Lori Lynn Holt

La Habra, CA where she went to preschool. Her little brother Danny was born there. The family then moved to San Jose, CA when Lori was 5 1/2. She attended Alex Anderson Elementary School, Davis Junior High, Oak Grove High School for a brief time and graduated from North Salinas High School. Lori moved to Salinas to her father’s home when she was 15. She moved to Arizona for a year or so after high school graduation. Lori moved back to Salinas and later met her partner Mark Rodriguez there with whom she had their son Christopher. When Christopher was 3 ½ in 1999, they moved back to San Jose. Later, Lori and Christopher moved into a home, in San Jose as well, with two friends and their families.

Lori enjoyed school and in elementary school, she was in ELP (the extended learning program). Lori loved to play sports and attend sporting events. As a child, she took gymnastics, tennis and swimming lessons, played Bobby Sox Softball and Little League senior league baseball as a teen. When she was about 10, she participated in a community center talent show where she and her friend Natalie danced to one of her favorite songs, Boogie Fever, and they won first prize (they shared the trophy for many years but then lost track of it at some point). Lori enjoyed music, especially Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five, AC/DC and others, singing, acting and putting on shows and skits for family and friends, building Legos, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, playing board games and cards, building forts in the house, playing outside, especially hide and seek, playing catch in the street, going to the park and playing with her animals. She also enjoyed playing flag football with the boys and roller skating. Lori enjoyed playing school so that she could be the teacher with her brother and tell him what to do. She and her Dad participated in Indian Princesses together; she was Red feather (she had auburn hair) and he was Sleeping Bear. In high school, she played softball, tennis and basketball and was a cheerleader. Lori loved playing second base and her go to favorite number was always 4 (the number for the position at second base). She idolized Joe Morgan and Davey Lopes of the Dodgers but later became a loyal Giants fan. Lori attended Hartnell College in Salinas for a short time and later took classes at the University of Phoenix. Lori also loved watching television as a youngster, especially Sesame Street and Mister Rogers. Some of Lori’s best friends growing up were Robin, Robi, Natalie, Carol, Debbie, Rhonda, Julia, Kim and Kim.

Lori last worked as an aide for school psychologist Jennie Moody within the Oak Grove School District. Prior to this, she worked in produce, the health field and as an administrative assistant in several different environments. She loved her job working with Jennie in assisting her personally and with the evaluation, planning and transitioning of special needs students. Lori received an Exemplary Staff award in 2015, having been nominated by the Del Roble school principal. Lori and Jennie became very close and Lori also made close friendships with some of her other coworkers.

Lori had a strong personality; she was outgoing, feisty, direct, warm, loved people and activities and was action oriented. At the same time, she loved her quiet time. Lori could always come up with practical solutions to problems and at the same time, used her vivid imagination as she was very creative. Lori was sensitive to others and could put herself in others' places. She loved being in charge and enjoyed the role of leader. Lori was an excellent planner and organizer and she could take charge in a minute when sensing that a group needed direction. When there was the need, she stepped up and coached and managed Christopher’s Little League teams two different years. Lori was a jokester just like her father; there are many stories involving her playing tricks on others. Lori had issues, as we all do, and she struggled with certain areas of her life but she loved deeply and always wanted the best for her loved ones and for all those with whom she worked and interacted. She learned over the years to hold her tongue in some situations and to take a break before talking with others about sensitive issues, if at all. Lori also had a way of persuading others to do things that they were hesitant to do. While she didn't have a specific church affiliation, Lori was spiritual. She always made sure that a substantial prayer was said before every holiday dinner. And others have shared that they interpreted Lori's special ability to touch so many lives in the way that she did, especially those of children, as true evidence of her inner spirituality.

Lori had many hobbies as an adult. She loved most sports, especially baseball and so enjoyed going to see the Giants play in person occasionally. She enjoyed 49ers football, Sharks ice hockey, playing USTA tennis and especially league bowling lately as well as playing Bunko and fantasy baseball. She enjoyed golfing occasionally when her brother Dan held his annual golf tournaments in honor or their father. She enjoyed watching sports on TV including the Olympics. Lori loved doing various crafts, including cross-stitching and she made many beautiful pieces for friends and family. She had a talent for planning events and was very creative in decorating and organizing. She turned our garage into a festive party arena for Christopher’s 6th birthday when Rainbow the Clown performed. Christopher attended the same elementary school as did Lori and her brother Dan and they met a wonderful group of parents and kids during kindergarten, all of whom attended that birthday party and with whom they remained very close. Lori loved her IPad and playing games such as Words with Friends, Candy Crush and Angry Birds. She loved playing the card game "May I?" and group board and card games such as Spoons and Catch Phrase. Lori also loved many reality TV shows including Survivor and The Amazing Race. Lori so enjoyed being a part of the Davis' haunted house almost every year and came up with some of the scariest scenarios, costumes and room decor!! She also loved hanging out in the neighborhood with neighbors and all of the kids, all of whom became family.

Lori loved kayaking in the ocean or in any type of water including river rafting. She almost seemed fearless at times. For fun, she jumped off of a 30-foot cliff into the Colorado River when we were river rafting with family there. She also so loved scary amusement park rides. Lori also wasn't afraid to get into physical altercations with boys in elementary school. Lori could put almost anything together; she managed to erect a large backyard gazebo and various pieces of furniture. Lori loved to go on vacation and always looked forward to our summer family reunions; we met up in Colorado twice, Texas and Oregon several times, San Jose and San Diego. We always enjoyed either boating, rafting, swimming or kayaking each time, all of which she loved. Lori really enjoyed visiting Hawaii and New Orleans for softball tournaments during her youth, going to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe with her Dad. Lori loved her pets, especially her kitty Stripes and she had several other kitties as well. Christopher and Lori had four rescue cats including Tyson, Goose, Diddy and Simba. Her roommate’s puppy Marlee loved Lori too and all five of them slept on her bed.

Lori passed away on March 19, 2016 in a motor scooter accident. She is survived by her son Christopher Rodriguez, her mother Diane Holt, her brother Dan Holt (Tiajuana), aunts and uncles Kathy and Trent Galloway, Tim and Jaime Manley, Janet and Jerry Bruce, Nancy Manley, Julie Holt and Christopher’s father, Mark Rodriguez. Lori is survived by her many loving cousins Robin, Eileen (Mike and kids), Jeff, Greg and Amanda, Erin, Maggie and Kyle, Hannah, Dylan, Zoe, Grant, Bibby, Chloe and Hazel. She is also survived by her many close friends, some of whom are Trish, Cheryl, Erin, Sheryl, Katina, Fawni, Jennie and Carmen. She had a very special place in her heart for our dear friends Kay and Nina and many others. Lori was predeceased by her beloved father Howard Holt, all four of her grandparents, her cousin Sabrina and her Uncle Ernie. Services for Lori were held at Oak Hill Memorial Park, Chapel of the Oaks and her reception was held in true Lori celebratory style at BowlMor bowling alley’s Back Nine.