Stephen Richard Holtz

Stephen R. Holtz passed away peacefully on November 24, 2023, surrounded by all four of his loving children and his wife of 59 years, Jane Bowditch Holtz, at Hartford Hospital, after almost a year with the wonderful Memory Care Team at Avery Heights in Hartford, CT, who cared for “Steve” and helped the family through the later stages of his Alzheimer’s Disease.

Born in Rochester, NY, Steve met Jane at Middlebury College, after seeing her ice-skating. He wore his army boots to their first date, when he realized how tall she was. After graduating from Middlebury, Steve joined the Army while waiting for Jane to finish her degree. They married in Jane’s hometown of Worcester, MA, and then spent time in a number of communities, starting in NYC and ending in Connecticut, after a lengthy stay in Illinois, where they raised their children. They also spent many summers in beloved Boothbay Harbor, ME.

Steve loved music and began singing four part harmony on family road trips with his siblings and parents, Frederick Richard Holtz and Marjorie Bonniwell Holtz, and stepmother, Mary Heston Holtz. His singing legacy encompasses the Dissipated Eight at Middlebury College; Barbershop quartets, like the Four Tune Seekers, and choruses, including The New Tradition Barbershop Chorus in Northbrook, IL, and the Silk City Chorus in Manchester, CT; and church choirs, including Winnetka Congregational Church in Winnetka, IL, and Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford, CT. He once channeled his deep bass voice into his performance as the Knight of the Mirrors in “Man of La Mancha,” conjuring a most convincing evil laugh. In his last months, even after his voice couldn’t create the words, he enjoyed lip-syncing to the chorus of “I, Don Quixote” while he tapped the rhythm of the song on his legs.

In addition to singing, Steve’s other passions included baseball (especially the Red Sox), sharing his love of the beautiful purr (and roar!) of an MG engine with the members of the Connecticut MG Club, and enjoying the company and the quieter purr of his many, many kitty cats - all named after cars.

Always a giver of his energy and his time, Steve held many volunteer leadership roles in the various groups to which he belonged. Steve was also a Big Brother and mentor to children in both Framingham, MA, and Hartford, CT, and, after retirement from a career in Sales and Marketing, he served as a companion, driver, and shopper for elderly clients to help them maintain their independence.

The good fortune the Holtz family feels about the path that led Steve and Jane to land finally in the Avery Heights community cannot be overstated. They are so grateful for the many friends Steve and Jane have made while living in cottage number 9 from which Steve walked “up the mountain” to his regular exercise classes and music performances. He was warmly embraced by everyone he encountered, following his cheerful but honest introduction to whomever he met (and re-met), “Hi, I’m Steve. I won’t remember your name. I have dementia.”

Along with his wife, Jane Bowditch Holtz of Worcester, MA, and his cat Maizie Girl (a.k.a. MG), Steve is survived by his four children, Amy Holtz Cudney (Pete), Peter Bowditch Holtz (Meghan), Meggin Nam Holtz (Bill), Charles Tae S. Holtz; grandchildren Eliza Jane and Madeleine Holtz, Zoe and Cooper Cudney; his two younger siblings, John Holtz (Gretchen) and Bonnie O’Keefe (Marcia); and many nephews and nieces. He is also survived by his pride and joy, his 1966 MGB/GT “HOLTZY,” not his first child, but definitely his first baby, of which he was the original and only owner.

Service planned for Stephen R. Holtz Saturday, December 2, at 2:00 p.m. at Immanuel Congregational Church, UCC (10 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT 06105) Tel: 860.527.8121. The Service will be live-streamed on Immanuel Congregational Church's Facebook page. Link to recording: https://vimeo.com/890651460

In lieu of flowers, donations in Steve’s memory can be made to the CT Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/ct), to Immanuel Congregational Church (https://www.iccucc.org/give), to the Klingberg Family Center History Museum & Auto Restoration Program (https://klingberg.org/donate-now/) on behalf of the Connecticut MG Club, or to the Boston Red Sox.