Dr. Norman E. Holden

Holden - Norman E., Dr., a nuclear physicist, Suffolk County Track Official, loving husband, father of nine, and grandfather of twelve, passed away on Wednesday, August 17th, 2022, at his home in Shoreham, surrounded by his wife Gail and many of his children. He was 86, and eight days shy of his 60th wedding anniversary. Norman was born February 1st, 1936, to Edward and Marie Holden in Jamaica, Queens. He was raised in Brooklyn, NY, with his older brother, Kenneth, cheering for the Dodgers.

Norman attended Brooklyn Prep and Fordham University, where he earned his BS in Physics. He finished his studies at Catholic University, earning his PhD in Nuclear Physics. He was far prouder of earning the love and hand in marriage of Gail Rafferty during his tenure at Catholic University. In the sixties, Norman worked at Knolls Atomic Power Lab after completing his time in the Air Force. In addition to creating several versions of the Chart of the Nuclides with his colleagues, he was tasked with engineering duties for Admiral Rickover's Nuclear Navy. Later, he worked at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. From 1974 until his retirement, he worked at the National Nuclear Data Center, and then directly at the Reactor on site. Norman was a member of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, (IUPAC), with the Commission on Atomic Weights. He was voted to the commission board as Secretary, Vice Chairman, and Chairman of the Atomic Weights Committee from 1979-1983. His almost fifty-year relationship with IUPAC allowed him and his wife the opportunity to travel the world. Norman was well-known and loved wherever he went. Some of those who loved him most were his twelve grandchildren. He had a passion for cooking. His sense of humor was well-known and much-loved. Norman immersed himself into his children's lives through the sports in which they became involved. To support them, he became a swim official, a baseball umpire, and a soccer coach. He was a Suffolk County Track Official for many years, until Covid shut down high school athletics in 2020. He was outgoing, jovial, and witty. Norman served on the Board of Education for Shoreham-Wading River for over a decade, affording him the opportunity to hand out a diploma to each of his children. Norman is survived by his wife, Gail; children, Sean, Kristen, Maurisa, Greg, Megan, Alyse, Keith, Kathleen, and Kevin; twelve grandchildren; brother, Kenneth; and sister-in-law,

Christine. Visitation at Alexander-Rothwell Funeral Home in Wading River on Friday, August 26th, 2022, from 2:00-4:00 pm and 7:00-9:00 pm. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, August 27th, 2022, at 9:30 am at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Rocky Point.