Andrew Koster Holmes

Andrew "Andy" Koster Holmes passed away on December 12, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He lived a full, adventurous, and connected life, rooted in family, the Eastern Sierras, sports, hard work, and quiet integrity.

Andy was born in 1947, and at the age of four, his family moved from Hollywood, CA to the Eastern Sierra, settling first at a hydroelectric plant above Lee Vining before relocating to the plants along Bishop Creek. Andy grew up immersed in the mountains: as a boy, he spent his days exploring the outdoors, fishing, hiking, climbing scree, and scrambling into caves where he would read comic books. He had fond memories of climbing high enough into the hills to catch a radio signal for Los Angeles Dodgers games, a reflection of both his ingenuity and his lifelong love of sports.

Andy attended Bishop Union High School (BUHS), where he distinguished himself as an excellent student and athlete. He graduated number one in his class and earned the distinction of Outstanding Senior. He served as Associated Student Body President in 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The principal tasked him with addressing the student body and breaking the devastating news, in the middle of a school football rally. It was a moment that he remembered for the rest of his life, not for recognition, but for the weight of responsibility. He also lettered in every sport he played, serving as quarterback on the football team, point guard in basketball, and pitcher in baseball. His talent, discipline, and leadership earned him the sole recipient honor of an NROTC scholarship, and he went on to attend Stanford University.

He also had a passion for golf in his earlier years. Andy won the Bishop Country Club Annual Golf Tournament at the age of 18 with a score of one under par. The next year, the club changed the age minimum requirement to 21. So after missing two tournaments, when Andy turned 21, he returned and beat them all again.

Andy remained a fierce competitor and a devoted student of the games he loved, football, baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, and horse racing. He learned to read racing forms at the age of 12 alongside his father. He carried that passion for analysis, odds, and tradition throughout his life including participating in fantasy football leagues for many years.

Andy's connection to sports extended far beyond his own participation. He coached basketball at BUHS for over two decades, serving as Varsity Boys Assistant Coach alongside Gus Klekas, JV Boys Head Coach, and eventually Varsity Girls Head Coach. In later years, he also lent his voice and insight to radio broadcasts of Bishop Union High School basketball games alongside Arnie Palu, combining his deep knowledge of the game with his love for the local community.

Outside of sports, Andy found his greatest peace in the mountains. He climbed Mount Tom at least eleven times and hiked Chocolate Peak at least a hundred times. Other favorite destinations included Agassiz Peak, Hurd Peak, Mt Goddard, Mt Wallace, Mt Hackle, and the South Lake Basin, a place especially close to his heart because it was where he spent formative years backpacking, hiking, and fishing with his parents. Andy moved through the mountains with ease and confidence, often running down loose scree as if it were solid ground, an embodiment of a lifetime spent outdoors.

Professionally, Andy was a civil engineer and land surveyor. He began working at an early age for Holmes Engineering and took over the firm when his father Gordon retired. Andy would retire in 2025 from the merged company Triad-Holmes. He was known for his care of his fellow co-workers, precision, work ethic, and dedication, choosing not to retire until his late seventies. His work quite literally helped shape the land and community he loved.

To those who knew him well, Andy was a quiet gentleman, thoughtful, steady, and kind. He was competitive but never cruel, disciplined but never distant, and always willing to take someone under his wing. Friends, former players, colleagues, and family members remember him as someone who made them better simply by being himself. Many also remember his distinct driving: memorable, intense, and very much Andy.

Andy is survived by his wife and partner of 36 years, Sheryl, his two sisters- Sally and Heidi, his five children, Carson, Heather, Crystal, Amber, and Veronica, and his six grandchildren, Samantha, Benjamin, Aliya, Isaac, Tosh, and Olivia, all of whom were a profound source of pride and joy in his life. He also leaves behind an extended family, lifelong friends, former teammates, players, and countless members of the Eastern Sierra community who were fortunate to know him.

A celebration of life will be held on his birthday, April 25, 2026.

Andy Holmes lived fully, rooted in the mountains, committed to family and to goodness, devoted to sport, and guided by quiet strength. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered. In lieu of flowers and cards, please make donations to the Bishop High School Booster Club.