Otto Allen Holden, Jr.

Otto Allen Holden, Jr., 86, passed away in Leesburg, Virginia, on December 15, 2025.

Born in Washington, D.C., he spent much of his early life in Hopewell, Virginia, before settling in Newport News in 1971. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and retired in 2001 after a long career with Newport News Shipbuilding.

Allen, also known as “Other Grandpa,” or simply “Ogpa,” had a dry sense of humor and often shared (as he frequently described) his “wide, vast knowledge” with his grandsons, Tristan and Corbin. He and his daughter, Suzanna, bonded over Star Trek, technology, and a passion for peanut butter and apple jelly sandwiches. In 1983, Allen and his wife, Carolyn, built a cottage on the Outer Banks and spent decades creating cherished family memories. After retirement, they enjoyed Caribbean cruises and took many road trips to Florida to vacation with friends. Over the years, they frequently traveled “up north” to Northern Virginia to spend time with Suzanna and her family, and they enjoyed socializing with her extended family during the holidays.

Allen was deeply involved in music and theater and was a founding member of the original Peninsula Community Theater. There, he supported the box office and played trombone for many musicals. He was a long-time member of the York River Symphony Orchestra, Schnickelfritz and the Oompahs, and numerous ensembles.

Allen was preceded in death by his parents, Otto Allen Holden, Sr. and Katherine Ivey Moore Holden; his sister, Sara Holden McDaniel; and his wife, Carolyn Elliott Holden. He is survived by his daughter, Suzanna Pangilinan, and son-in-law, Anthony; his grandsons, Tristan and Corbin; his great-granddaughter, Charlotte; and his great-grandson, Eligio.

The family would like to thank Reflections - A Senior Living Community and Blue Ridge Hospice for their attentive and compassionate care.

A memorial service will be planned for Spring of 2026.

Since music was a large part of Allen’s life, in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the North Carolina Arts Foundation, which expands arts philanthropy through public–private partnerships that support arts education and creative opportunities for young people and communities: www.ncartsfoundation.org/donate.