Bill Holden

February 16, 1948 - June 30, 2019

William Paul Holden passed away at the age of 71, with a smile on his face, on June 30, 2019, at Marin General Hospital, after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer.

Bill was born on February 16, 1948 in Minneapolis, MN, to Catherine and William Holden. He and his parents, and younger brother, Mark, moved to Texas and then to Orange County, CA. Bill graduated from Servite High School and started college at USD before eventually relocating to San Francisco where he lived for over 40 years. He was a dedicated postal worker for over 35 years, especially enjoying his last route on Fisherman’s Wharf.

Bill suffered from active alcoholism for many years, but quit drinking in 1995 and was sober for over 24 years, gaining strength and humility from God and his active involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous. He got sober at Serenity House in San Francisco, and then became Director there for his last 15 years. Bill was a very spiritual person and read the Bible daily. He enjoyed playing golf weekly, a good cigar, and spending time with friends and family, especially his 8 grandchildren. Bill leaves behind his brother, Mark; five children, Willy, Gus, Sarah, Elizabeth and Justine; his “lady friend” of 27 years, Ingrid, and her daughter Sarah, who also considered Bill “Dad”; daughter-in-law, Daisy; eight grandchildren, Isabelle, Andrew, Kiana, Quentin, Samantha, Laurissa, Brevan and Yannis; ex-wife and friend, Deborah Shaw; and countless friends both in and out of AA. Bill’s off-color sense of humor and heart of gold will be missed by many.

A celebration of life service will be held at Serenity House, 1124 Fulton St, from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, 2019. In lieu of flowers, donations made to Serenity House in memory of Bill greatly appreciated.