Michael W Holmes

1937 - 2023

SAN DIEGO — Michael William Holmes

Michael’s life was full, interesting, and crowned by his lifelong interest in horses, both as a rancher and as a patron of what was known in his family as the Del Mar Betting Pleasure Palace. For years, he hosted friends for a day at the track, offering tutorials for newbie bettors, with the help of his Turf Accountant, Bruce the Deuce. Along with Thanksgiving and Christmas, the opening day of Del Mar ranked high in his pantheon of holidays.

He was a fly fisherman, a master of the grill, a marathon runner, and long-standing member of a men’s Gourmet Group, Soupçon.

The first of three boys, he was born in Buffalo, NY, to Carolyne Michel Holmes and William P. Holmes.

The family settled in Chicago, exchanging the snows of Buffalo for the big winds off Lake Michigan. (Later in his life, courtesy of the US Navy, he was introduced to San Diego, Mission Beach volleyball and never looked back.)

He graduated from Northwestern University and then earned his MBA from the University of Missouri. He completed his military obligation aboard the USS Ticonderoga (CVA14) as disbursement officer. He said, “I like my job. After all, I’m the richest man aboard ship.”

Early in his business career, he worked in a variety of real estate developments, management, leasing and sales but decided to have a midlife crisis (in his thirties!) and became a rancher in Grants Pass, OR.

In 1974, Mike left his ranch for Hawaii, where he joined Alan Beall on Oahu in a new commercial development. He traveled light -- he took his trunk, his Timelife Great Dinners from LIFE Cookbook and his saddle. The Time-life Cookbook got him lots of dates.

He served as Vice President of Blackfield

Hawaii Corp. and was responsible for development of the Kahuku Sugar Mill Specialty Center. He returned to the mainland a few years later having married Jill Fisher Palmer, who brought daughter Amy as a bonus. The Time-life Cookbook returned with him.

Again, he entered into the commercial real estate world.

In 1988, SIHI hired Mike to run its Southern California operations and he ran the San Diego office of the company until his retirement in 2007. In 2012 he was called out of retirement and was the president of the company for another two years. He was responsible for a portfolio of 35 shopping centers stretching from Chula Vista to San Bernardino to Phoenix.

As a long time resident of the San Diego community, he held a variety of Board positions on the St. Paul’s Foundation Board, part of the St. Paul’s Senior Services, a highly regarded organization which provides comprehensive support and services for the elderly throughout San Diego County.

He also served on the

Vestry at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Ocean Beach.

Mike and Jill were devoted dog owners, and thanks to Second Chance Dog Rescue, they rescued a few elderly terriers and pampered them to the end of their lives with poached chicken breasts, cuddles and warm blankets. We are sure that there were some very enthusiastic tail waggers greeting him at the other end of the Rainbow Bridge.

Michael W. Holmes died February 8, 2023 at the age of 85, after a stroke and a fall.

His survivors include his wife, Jill; daughter Amy (Matthew); stepson, Matt; grandsons Alek, Spencer and Dashiell; brothers Bob (Linda1) and Jerry (Linda2); brother-in-law Matt (Dale) and an extended family of nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.

If desired, memorial gifts may be directed to St. Paul’s Senior Services Foundation, 328 Maple St., San Diego, 92103 or World Central Kitchen, wck.org.

Memorial services planned for May 6, 2023, 2 PM at St. James By-thesea Episcopal, La Jolla, CA.

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