Valerie Holt

Valerie Newman Zucker Holt, age 69, of Carlisle, MA, formerly of Arlington MA., died peacefully on October 16, 2016, after a two-year battle with cancer. Val was born on June 3, 1947, in Portland, ME, the daughter of Chester and Shirley Zucker. Val graduated from Arlington High School in Arlington, MA, the MacDuffie School and Connecticut College. During her junior year in college, Val went on a blind date with William Frederick (Biff) Holt, a cadet at the Coast Guard Academy across the street. They were married the following year, on August 9, 1969. Val was a devoted mother to five children--her stars: Ben, Rebecca (deceased), Adam, Josh and Rachel. She was also a wonderful Anya to six grandchildren: Evan, Jesse, Susannah, Jack (deceased), Caleb, and Elizabeth. The Holt family was stationed in various locations around the country during Biffs Coast Guard career, including New London, CT; Alexandria, VA; Ann Arbor, MI; Sault Ste. Marie, MI; Governors Island, NY; Huntington, WV; and Fairfax, VA, where Biff retired from active duty. In 1993, the family relocated to Carlisle, where Val put down permanent roots. No matter where they lived, Val built a loving home for her family, immersed herself into volunteering, and developed a network of close friendships that remain with her today. In addition to raising her family, Val worked as a medical social worker and a preschool teacher and spent six years working at Anderson Photo in Concord, MA. She was also incredibly active in the community at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord. Val was a mainstay in the First Parish choir, participated in womens groups and activities and various musical productions, served on the Religious Education Committee, the Standing Committee, the Ferry Beach Committee, the Womens Retreat Committee, the Herb Garden Committee, the Arts Council, and the Partner Congregation Committee, and volunteered in the church office once a week. In 2002, Val made the first of several trips to First Parishs partner church in Szkelykeresztr, in the Transylvania region of Romania. During her trips, Val formed deep connections with the local community, made lifelong friends, chaperoned youth service pilgrimages, and helped build the communitys Friendship House. Val is survived by her husband, Biff; her children and grandchildren; her daughters-in-law, Caroline and Sarah; her son-in-law, Jared; her sister, Beverly Duncan; her brothers, Channing Zucker and Clayton Zucker; and many other family members and dear friends. There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. on November 12, 2016, at First Parish in Concord, MA. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the First Parish Transylvania Partnership Community, to which Val devoted so much of her time and energy. Donations can be sent to First Parish c/o Fifi Ball, 20 Lexington Rd., Concord, MA 01742. Checks should be made out to First Parish in Concord and should specify in the memo line that the donation is for the Val Holt Partnership Fund. Alternatively, donations can be made electronically by clicking Donate now on the left hand side of the following webpage: http://www. firstparish.org/tp. In the Memo to First Parish line, please specify that the donation is intended for the Val Holt Partnership Fund.