Thomas Walsh Holdsworth

Thomas (Tom) Walsh Holdsworth, 75, devoted father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend passed away peacefully at his home in Falls Church, VA, on the morning of April 16, 2025, with his family by his side.

Tom was born June 4, 1949, in Northampton, Mass; the eldest of the three children of James R. L. Holdsworth and Elizabeth (Liza) Walsh Holdsworth of Amherst, MA.

Amherst always held a special place in Tom’s heart because of the family history in the area. His parents met playing in the sandbox behind Liza’s house. His paternal grandfather started the Forestry Department at the University of Massachusetts where the Natural Resources Center and the street where it is located still bear the family name. Tom’s maternal grandfather was the owner of the well-known haberdashery downtown called The House of Walsh. Tom enjoyed sharing stories about his many visits to his grandparents’ homes and time spent on Cape Cod together with his siblings and cousins.

Tom grew up in Schenectady, NY and graduated from Niskayuna High School in 1967. His family moved to Westport, CT as Tom started college at the University of Bridgeport and met the love of his life, Darlene Meyer, at a friend’s birthday party. Together they moved to Amherst, MA where Tom completed his degree in English at the University of Massachusetts. They were married on August 14, 1971, moved to Northern Virginia (Arlington and later to Herndon), and welcomed two children, Katherine (Kate) in 1983 and John in 1987. Tom and Darlene shared 42 beautiful years together before Darlene’s passing on January 8, 2014, from brain cancer.

Tom began his career working for an advertising agency in New York City and was also an accomplished artist, designing cover art for two newspapers in Massachusetts. When he and Darlene moved to Virginia, he began work at VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America)—now known as SkillsUSA—in Leesburg, VA. SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization serving more than 413,000 middle school, high school, and college students and professional members enrolled in training programs in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. Tom worked for SkillsUSA for 35 years, retiring in February 2015. As a young child, his daughter, Kate, told her classmates that her dad had "a very important job at the airport". In actuality, he was traveling on business trips as the director of the office of communications and government relations; responsible for the organization’s public and media relations, internal management communications, and coordinated advocacy activities with the administration and Congress.

During his 35 years at SkillsUSA, Tom also served as the director of publications, director of college/postsecondary membership and the head of strategic planning. His work on behalf of SkillsUSA appeared multiple times in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, thousands of newspapers and trade journals, and on network and cable broadcasts. Tom also headed the staff team charged with creating the association’s brand and slogan—SkillsUSA: Champions at Work—and managed the association’s name change. At the time of his retirement, Tom was the associate executive director for the organization, an inspiration and cherished friend to his many colleagues.

Tom dedicated his life to his family. He is survived by his beloved children and their families including his daughter, Kate Holdsworth and grandson William of Greenfield, MA; his son John Holdsworth, daughter-in-law Sue Zhen Holdsworth, and grandsons Logan, Lucas, and Harrison of Annandale, VA. He is also survived by his two dear siblings James (Jim) Holdsworth, Jr. of Amherst, MA and Elizabeth (Liz) Malaby of Wiscasset, ME and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends around the country.

Tom was an avid reader, enjoying books on history, biography, poetry, and the classics. He shared his love of reading with his children and grandchildren, perfecting character voices that helped the stories come to life for his rapt audience. Tom also loved music and collected a vast and diverse library of records and CDs over his lifetime. There was always music playing at the family home and he had a knack for curating playlists and finding the perfect song for every occasion. Tom adored trips to the National Gallery of Art, taking time to read every placard and notice every brushstroke. He loved theater—dabbling in acting, make-up and set design as a young man—but nothing compared to his joy when sitting in the audience and sharing his famous hearty laugh, especially when his children were amongst the performers on the stage.

Tom enjoyed visits to Ireland, France, Canada, the beaches of Lewes, Delaware, Maine, California, cruises to Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany with close family and friends.

A memorial service celebrating Tom’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to: The SkillsUSA Hope Fund which provides support to current, active members of SkillsUSA who are experiencing personal or financial hardship and SkillsUSA chapters affected by natural disasters. In his personal and professional life, Tom believed in taking care of others and bolstering their confidence and success. The Hope Fund does this by supporting students and educators in continuing their education and career pathways. Tom also supported the SPCA of Northern Virginia, helping animals find loving homes.

The Holdsworth family thanks the dear family members, friends, and neighbors who have sustained our father through the years and who have supported us in his last months. And, as his mother/our grandmother, Liza, used to say: Dad, we "love you no tongue can tell."