Roy W. HOLSTEN Jr.

WILLIAMSBURG - Roy Walter Holsten Jr., 59, of Williamsburg, Va., died at his home on May 12, 2010, after a two year battle with cancer. He did not go "gentle into that good night" and with the help of his wife, Sandy, fought his illness with his characteristic intelligence, humor and determination.
Roy was born in Greensboro, N.C., on Jan. 24, 1951, to the late Roy Walter Sr. and Elizabeth "Liddybet" Myatt Holsten, but was raised in Chapel Hill, N.C. He was a natural leader who excelled in academics and was widely recognized as a uniquely talented and gifted individual from a very early age. He attended the Chapel Hill Public School System, Deerfield Academy, and graduated with honors from William & Mary with a degree in English.
Roy possessed extraordinary acumen, was an award winning poet, academic, musician and raconteur. He was an avid reader and true renaissance thinker, sharing the same passion, curiosity and wanderlust of many of the writers of the 20th century, always seeking new experiences in his exploration of the human spirit.
Roy traveled for many years, examining life through a sharply focused lens while delving deeply into his own psyche. He was a gentle person, always rejecting violence, and yet he served honorably in the United States Navy, which changed his life immeasurably. During his travels, he worked many different jobs, as commercial fisherman, film extra, oil rig hand, truck driver, barman, and security officer. He loved to work with his hands and crafted wood in a special way that always carried his mark. For the last 18 years, he worked for Colonial Williamsburg, primarily at the Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, where he was widely respected for his work ethic and for his devotion to the arts he so loved. He loved nature, relished in the loyalty and purity of animals and had many pets. He loved the oceans and rivers of the world and always dreamed of sailing them one day in a boat he would build.
He often quoted the great writers and lived the life of a true bohemian. This quote from another bohemian, Jack Kerouac, speaks of Roy's love of life: "I hope it is true that a man can die and yet not only live in others but give them life, and not only life, but that great consciousness of life."
There will be a celebration of Roy's life in Yorktown, Va., on June 6, at the "Landing" (Riverwalk Restaurant) from 2 to 3:30 p.m. His ashes will be scattered later in the ocean at Pawleys Island, S.C., where he spent many happy years with his family.
Roy is survived by his wife, Sandra Piper Holsten, Williamsburg, Va.; his mother, Elizabeth Myatt Holsten, Chapel Hill, N.C.; brothers, Robert Bruce Holsten and wife, Pat, Wilmington, N.C., and Kelly Travis Holsten and wife, Audrey, Wrightsville Beach, N.C.; nephew, Robert Michael Alexander Holsten, Asheville, N.C.; and niece, Charlotte Elizabeth Myatt Holsten, Durban, South Africa; numerous cousins, both known and unknown life friends and his beloved pets, Missy and Sunny.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heritage Humane Society, 430 Waller Mill Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185 or the American Institute for Cancer Research, 1759 R Street, NW Washington, DC 20009. View and post condolences on our online guestbook at dailypress.com/guestbooks.