Brenda Pearson Holmes

Brenda Pearson Holmes

South Hamilton - Brenda Pearson Holmes, 83, passed away on August 1, 2024, having lived a truly remarkable life.

Brenda was born on May 18, 1941, in Wellesley, Mass., the daughter of Gertrude and Hugh Pearson. As Brenda described them, "My mother was very smart, rather formal, a wonderful cook and decorator, and my father was an enthusiastic gardener, always repairing and fixing things. They taught me by their example, and made me feel loved, adored, and safe." Brenda was raised in Wellesley alongside her older brother, Hugh (who goes by John or Johnny). Her great aunt, Lydia Carter, was another very meaningful and positive figure in her life.



Brenda attended Wellesley schools, Westbrook College in Maine, and Katherine Gibbs School in Boston. She specialized in executive administration. After finishing school, she had a job at Boston University's radio station, WBUR, as record librarian. Later in life, her appreciation for art and culture fueled her work as a docent at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Henry Ford Museum, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Connecticut.

Brenda met her husband-to-be, Barry Holmes, in 1961 on the beaches of Bermuda. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that their romance could have been a screenplay: equal parts Casablanca, The English Patient, and French Kiss. As Brenda described the two of them as a couple, "Barry was adventurous and curious and always looking to do and try something new. It was a big change for me, a rather laid back and proper young girl." Early in their courtship, Barry surreptitiously took skiing lessons on the side so as to not embarrass himself when he eventually agreed to ski with Brenda and her friends. He was eager to impress her; that never changed throughout their life together.

Brenda and Barry became engaged over the phone in 1962 and rather hastily married so that they could set sail on a boat soon to leave from Panama. According to Brenda's account, "An engagement... a wedding at Saint Andrew's church, with a reception at the Wellesley Country Club, a whirlwind honeymoon in New York City, staying at the Plaza, and a flight to Panama all took place before the end of February, 1963. Although I was blissfully and completely unprepared for the adventure about to begin, I was positively and completely sure that Barry would be my most capable and devoted partner during the voyage and always." Their honeymoon took them to Tahiti, China, Egypt, India and France - buying a motorcycle and exploring the far-away reaches of the earth. Together they lived a beautiful life full of love and adventure.

Throughout their life together, Brenda and Barry continued to travel the globe from Africa to Australia, Asia to the Caribbean, Brazil, Mexico, British Columbia and Newfoundland, Quebec and Prince Edward Island. They toured all of Europe and adored the Greek Islands. Brenda often spoke about their magnificent experience visiting Israel, Egypt and the Great Wall of China. Fortunately, Brenda was an incredibly gifted writer and story-teller, giving the rest of us a chance to feel the magic of their decades together.

They lived in Cambridge, Mass, while Barry finished his PhD at MIT. Brenda and Barry moved to Stuttgart and welcomed their 1st daughter Jessica in 1969. After living and traveling from city to city and country to country for the first 8 years of marriage, largely associated with Barry's career, they settled in Grosse Pointe, Michigan in 1972 and welcomed their second daughter Caroline, rounding out their fabulous family foursome. Brenda was-in every respect-a fantastic mother, creating a home and a family life in which the girls absolutely thrived. She was so proud of both of them and always so admiring. Though the girls' own active and adventurous young lives took them to many different places, Jessica and Caroline and their own families truly loved spending the last 30+ years in New England in their parents' beautiful orbit.

Much joy in Brenda's life came from the wonderful friends she made over the years. From Wellesley to Cambridge, Stuttgart to Grosse Pointe to Hilton Head to Avon to Sebago Lake, with her final three years near her daughters in Hamilton, Mass., Brenda drew people in and brought them together, creating memories and friendships to last generations. She was the consummate host, always setting a lively, positive, and stylish ambiance for any gathering. Her zest for life touched everyone she knew. She leaves in her wake countless amazing friends from whom she learned and drew inspiration- and to whom, in turn, she gave so much of herself.

When asked how she wanted to be remembered, she wrote, "I hope what I leave behind will be a positive and pleasant reverie. ...Above all, praise for a heart filled to overflowing with love and admiration for her beautiful family." And so it shall be. To this we would add that she will be remembered as unfailingly generous, brilliant, elegant, adventurous, gorgeous, kind, clever, cheerful, humorous, tolerant, uncomplaining, and a teensy bit bossy. :) She had a stunning smile, a wonderful laugh, and a way of making people feel that they matter.

She will also be remembered fondly as a voracious reader and master of word games - crosswords cowered in her presence. She was known to enjoy a Mimosa in the late morning and an Old Fashioned at sunset. The world hasn't seen a more avid follower of tennis and golf - Sundays were filled with final rounds of various televised competitions. Notably, her passion for Boston sports (and a certain handsome quarterback) was unmatched. In the throes of family chaos, she frequently took the reins as "chief wrangler." Simple memories include listening to Ella Fitzgerald while roasting a chicken (no radishes were safe), watching Dinner for One (again), and hearing Brenda make unforgettably charming statements such as "a team effort is a lot of people doing what I say".

At the center of Brenda's existence was her beautiful family, who deeply shaped and enlivened her life. She was a loving wife, mother, and sister. She is survived by her daughters Jessica Cardinali and Caroline Hybels; sons-in-law, Tony Cardinali and David Hybels; and four grandchildren (who affectionately knew her as Brandy): Lydia Hybels, Ashley Hybels, Jared Cardinali and Grayson Cardinali. Her brother Hugh Pearson, wife Betty and daughters Elizabeth (Edward Soares) and Amanda (Ethan Kiczek) are all heartbroken and miss her desperately.

Brenda died of cancer in her home with her adoring daughters by her side, still correcting their usage of 'may' and 'can' until the end.

Brenda's inimitable spirit now rejoins that of Barry, who passed away five years ago.

Her family will honor and celebrate her life privately.