In loving memory of Edward Ellis "Ed" Holder

Obituary

Edward Ellis (Ed) Holder, 74, of Port Orange, FL, passed away peacefully Friday, September 25, 2020, after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Ginny, his sister Margaret, his two stepchildren Heidi and Carly, and his four grandchildren Chris, Ashley, Jacob, and Sarah. A Celebration of Life will be Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 11 AM at New Life Church, 5231 S. Nova Rd., Port Orange, FL.

Ed was a manager at Peachtree Plaza and then had his own courier business in Atlanta. Not long after he moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, he and Ginny started a wedding business (Affordable Weddings) which is still going strong.

Ed was a loving husband, caring stepfather and grandfather, and the friend of every animal. Carly said Ed had an almost supernatural ability to make friends with animals. Cats, dogs, squirrels, raccoons, possums, and every kind of bird would come up to him and literally eat out of his hands. He was always surrounded by wild and domestic animal friends. There was even a black snake who used to come see him nearly every day. Slinky would lie beside Ed’s chair on the patio, rise up and wiggle his head at Ed and Ed would have a conversation with him. He also had a close relationship with a great egret he named Heathcliff, who would peck on the back-porch door and Ed would go out with a handful of food and feed him. He named his pet possum Porky because he was getting fat from all the food Ed fed him.

His cat Boots knows that Ed has passed, and he cuddles up on Ed’s recliner and on his bed and it is obvious that he misses Ed.

When the first grandchild was born, Chris, Ed held him in his arms and Chris smiled and Ed excitedly exclaimed “He likes me!” That was one of the most meaningful moments in Ed’s life. He loved the grandchildren and enjoyed playing with them. Ed had a keen sense of humor and was fun to be around.

Ed was a devoted gardener too, until he became too sick. He loved all of nature – animals, plants, sunrise, sunset, the ocean.

Ed always put others before himself, and even during his 7 years of battling cancer, he worried more about his wife and the stress it put on her than about himself.

Ed and Ginny rededicated their lives to the Lord when they attended Mount Paran Church in Atlanta years ago. He became really involved in the church and drove a bus to pick up members and bring them to the church. He and Ginny used to go downtown and witness to people together on street corners. More than once Ed took in the homeless once he got to know them. He would also give them food and blankets when it was cold.

After he retired, he had several health issues and things went downhill from there, but in the end, he held tight to the belief that God would heal him, whether in this life or the next. I know he is filled with joy and peace now, and hopefully surrounded by many of his family and friends, including his furry ones.