-law, Patricia Hermsen. Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, services will be private. The family requests you be with them in prayer. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, Ocean Springs, is honored to serve this family.