Remembering the father of modern Aptos
“Mark Holcomb was one of the founding fathers of modern Aptos,” said Paul Bailey, longtime resident.
APTOS >> “Mark Holcomb was one of the founding fathers of modern Aptos.”
That is how Paul Bailey, coowner of Bailey Properties and longtime business acquaintance and friend, described Mark Holcomb who died Nov. 16.
This “modern Aptos” is rare in that it strikes a fine balance between attractive tourist destination, environmental wonder, and tight-knit community that looks out for one another. And if one can make the assumption that the features of a town often reflect the values of its residents, there is no better example than Holcomb. Holcomb’s history with Aptos began in 1970 when his family moved from San Francisco after his high school graduation. After completing his studies at Cal Poly and San Diego State University, he joined his family in Aptos and began working with his father and brother at their family’s construction and real estate development company, the Holcomb Corporation, which continues to thrive today.
His father, Charles or “Chuck”, and his brother, Grant, took up much of the design and construction logistics while Holcomb displayed an affinity for sales and an invaluable knack for developing a vision for the Aptos landscape.
“Mark was an abstract, creative thinker that could envision the future outcome of projects,” Bailey said. “He didn’t just see what was there; he saw the next steps and what things could be. Not everyone has that skill.”
That skill was put to the ultimate test in 1985 when the Holcomb Corp. purchased a piece of property in the quiet, coastal part of town called Seascape which, up until that point, had been subject to bouts of stagnation and political turmoil. Holcomb and the Holcomb Corp. began by building condominiums and would quickly go on to assume an essential role in the process of developing the Seascape area into what it has become today.
John and Karen Hibble, co-directors of the Aptos Chamber of Commerce and longtime friends of Holcomb, reflected on his legacy and his impact on the Seascape region.
“Mark saw that piece of property and had a vision for what he wanted to do there and really saw it as a special piece of property,” John Hibble said. “It was a big deal and really put Aptos on the map.”
Today, Seascape features a unique combination of properties and businesses including residential housing, the Seascape Village Shopping Center, Palapas Restaurant, Seascape Sports Club, Seascape Golf Course, and perhaps the area’s most well-known and highly regarded feature, Seascape Resort.
Though Holcomb was passionately entrepreneurial and ambitious, his friends also remember him for his generosity, humility, and passion for Aptos. He was determined to ensure that Aptos businesses and organizations were owned and operated by Aptos residents and business people; “Aptos owned by Aptos,” as many of his friends affectionately put it.
A noteworthy example of this was the purchase of Seascape Golf Course by SAR Enterprises and The Holcomb Corp. in 2018. The locally owned businesses came together to form Seascape GC LLC to make the purchase.
“When Seascape Golf Club went up for sale, Mark partnered with SAR and bought it,” Hibble said. “That golf club had been owned by corporations from out of town for a long time, and Mark helped bring it back to a locally owned business because he really cared about it and thought it was important that it be owned by local people.”
For all of Holcomb’s efforts to support local business ownership, the “local people” he was most devoted to were his family. He is survived by his mother, Lois, his wife, Kay, his two daughters, Kyla and Keri, and his grandchildren Tessa, Nicolas, Camilla, and Carolina.
Holcom’s big heart, gentle nature, passion for sports, and enduring positivity was palpable as Kay and Kyla shared deep reflections and tender memories.
“Every single photo you see of him, he’s got both thumbs up,” Kyla chuckled. “He was the most positive, upbeat, win-win person.”
Holcomb’s upbeat positivity was felt not just by his immediate family and professional colleagues, but also by so many more in the community who were impacted by his philanthropic endeavors.
Every year he hosted a charity golf tournament called the “Anchovy Open,” which donated proceeds to the Santa Cruz Special Olympics. He also frequently hosted Aptos High School’s sports teams at Seascape Resort for their end- of-season awards ceremonies, and was on the advisory board for the Aptos Sports Foundation, which helps develop and support sports programs throughout the Aptos school district.
When Holcomb was awarded “Man of the Year” by the Aptos Chamber of Commerce in 2006, Kay Holcomb recalled his reaction. “Mark never really loved having the spotlight on him,” she said. “He practiced his speech and was very honored and just felt like everyone else out there should be honored, too.”
Seascape Resort is honoring the memory of Holcomb with a “tribute room” that includes photos, biographical information, and pamphlets documenting Seascape’s rich history. The exhibit will be open to the public until Dec. 31. Visitation appointments can be booked at https://markholcomb.getomnify.com.