Carl Christian Holme

Carl Christian Holme, 70, of Wellington, Florida, died from cancer on October 23, 2025 while in the arms of his wife, Karen, and with family and friends nearby.
Some believe that a person leaves the Earth and moves on to paradise. Not Carl, though. For him, every day was "another day in paradise." That was always his answer to anyone that asked, "How are you?" After all, Carl was always wearing his rose-colored glasses and saw good in everybody and everything. There was not anything, ever, that he didn't have the patience to accomplish since "nothing's impossible it just takes longer." And what if you were panicking? You would be told, "Don't panic until I do." Which was never, of course.
Carl was born in Mountainside, Union County, New Jersey on May 22, 1955 to Doris Georgi Nielsen and Sigurd Holme (formerly Sigurd Holme Jensen) of Springfield, New Jersey. Doris would frequently tell the family that Carl was the "perfect child." He didn't cry much as a baby and when he was older he didn't get into trouble. He likely didn't have time to get into trouble! Carl's home life was filled with backyard barbeques with the neighbors, red, white, and blue streamers on bicycles in the hometown Fourth of July parade, Danish folk dancing, and high-diving in the Springfield community pool. Each year the family took trips. Carl and his brother, Chris, were taken by Station Wagon to explore places such as Cape Cod, Virginia Beach, The Catskills, Niagra Falls, The World's Fair, and they most always took a trip to Florida in the fall to visit family in Palm Beach County. Their days were filled with waterskiing from the shores of the Intracoastal Waterway or surfing the waves of Lantana Beach.
When the family wasn't engaged in an activity or on a trip, Carl did get "creative," which is better than being "in trouble." For example, one time when he was 15 years old, he got a bicycle frame from the junkyard and his dad's lawnmower motor, put them together, and made a motorcycle! When Sig got home that evening, he did not get mad about his lawnmower. Instead, he took the opportunity to buy a new one! Sig and Doris practiced typical Danish parenting that fosters creativity and encourages independent problem-solving. So, he was not in trouble.
Even at these early teenage years, Carl was always giving to others. If brother, Chris, broke the motorcycle (or any other contraption that they had) Carl would fix it and give it right back! Many adventures were had in those years. Carl's longest friend, George Force, still tells stories of their wild and crazy teenage years.
The family moved from Springfield to Lake Worth, FL in 1972. Sigurd's two brothers, Birger and Eigil, already lived in Lake Worth and Doris' Aunt Erna lived in West Palm Beach, so, it was natural to make the move to be close to family. What was Carl's first accomplishment in Florida? He purchased his own boat! Of course! Warm weather and a boat ramp 10 minutes from home made boating the new family activity.
Carl graduated from Lake Worth High School in 1974. He attended North Technical Education Center, where he earned certification in Small Business Management, Color Television Repair and Radio Repair. After school each day, his education continued by working with Sig on air conditioning systems. From engines to vacuum tubes, to electronics, to evaporators, there was nothing Carl could not do. By the time he was 21, he was hired as a technician for WNGS "Wings 92" FM in West Palm Beach. Within 6 months he was promoted to the position of Chief Engineer, surpassing the existing Engineer who was 30 years his senior! The owner of WNGS also owned Muzak, so Carl installed sound systems, too. His claim to fame is the system he installed in the Lake Worth Playhouse on Lake Avenue. It "boomed" so well that the sound vibrations cracked the plaster walls of the building!
At age 24 Carl married Patricia Murrill of West Palm Beach. Trish's brother was a bit protective of his little sister and was skeptical when he learned about "the van." The van was Carl's full sized White Dodge "Tradesmen," complete with shag carpeting, a refrigerator, and a bed. Even with that kind of start, Carl won over the family with his sincerity. Carl and his budding family lived in several Florida cities including Valrico, Lake Worth and West Palm Beach.
Carl's talents lead him to a life-long occupation in industrial woodworking equipment. One day his best friend George Force, who owned an industrial machinery company in New Jersey, called and told him about a machine that had a problem, that, thus far, three techs could not figure out. George paid for Carl's plane ticket from Florida to New Jersey in hopes there would be an answer. Of course, Carl solved the problem in a few minutes. No one had noticed that two wires on the control board had been reversed. George immediately called his contacts to recommend him as a machinery technician. Carl soon became the engineer that covered the entire east coast of the U.S.
He worked for the machinery company, Consoweld, until they called him in to "let him go." They were closing a part of their corporation, so, the bad news was that Carl didn't have a job anymore, but the good news was that they were giving him the entire customer base of that division to continue with his own company, if he so chose. And he did. Up-N-Running Machinery was born in 1987. It's no surprise that Carl's company still has customers from that time period. His sincerity always shined through. His customers were not just business contacts, they were his brothers and sisters. It's also no surprise that he stayed close with his business associates for the last 40 years. Mario Montenegro, in particular, has been a friend, a brother, and Carl's sales representative almost the entire time. Up-N-Running, now Performance Industries, Inc., thrives because of Carl's desire to help others. Helping others was his virtue.
It would not be right if we did not mention at least one sort-of negative trait that Carl had. He was a bit cocky about his engineering talents. His typical response to any request to fix something was, "That's easy!" When you think there is a difficult problem to solve, there's nothing like a cocky "that's easy!" thrown back at you! He would explain that whenever he was presented with a problem, a machine, or any kind of gadget, he could "see" the inner workings by way of a "3-dimensional white board" inside his head. He could rotate the 3-dimensions to any position to "look" at the internal parts at all angles, in his mind. So, it was "easy" for him to find solutions.
By 1988 Carl's marriage to Patricia had dissolved. Carl was living in Wellington when he met Karen Sue Small. They met at a hobby store where Carl would take his kids to race slot cars. Carl saw how Karen gave attention to the children, so he asked her out. After just one date, Carl was hooked! Karen, however, waited to hear her parents' approval. But that wasn't a problem since it wasn't long before Bob and Joan Small adored Carl. Carl and Karen were married on October 8, 1989.
Karen says, "There are no adequate words to describe the relationship between Carl and me. Carl was the perfect husband and father. Whenever anyone inquired about how we could be married for 'so long' (36 years) we gave a short explanation: Carl calls me 'Princess' and treats me like a Princess, and, in turn, I treat him like a prince. The key to a successful marriage, we would explain, is always wanting to make the other happy." There was one thing made both Carl and Karen happy: They loved exploring far-away places, especially Denmark, from the church of their namesake town of Skivholme to the streets of Copenhagen, they soaked in the magic of Carl's homeland.
A few things stand out about Carl and Karen making each other happy. Karen was always dragging Carl into her projects! If she was putting on a show with the school chorus, he was suckered into rigging up the sound system. If she wanted ceramic tile in the house, he was telling her "that's easy!" even though he had never done tile work before. When the school staff Christmas party needed a Santa, there was Carl dressed in red! Conversely, Carl always wanted to do his beloved hobbies. He loved to fly, and Karen was there even though flying made her a bit nervous. "Don't panic until I do," he would reassure her. If he wanted to go out on the boat – again - she was there. Fishing? No problem. Watching a Roadkill Garage episode for the 100th time? It's all good. Camping in a field full of cow poop, riding a 4-wheeler? Oh, yeah, Karen was there schlepping through the muck to staple dirt bike trail signs to trees.
Anyone who knew Carl knew how much he worked hard to play hard. In July 1998 he earned his private pilot's license. Surely, flying was his very favorite hobby. He said it was the only thing that "fully occupied his brain." Considering his ability to multi-task, that was saying a lot. He also loved riding street bikes, racing dirt bikes, and exploring the waterways of South Florida on his fishing boat. Carl was a member of Florida Trail Riders (FTR) specifically the Treasure Coast Trail Riders group, The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), and American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). Carl had a special soft spot in his heart for the Non-Profit, Vital Flight, Inc. Vital Flight provides free air transportation for those in need to get to medical services. Carl volunteered for Vital Flight's "Special Day for Special Kids" where kids with special needs get a free 30-minute ride over South Florida. Of course, he didn't just simply fly the kids, he made it into a magical experience woven into a lesson. If they were able, they would hold the passenger yoke and get hands-on flying experience. Other kids, who loved the feeling of weightlessness, would get a super-duper ride with G-force turns and altitude climbs and drops! It's no surprise, that, again, Carl was truly happy when he was giving to others.
Above all else, Carl loved his family. "Family comes first" was a value instilled by his elders long ago. His wife and his kids always took top priority. That did not mean he was sappy with the kids, though. (That soft spot was reserved for Karen.) He parented in the Danish ways of his mother and father and did whatever was necessary to make his kids the best they could be. "Why am I so hard on you?" he would ask them. "I know, Dad, to make me a better person," they knew to answer. He rarely spanked. He was all about lecturing to the children about improving their character.
Carl took the kids on countless camping trips to ride dirt bikes and work with the dirt bike club to cut and mark trails through the tangled Florida brush. Every warm weekend had a family boat day. Most years there was a special trip to the mountains for downhill skiing or to the Keys for snorkeling. On a more daily basis he and the kids worked together on projects in the garage, such as repairing the lawnmower or one of the cars or motorcycles. He was a magnet for the kids in the neighborhood, too! There was always something going on! In this way he shared all of his vast knowledge of electricity, electronics, pneumatics, and so-on. He emphasized, without a doubt, that he hates lazy people as he told his boys that they were going to learn to do a task themselves and not be dependent on anyone else. If they complained that they could not accomplish a task, he was sure to remind them that nothing's impossible it just takes longer. And, for sure, he wanted them to never settle for stupidity. A frequent phrase of his was, "Just get this sh** done!" Anything less was not an option. When the kids were all together, Carl referred to them collectively as a "brain convention." He was incredibly proud of them and frequently spoke of how intelligent they all are.
His daughter, Karen, didn't get so much of the technical education, but she received other perks. Whenever she asked her daddy for shoes or a prom dress, he always said yes, without fail. Daddy certainly had a soft spot for his little girl.
Carl loved doting on the grandkids. He took them on boat and dirt bike rides and had endless conversations about all things technical. When the kids were little, they knew that Grandpa could do anything and swore that Grandpa had five hands!
And last, Carl loved his extended family. As a child he visited his uncles, aunts and numerous cousins on a regular basis. As an adult he discovered more cousins who live in Denmark. He adored them all. Just last year, Cousin Camilla Holme and her family spoiled him with birthday dinner and cake. They sang a silly traditional Danish birthday song for him. The kids taught him the most important phrase in Danish, "jeg elsker dig" which is "I love you."
Carl's cousin, Jette Uhlott, feels that one of the best parts of her life was sharing time with Carl and Karen. Sitting around cousin's dining table full of Danish delights such as meatballs and red cabbage salad, Carl's ever-shining light came through regardless of what language was being spoken. As usual, Carl wanted to be helpful, even on vacation in Denmark, and did small jobs around cousin's house. She loved his help no matter how small the deed. She especially loved the look on Carl's face when they were sightseeing at a marina and suddenly a club of 150 ladies drove into the parking lot on motorcycles!
Carl is survived by his former wife, Patricia Stanley Murrill, and their two children, Christian Morgan Holme (Kelly) and Grandchild, Caroline Holme; and daughter, Karen Elizabeth Ebbinghaus (Todd) and grandchildren, Caden Ebbinghaus and Parker Ebbinghaus; and also his brother, Christian Peter Holme.
Carl is survived by his wife, Karen Sue Holme and their boys, Kai Akins Holme and Kasan Robert Holme.
In closing, Carl leaves behind a legacy of love, generosity, and a strong work ethic. Though we mourn his loss, we are comforted by the memories of the times we shared and the lessons he instilled in all of us. His presence will be deeply missed, but his spirit will live on in our hearts and actions. It is, after all, another day in paradise.
Family and friends are invited to join the Holme family, "open house" style, in celebrating Carl's remarkable journey and the profound influence he had on all of us, at 1061 Summerwood Circle, Wellington, FL 33414; on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7 from noon until evening.
If you are able, we'd love for you to bring a favorite dish to share.