LUCAS HOLTZ

1981 - 2022

LUCAS W. HOLTZ

Mar. 27, 1981 Sept. 7, 2022

Lucas Walter Holtz departed this Earth to his Heavenly home on September 7, 2022, at the young age of 41.

Lucas, or Luke as most knew him by, broke the mold since his day of birth on March 27, 1981. A copper haired, blue-eyed firstborn son to parents, Walter and Toni Holtz (Fortune). Luke was incredibly easy to spot through that nursery window all those years ago. Honestly, some things will never change. Luke's larger than life personality and stature began as an infant, where he was a bottomless pit whose ravenous appetite to feed the needs of his growing body had him consistently in the 99th percentile. Born into a farming family, he enthusiastically and regularly went to work with our father as a young boy. When it came to quitting time as the sun sank low in the sky, Luke was always one to ask our father while sitting on his knee driving a tractor for, just one more pass. Naturally, because he had put in significantly more hours on the ranch than the rest of us, he had his own farming operation at home where he would routinely fire the help, which included doting family members farming on our knees atop a mat with a fictitious farm. When he wasn't farming, Luke played football, had 4-H animals, rode quads/dirt bikes, and was a prankster with fireworks purchased across state lines.

Luke graduated from Imperial High School in 1999, where he then moved to Phillips Ranch, CA to live with family friends and attended Mt. San Antonio College for one year and later California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Luke earned his bachelor's degree in Agronomy with the Crop Production Option and a minor in Soil Science in May of 2007, following the completion of his senior project, which was a fertilizer comparison trial on bermuda hay. Although Luke had an offer to work in a salaried position upon graduation, he chose to take a risk and Lucas Holtz Farms became fully operational in 2007, even though he had been farming on a smaller scale since 2005. In the Imperial Valley, Luke routinely grew alfalfa, wheat, and bermuda, but he also grew teff grass, black-eyed peas, coriander seed, mizuna seed, arugula seed, and onion seed. Always the innovator, he challenged past practices and the we've always done it this way attitude to forge a path that was uniquely and perfectly his own. His ideas were often met with opposition, and yet somehow, later down the road, others were implementing his divergent practices. Later in years, Luke joined the cattle industry, where he designed his own brand that included a sunrise over the letter L for both the right and left hip. Over the years, Luke was honored with several awards and distinctions, which demonstrate his varied interests and talents. Those include the Imperial High School Varsity Football Trench Award for Outstanding Lineman in 1998; Imperial Valley Football Coaches Association's Hall of Fame for the 1990's; 2000 Off Road Champion (Navigator); elected as a member of the Farm Bureau Board; and self-proclaimed race car driver.

Luke was never one to shy away from hard work, but when he was able to take a moment to himself, he was watching his beloved Dodgers and commenting on how the general manager was an idiot and he had the statistics to back up his claim. Of course, if Luke ever went anywhere, he was always wearing the color blue, which he did intentionally because his blue eyes would shine and sparkle. Luke's eyes, coupled with his giant grin, could just utterly melt you. I don't think there was anything more heartfelt than one of his belly laughs. There were many times when our abs would be ripe with soreness from laughter due to his perfectly timed one liners, typically while walking towards the door, so he always left you with a smile. The last thing Luke said while crossing the threshold of the door was I love you, too, with such a sweet inflection on the end that was uniquely his and with his personal signature on it.

Luke's fiery and passionate personality transcended every facet of his life, and those surrounding him can attest to it. Ornery and mischievous are traits that came to him naturally. However, there was also a side to Luke that he kept reserved for those of us who were closest to him. Luke was a doting and protective big brother to his sister, a caring and gentle uncle to his niece and nephew, a loving and patient son, and a devoted and loyal friend. What Luke did throughout his life, his accomplishments, deeds, distinctions, and awards, all pale in comparison to the man he was. A man of strong moral convictions, rooted in character, with a solid foundation in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Please join us in a Celebration of Life on Friday, October 7, 2022 at 6 p.m. at Cheval Farms. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Luke's honor to the California Mid-Winter Fair Heritage Foundation, PO Box 4357, El Centro, CA, 92244.

As found in Luke's notebook in his truck, which included bale counts, water runs, fertilizer orders, predictions, ideas, and more, was written, Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:4.