Robert Earl "Bobby" Holt Sr.

1948 - 2017

Robert "Bobby" Earl Holt, Sr.

Bobby was born on October 17, 1948, to Judge Jack and Mary Rose Holt, in New Orleans. After several moves, his parents settled permanently in Pineville. Growing up he had everything a boy could ask for and he picked up many lifelong friends. He would frequently ride the bus to Pollock to his Grandparents' farm with his gun and pack in tow. After a quick hello to his Grandparents, Robert "Bob" and Eva Russell Holt, he would, "Hit the woods." When he was 9 years old, his father's Ranch became a major part of his life.

Bobby then graduated from Northwestern State University, afterwards he considered going to law school. However, he and his father chose to try their hand at Cattle ranching. After years of riding cattle horses, hard work, massive floods, and much money lost, he said "I didn't make a great cowboy…just an ok cowboy!"

After leaving the cattle business, life lead him to work as a realtor under Raymond Willet and a home inspector for Farmers Home Administration. Through Farmers Home, he became a building contractor and then founded his own building and contracting company. Bobby found a true passion in building and designing homes. A lot of houses had his unique touch and defining architecture. His success as a builder and contractor brought many things, but he grew tired of business meetings and the rat race. In the mid-1980s he left the building business behind and moved his family to Homer, Alaska and then to Westcliffe, Colorado.

Trails of life lead him home to Pineville and eventually reuniting with the love of his life, a young woman he dated 12 years earlier, Mary Katherine Smith. Bobby brought to this union three children plus he and Kathy added three boys of their own. His quiver was indeed full. Together they built cabins across the Western U.S. covering many miles camping, trading and selling arts and crafts, exploring the wild, hiking, and shopping in old antique shops.

Bobby loved his wife and six children without limits. As his father and their fathers before them, Bobby instilled his love of God into his family and later into his grandchildren. He loved sharing nature and his world with everyone, regardless of who they were or where they came from. He also heavily embraced his Native American Heritage and spent a lifetime studying their history and culture.

Bobby had a life-long dream of building and permanently living on the land he loved. The dream was to personally build and design a one of a kind home for his wife and children. His desire was that the massive project would be finished, and that he would be able to live and die there. His wish came true as he spent the last 12 years of his life living there with his wife, Kathy, of 28 years.

Bobby, in the end, would neither gloat nor boast of any of his expertise or life experiences. Certainly a man who was a professional craftsman, designer, carpenter, investor, cowboy, realtor, trapper, alligator hunter, hoop-net fisherman, hunting outfitter, artist, father, and husband would have something to boast about. Not really…in the end he would have wanted to be remembered as a Christian man who put others before himself. He wanted no earthly acknowledgement or bragging rights for helping those in need. He wanted nothing in return but for everyone to spread the Christ-like love among all people. Bobby's unwavering loyalty to his beliefs made him a unique person and a mountain among men today.

Bobby's ashes will scattered at the places he cherished most: Westcliffe, Colorado, Alaska and his home on the Red River. The rest of his ashes will be buried at Forest Lawn at a later date.

Bobby was reunited in Heaven with his parents: Judge Jack and Mary Rose Beatty Holt, his grandparents: Robert and Eva Russell Holt, Earl and Marie Dugan Beatty, and his father-in-law Graham Louis Smith.

Those left to cherish his memory are his sisters: Carol Holt Edwards and Shirley Holt Ryland (Mike), wife Katherine Smith Holt, Sons: Robe Holt, Daniel Buck Holt (Sarah), Graham Holt (Madeline), and Noah Holt, Daughters: Jennifer Holt Woodruff (Dave) and Kimberly Holt Daigre (Walter), and grandchildren: Silas, Ahna and Ryan Woodruff, Ava Holt and Sawyer Daigre.

The Memorial service was held on Saturday, July 1st at The Gathering Place in Pineville at 11am. Reverend Stewart Holloway of First Baptist Church, Pineville, officiated.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mercy Ministries at Main Street Baptist Mission in Pineville, 312 Main Street, Pineville, LA 71360.

To extend online condolences to the Holt family, please visit us at www.hixsonbrothers.com.