David L. Holmes

HOLMES

DAVID L. HOLMES

Professor David Lynn Holmes, beloved by generations of students during his 46 years at Virginia's College of William & Mary, was intellectual and gregarious, brandishing his wry humor til the end. He died at age 90 in Williamsburg, VA, on April 29, 2023. A nationally recognized church historian, Holmes' numerous books included 2006's highly regarded "Faiths of the Founding Fathers." Born in Detroit on August 28, 1932, to David L. Holmes, longtime athletic director at Wayne State University, and to Hazel Jean Madden Holmes, Holmes was drafted into the Army after graduating from Michigan State. He received his MA from Columbia and doctorate in Religious Studies from Princeton. His wife of 55 years, Carolyn, survives him, as do daughters Henley and Catesby; grandchildren Kai, Nicolas, Nola, and Madden; and nephew Keith Wunderlich. Holmes was "hopeful about death," he said. "I would live as if life continued after death – and I would not be surprised to find that it did." Memorial July 15 at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg. Donations to the David L. Holmes Reformation Studies and American Religious History Endowment (3447) support a professorship at William & Mary. Checks should be made payable to the William & Mary Foundation/Holmes at P.O. Box 1693, Williamsburg, VA 23187, or donate online https://impact.wm.edu/holmes.