Lionel Joseph Holmes

Lionel died October 20 at age 98. He was born in Tulare, Cal, moved to Sacramento and lived at 1027 S St. in 1920 until moving to Oakland. He graduated from Saint Mary's College in 1941, worked for the Oakland Tribune, then drafted into WW2, serving in Guadalcanal. Upon discharge in New York he met Irene Specht in 1945, fathering seven children: Gregory, Lucile, Steven, Donald, Virginia, Douglas, and William. In New York, he worked as a news editor for McGraw-Hill Publishing Co, and then as bureau chief in Brazil for McGraw Hill World News. Returning to California, he settled in Sacramento. Irene died in 1970 and in 1975 he married Eleanor Lopes. Eleanor died in 2010. He was active in the Portuguese-American community, serving as president of Cabrillo Civic Club No. 5 and president of Portuguese Historical & Cultural Society. For his involvement, he received the Portuguese Government's Gold Medal of Honor. His ashes have been placed in the Calvary Cemetery site with his first wife, Irene, and services to be 11:00am Nov 4th.