No matter how much time goes by, I still think of Mike quite often. He certainly kept us current on space exploration as well as on the latest ski techniques, and he also helped us become better skiers. His talents, his wisdom, his dignity, his excitement when seeing the results of his coaching, and of course, his delightful sense of humor, will not soon be forgotten. We miss you, Mike.

I still miss all your sage advice, and your wonderful sense of humour.

We still miss Mike so much, and talk about him all the time. There are so many good memories that I doubt we will ever run out of Michael stories. I still  use his coaching tips in my own skiing and teaching. My favorite memory is when his cell phone died and he had me dial NASA about an imminent shuttle launch……so exciting! He was so focused, so intense, yet so full of fun at the same time.  Mike will always be an important part of our lives. 
Wendy Frank
Former HoliMont Snowsports Director 

Dear Susan and family,
We were shocked to learn about Michael's death. He was always so friendly and smiling when we met on Cliff Island. We did not know him well, but recall him playing tennis, walking around the island, being a devoted husband and father. He will be greatly missed in this world, especially in the Cliff Island community. Our thoughts and best wishes are with you during this difficult time. 
Love,
Laraine and Tom Devins (Belmont Lodge cottage ,Cliff Island)

He was the best of us, did what others could not do, major impacts upon national security and space exploration. Worked with him for many decades, delightful!

  Dennis Bushnell
 Chief Scientist
NASA Langley Research Center

Mike was truly dedicated to advancing hypersonic technology and was my friend and colleague. Mike mentored many engineers in the field. He was always ready to answer questions and teach others. I remember fondly working with him over the many years. He will be really missed. My deep condolences to the family he leaves behind.

Something put me in mind of Dr. Holden this afternoon, so I looked him up and was very sorry to learn of his recent death.  I worked with him in the early 90's, in putting together the proposal for the LENS tunnel.  It was challenging to work with him, not because of his personality or character (I found him very engaging), but because his thinking was so advanced.  It was hard to keep up!  I was very proud to work with him, especially knowing that project was dear to him.  25+ years later, that time remains a highlight for me.  I'm very sorry to hear of his loss, but I hope it is a comfort to the family to know that he accomplished a feat that few people do - he identified his God-given gifts, utilized them fully, and spent a lifetime sharing them.    

I consider it a great privilege to have had the great opportunity to work with Dr. Holden over the past decade.  A man of incredible intelligence, passion, and character.  I learned an enormous amount from him and will forever be touched by his great life.

I met Dr. Holden in the wind tunnel where I spent one weekend training a skier and testing speed enhancements some legal and some not, just to see the maximum aero advantage. This one weekend had major impact on my life and skiing. As I fly down the glacier here above Gstaad I think of the small adjustments that allows me even more speed. I was lucky to meet a giant of Science for that 1 weekend and have remembered it as the one of best of times. RIP and Godspeed. 

I'm  saddened to learn of the loss Dr Holden. I have known and worked with him for 14 years. We were discussing the potential of starting some new work only 5 months ago. I am deeply sorry for your loss. 

 
I  have had the profound honor and pleasure of working with Mike for 23 years in CUBRC.  Dr. Holden, CUBRC's  Vice President of our Aerosciences Group, has been a giant in his field of Hypersonics for decades (well before I started working with him).  His leadership in the conceptualization, design, construction and operation of our Large Energy National Shocktunnel (LENS) research and testing facilities and his assembly and mentoring of our LENS team over the past 30 years has been World-class, and provided the foundation of CUBRC itself.  LENS I, IIS and XX are the preeminent supersonic and hypersonic ground test facilities in the World, thanks to  Mike’s  intellect, vision, intensity and boundless energy.
 
Dr. Holden reached the highest levels of prominence professionally, that of being recognized as a AIAA Fellow, as well as, even more importantly, being profoundly respected by the leading high-speed aerosciences minds in government, industry and academia. 

Mike’s passing is an incredible loss to his family, to all of his friends here at CUBRC, to our company, and indeed, to our Nation.   

And I will truly miss his  force balance, gravity-centering, edge-transfer tutorials on every chairlift ride.  Goodbye my friend.  

Tom McMahon
President and CEO
CUBRC, Inc.


Many years ago I was working for Jackie Rapport who owned the Four Seasons Racket Club, the current Village Glen.  A member asked me to search the club for her wallet that she thought she had lost there.  It was late at night, and I was the only one working.  Mr. Holden insisted on staying with me so I would not be alone at the club . He even helped me look for the wallet.  I was so grateful for his concern. 

My condolences to the Holden family. Mike was not only my mentor but also a friend. I had the opportunity and privilege to work with Mike for over twenty years. Mike demanded excellence from all members of our team. His energy was endless and it was impossible to keep up with him. I always asked Mike if he ever slept, because in the morning he had several variations of the designs we discussed the previous day. We worked as a team on the LENS program building a testing facility for the future. Mike you are truly a remarkable man. God bless.

Mike Holden was a giant in the high speed aero experimentation community in this country. He enjoyed "tweeking" the computational folks in our field with his rich experimental data sets generated at CUBRC by Mike and his excellent team. He loved nothing better (ok, maybe skiing) than proving the computationalists wrong. 

But more importantly than that, it was clear to me that Mike loved his adopted country and wished her to succeed. He was proud of his family, his accomplishments in the field, and of his country. 

He was greatly concerned though about the United States' standing in the aerospace world and did his very best to establish the world's #1 high speed experimental test facility (this last comment is for you Mike!) 

He will be missed but always remembered. 

Steven Walker
Director, DARPA

 

After over twenty years of skiing with Mike, we have too many memories to describe in just this short note.  Mike touched so many lives both locally and internationally.  He took us from rank beginners to accomplished skiers over the years, and introduced us to Deer Valley, where we ski today.

Beverly and I ate lunch with Mike every Saturday and Sunday during the ski seasons, where we had the benefit of his thoughts on subjects ranging from skiing to the space shuttles.  We were both invited to see the US and Canadian ski teams in the wind tunnel, and Mike took me on a tour of the US Ski Team facilities in Park City.

Mike will be missed by many, many people in the ski and aerospace industries, but most of all, by his friends and students at Holimont.

I always enjoyed our chairlift conversations.  He always seemed to have something to share.  I remember one time we were riding a chairlift at Killington and he got a phone call.  It was NASA calling and he had to drive all the way back to Buffalo to test something or the Space Shuttle was grounded.   He was quite an interesting guy and he will be missed.  


Dear Mike,
My sincere and heartfelt condolences to your family.  While I had not seen you for a few years, I will never forget our interactions on the slopes.  
I so enjoyed your regular participation at the Professional Ski Instructors of America’s Eastern Division’s Masters Academy.  At this annual week long event, you always showed up as both the rocket scientist and the lover of the sport.  In our groups, you helped us all translate what we felt on our skis and what was actually happening.  When the group went down the rabbit hole of terminology, you would call us out, smile, and hold us accountable to the statements made about forces, vectors and other certainties we would pull from the realm of physics!  I will never forget in the early 90’s when skis with deeper and more radical side-cuts made the scene, and how ecstatic you were to cut clean arcs in the snow.  “Finally,” you would say, “we finally have skis that really carve!” 
Thank you for your book “An Instructors Guide to Ski Mechanics.”  As a young pro, this was my bible.  Your concepts gave me the ability to look inside the sport and understand the dynamics of my passion.  You were a serious student of science, but also a really funny guy.  I won’t forget your dump joke that when something like this… “yes, it is true that Sir Isaac Newton defined the laws of motion and articulated what exactly happens to a body in motion when it zips down the mountain, but it was actually his brother Fig Newton that did all the skiing.”
Thank you Mike for helping me better understanding the sport that we all love.  I will miss skiing with you.
Rest in peace, 
Dave Merriam
Former Member and Head Coach of the PSIA Demontration Teams


Michael was exceptional human being, a good friend and a lasting  example to all of us. My association with him always encouraged me to learn  more, ski  at a higher level and share those milestones unselfishly. His star brightly shines.

Mike was certainly one of a kind. Having the good fortune to work with him these past thirty years has been quite an adventure. Mike always made us want to ski to the best of our ability, and was always available when we needed advice and tips. I loved his sense of humour, his compassion and his enthusiasm.  So many of us at HoliMont will feel the loss of this incredible man.  Our condolences to his family. 
Wendy and Sheldon

Dear Holden Family,

My heartfelt condolences.  Mike was a legend in so many arenas of life, and I feel blessed that we were friends for 30 years at HoliMont.
In skiing, Mike was a purists purist,  He continually made us think about our ski technique and challenged all of the instructors and his pupils to ski at the highest possible standard.
I well remember meeting many U.S. Ski Team members at the wind tunnel.  His results were incredible:  Bill Johnson credited his Olympic Gold to Mike’s peerless coaching in aerodynamics and ski glide.  The racers flocked to him and he did a tremendous service to both skiing and his nation.
Most importantly, however, I treasure the chair lift conversations.  Everyone knows Mike was brilliant, but his brilliance was burnished by a hilariously dry sense of humor.  Mike was always a great friend and an even greater companion.  We enjoyed so many times together that I will forever cherish.  May the memory of Mike bring the family consolation - a truly great and remarkable man

OBITUARY

Michael S. Holden

17 November, 1938 – 8 December, 2019

Perna, Dengler, Roberts Funeral Home

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