David Holding – Eulogy – 18.09.1945 – 15.07.2020
 
Dad was born in September 1945. He was born at home with the assistance of his auntie. His arrival brought about much joy to Kenneth and Josephine Holding, not only had WW2 recently ended, but the year before they had endured the heartbreak of losing their first child, Janet, soon after her birth.
 
Dad first lived in Blackpool before his Mum and Dad were granted a council house in Hilton Avenue, Ansdell. Later in Dad’s childhood a family member helped out and they moved to Nelson Street, Lytham. This became the family home until the early 1990’s after Kenneth Holding passed away & Josie went to live with Jennifer. A lot of love went into this family home as four siblings were raised and nine grandchildren called it their second home too.
 
Dad’s younger siblings, Jennifer, Susan and Pamela made the males of the family rather outnumbered, a theme which followed Dad throughout his life – always surrounded by women and was always grateful for some male company and conversation.
 
Dad had many happy memories of family holidays in Somerset and Wiltshire, places which are in the hearts of several Holding family members. One particular holiday destination was Wiltshire which later became the home of Dad’s sister, Pamela, and her family since 1985.
 
Dad attended Ansdell Primary School, then Lytham St Annes High school, leaving education at the age of 15. He was never keen on school but apparently was in the school Rigby team for a short while. We are not sure what Dad’s first job was, but we have it on good authority from his sister, Jennifer, that he wore hob-nail boots and was so proud of them that he took them to bed at night! Dad then chose to follow in his much loved, father’s footsteps in the world of carpets. Based in Lytham and Southport but they wanted to move their careers and home life to the South of England. Dad and Grandpa would regularly travel looking for work but Nan didn’t want to leave their home town of Lytham.
 
Dad met and fell in love with or dear Mum, Kathleen, in 1967 – a blind date which was set up by Dad’s sister Jennifer and Mum’s cousin Linda. They married in 1969 and moved to Southport together, where Dad was employed. Later they moved to Dorset, which fulfilled the dream of living and working down south! In 1970 Laura was born in Dorchester Hospital, their first bundle of joy. However Dad missed the rest of the family and wanted to come home so the next move was to a brand new house in Newton – this became the family home for 42 years. As with his childhood home, this home was filled with love, Laura and I had a very happy childhood there, as did by my children, Emma & Joe.
 
 
Dad’s career continued in the carpet trade, he worked in various settings and was 100% dedicated to his work, he admitted later in life that he had been a workaholic. He worked together with Laura for a couple of years in Carpet Right at Preston. He later moved into insurance assessing and travelled far and wide to do his inspections. Although his days were long and tiring, he loved this role. He enjoyed meeting people in their own homes and never missed an opportunity to share the gospel and meet people’s needs with prayer – even praying for pets on occasion. He also loved the time he got in his car to praise and worship Jesus. Often calling his sister Pam on the in-car phone or taking his brother-in-law, Brian, along for the company.
 
The biggest thing we all know Dad for is his faith. At the age of 15 Dad was baptised in his family church, Mount Olivet Pentecostal, after a full childhood of learning about Jesus. Dad lived for Jesus and his heart was that everyone he met had the opportunity to know Jesus for themselves. From his mid-forties onwards, a day did not go by when he did not share the gospel even in his last days on earth. We have no way of measuring the seeds he has sewn for the Kingdom.
 
However, somewhere between the ages of twenty and forty-five, the ways of the church lost their appeal as distractions took over. During my childhood we did not see Dad going to church or hear him talking about God. Then with the passing of his own Dad (Grandpa Ken) he reached out to the Lord with the encouragement of his younger sister Pam … Dad NEVER looked back! We suddenly had a new Dad in the house, a Dad who would not stop talking about Jesus – this was literally his main topic of conversation every day until he passed away! He started going to church, reading his bible, praying out loud, praying in tongues (something I knew nothing about before) preaching and joined the staff team at Mount Olivet Pentecostal Church (later named Lytham Christian Centre, now Hope Church). As the church was founded by his ancestors Dad loved it almost as much as he loved Jesus.
 
Dad had a strong faith for healing through prayer, and over the years God healed countless people through Dad’s humble yet bold prayers. He too received miraculous healing … so have I and so have my children on many occasions. As Dad’s closest family members we know of countless miracles which came about through Dad’s faithful prayers.
 
We would love to share these testimonies to keep Dad’s legacy going. Dad himself told me a couple of weeks before he died that he wanted to write a book on all the wonderful things he has experienced God doing in his life. We hope to gather some of these testimonies and share them at a memorial service next year, not just in Dad’s honour but more importantly for God’s honour.
 
We love you more than we could ever put into words Dad, and we are ever grateful for the heritage you have left us with. And although we want to give you the praise you deserve, we know that we you would want us to direct all glory and honour to He who was always within you.
 
Our heavenly Father kindly gave us our earthly father, and He took you back when it was your time.