In Memoriam

John (Jack) Holme, BASc’50

John (Jack) Holme, 89, died peacefully in his home on June 23, 2012. A sculptor who sought to turn ordinary discarded items into something beautiful, Jack lived for adventure, family, dancing, and to make a meaningful contribution.

He was born April 26, 1923, in Vancouver. He served in the RCN during WWII before attending UBC where he earned a BSc degree in mechanical engineering. On a Canadian government scholarship, Jack continued his studies for an MSc in industrial design at Illinois Institute of Technology.

Jack had a passion for the outdoors, and on an American Youth Hostel trip he met the love of his life, Selma Zucker. Jack and Selma were married in 1955 and settled in St. Joseph, MI, where Jack worked for Whirlpool as an industrial engineer and later as a market researcher. Always drawn to his creative side, Jack retired from Whirlpool after 35 years and moved to Darien, where he engaged full-time in his artwork. He sculpted in metal, bronze, wood and eventually found most pleasure in working with what he called “junk” or found objects.

Jack was never one to give up and saw every obstacle as an opportunity to grow. Diagnosed in 1992 with Parkinson’s disease, he continued producing some of his largest and most impressive pieces. Jack’s commissioned sculptures are permanently installed at Skokie North Shore Sculpture Park (Illinois), Naperville Century Walk (Illinois), Peoples State Bank (St. Joseph, MI), Fitzgerald’s Park (Cork International Sculpture Symposium, Ireland), The Chiropractic College (Lombard), and in private collections throughout the world. In addition, he has had sculptures displayed in many galleries, including an exhibit at OnView in Park Ridge.

In 2009, Jack was preceded in death by his devoted wife, Selma. He is survived by his daughter, Jennifer Holme (Robyn Miller), his son, Kevin Holme (Tammy), and five grandchildren: Mikaela and Gabrielle Holme-Miller, and Amanda, Caroline and Alex Holme.