Colonel Carson E.R. "Spike" Holman

Colonel Carson Edward Richard (Spike) Holman died at home after a brief battle with cancer on January
24 th , 2022. He was the husband of Martha Ann (Lentz) Holman who died on April 4, 2019, and to whom
he was married for 62 years.
Carson “Spike” was born on June 10, 1930 raised and educated on the campus of Carson Long Military
Academy in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania. He lived on the Carson Long campus for 59 years and was
the son of the late Lieutenant Colonel Edward L. Holman and Anna Helen (Bower) Holman. Colonel
Holman was predeceased by his sister, Ida Helen (Holman) Partridge [died of cancer], his sister Elizabeth
Ann “Beth” (Holman) Reynolds (died of cancer), and by his brother, Master Sergeant Clark L. Holman
[killed in combat in Korea].
Colonel Holman’s education included four years in the New Bloomfield Elementary School, eight years at
Carson Long, one year at Gettysburg College, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States
Military Academy at West Point. He continued his education by getting a teacher’s certificate from
Dickinson College and a master’s degree in Education Supervision from Bucknell University. Spike’s
military education included Parachute “Jump” School, Ranger School and the Advanced Infantry Officers
School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He also graduated from the Command and General Staff College at
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Spike had 30 years of military service: four years in the Regular Army, and twenty-six years in the Army
Reserves. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant from West Point in 1953. His active-duty
assignments included a platoon leader in the famed 82 nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
He was then stationed at Fort Richardson, Alaska, where he was the aide-de-camp to the Commanding
Officer of US Army, Alaska [ Major General James F. Collins ---later promoted to full General]. Before he
resigned from the Regular Army, Colonel Holman was assigned as a small unit tactics instructor at the
U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning.
After he resigned from the Regular Army, he joined the Army Reserves for 26 years. In the Reserves,
Colonel Holman held numerous assignments to include company commander, Assistant Battalion S-3
(operations Officer), Assistant Battalion Commander in the 79 th U.S. Army Reserve Division; also
instructor, Director of Instruction and finally Commandant of the 2090 th U.S. Army Reserve School in
Harrisburg, PA. He was awarded the Pennsylvania Meritorious Service Medal by Governor Dick
Thornburgh. When he was company commander, his company was selected to represent the entire
Army Reserves to march in the Inaugural Parade for President John F. Kennedy
Spike’s national organizations include the Nation Association of Independent Schools (NAIS),
Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS), The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), the
Reserve Officers Association (ROA), and the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United
States (AMCSUS), in which he served a term as president.
The local organizations to which Colonel Holman belonged included a lifetime membership in Christ
Lutheran Church in New Bloomfield, where he was baptized and confirmed. He served as Sunday School
teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, president of the Church Council and president of the Joint
Church Council. Other organizations include the New Bloomfield Lions Club, the Lions Community
Theatre (LCT) for 49 years, and Executive Producer of LCT for several years. Colonel Holman belonged to
a number of organizations outside New Bloomfield: Tri-County Welfare Council, Tri-County United Fund
Committee, Perry County United Fund Chairman, Perry County Community Foundation (PCCF), Perry
County Delegate to the 1960 White House Conference on Children and Youth. He was Adult Chairman of

the Capital Area Youth Forum. COL Holman was on the Carson Long Military Academy Board of Trustees
(Board Chairman), and the Carson Long Military Academy Foundation for the Endowment Fund. He is
listed in the 1973 book of “Outstanding Educators of America.”
He loved the Army, and he loved Carson Long. The only reason he resigned from the Regular Army was
to come back to his home at Carson Long Military Academy and to take over running the school from his
Father. For 25 years, Colonel Holman was a high school teacher at Carson Long, teaching English, Bible,
and Public Speaking. In addition, he was the SAI (Senior Army Instructor) in charge of the NDCC
(National Defense Cadet Corps at Carson Long). He then spent 25 additional years as the President of
Carson Long. He often said that he “never had a bad day in the classroom, but he did have a few bad
days in the office.” His greatest joy as a teacher was to see his young students grow into successful and
responsible and honorable men. He positively impacted over 10,000 young men.
Colonel Holman led a military life. He was a Cadet at Carson Long Military Academy for 8 years. Then
he was a member of the ROTC for one year at Gettysburg College, 4 years at West Point, 4 years in the
Regular Army, 26 years in the Army Reserves, and then 50 years back at Carson Long Military Academy.
At Gettysburg College, he was awarded the medal for the outstanding freshman ROTC Cadet.
He loved playing sports. In High School he played football, basketball, track and tennis. In College he
played team handball and tennis, In the Army, he played tournament handball and tennis .. Back home
he played tournament tennis and team tennis. He continued to play tennis until he was 88 years old.
When growing up, he did a lot of ice skating. In adult life, he did a lot of downhill skiing. Of all his sports,
he loved skiing most. In high school, he was elected class president for three years, editor of the student
newspaper, editor of the yearbook and appointed Cadet Battalion Commander.
He is also survived by their three children and their families: Richard Carson “Rich” Holman of Dublin,
California his wife Paula, and their two daughters, Taylor and Maris; a daughter, Martha Elizabeth
“Betsy” (Holman) Moyer of New Bloomfield her husband Scott and their two boys Benjamin Kingsley,
and Liam Carson; and a second son, Benjamin Edward “Ted” Holman of Kutztown, PA his wife Jeanne
and their two daughters Maggie and Megan.
His all-time favorite activities were going to the theatre and dancing with Martha. He taught his kids the
values of leadership, the passions of theatre, family activities including skiing, tennis and RV camping. He
built family traditions around Assateague and Rehoboth and sharing the knowledge and skill on how to
select the best steamed crabs and the best Rose’ wine! He taught his kids to be honest, ethical, and
caring. Although he grew up in a different era, he supported diversity, equity, inclusiveness and
belonging for all. He was the best dad his kids could ask for.
“If you’re not falling, you’re not learning”, “You can if you think you can”, “Choose the harder right
instead of the easier wrong” – our father not only frequently shared these quotes with us, but he lived
his life believing them. He was a life-long learner who questioned everything from politics and religion.
He was a true gentleman.
The family is planning a celebration of life to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers if friends should
desire, memorials may be made to one of four organizations: A) Christ Lutheran Church, 46 West High
Street, New Bloomfield, PA 17068, B) Join Hands Ministry, 51 South Church Street , PO Box 335, New Bloomfield, PA
17068, C) Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Bank, 300 A South Carlisle Street, New Bloomfield, PA
17068, D) Friends of Clarks Ferry Tavern, P.O. Box 184, Duncannon, PA 17020 for Col. Carson “Spike”
Holman Memorial Fund.

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