Obituary of James Vincent Holley

James Vincent Holley, age 72, ended his battle with a rare brain tumor on November 28, 2020 surrounded by his loving family. He was born on August 14, 1948 in Passaic, New Jersey to the late Vincent James Holley and Carolyn Ward Holley.  He is survived by his wife of fifty years, Annette Carcreff Holley; sisters, Joanne Klos and her husband, Eddie, Jeannine Costa and her husband, Gary, and Denise Cadou; his daughters, Jeannine Meis and her husband, John, and Kristie Guilliams and her fiancé, Dallas; four grandchildren, Alexandria, Jaxon, Sophia and Kalin; and many nieces and nephews.

Jim, as he preferred to be called, grew up in New Jersey and was a natural tinkerer.  He met his wife, Annette in 1966, enlisted in the US Army in 1969, and married her in 1970. They were stationed in Germany for two years where he repaired Nike missiles during the Vietnam War and spent their leave exploring Europe.  Upon their return to the States, Jim attended two years of engineering school before taking a job with Hoffman La Roche in Nutley, New Jersey.  He worked his way up to become a biopharmaceutical scientist, retiring in 2007 after 34 years of service.  That same year, Jim and Annette moved to Troutville, Virginia to be closer to family.  Prior to this, Jim lived in Clifton, NJ for 41 years and in Vernon, NJ for 17 years.

Jim had a wide variety of interests, from birding to building.  He never lost his love of tinkering and enjoyed cooking, gardening, photography, traveling, raising chickens, Italian food, and making home improvements. He was widely considered the “great handyman” of many households and generously helped anyone who needed anything from moving furniture to constructing home additions.  He was a generous supporter of numerous charities and non-profit organizations, particularly those honoring veterans and local causes, and a devoted family man and doting grandfather.

The family would like to give special thanks to the extraordinary doctors, nurses, and staff who cared for Jim during his extended hospitalization at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, and to the many friends, family, and neighbors who shared their support and optimism throughout this difficult process.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Jim’s family has opted to forego a traditional wake and funeral but will hold a Celebration of Life later in 2021. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.simpsonfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Jim to the American Brain Tumor Association at www.abta.org.