John "Wes" Wesley Holden

Wes grew up in Winona, MN. He loved telling people he was from “Minnesnota” or “Minnesquito”. His mother gave her life in childbirth, but he was lovingly raised by his Aunt Emma and then his step-mother Irene. He attended his first year of college in Winona, but his father felt he would benefit from moving out west to attend Arizona State College to study commercial art. Once in Arizona, he knew this was where he belonged! He was proud that he was an alumni of the first graduating class from Arizona State UNIVERSITY in 1959.

While at ASU, Wes was an active participant in the Wesley Foundation at the First United Methodist Church, where he met the love of his life, Suzi. They married in 1961 and settled in Tempe to raise their family. Wes began his career at the Arizona Republic & Gazette in the advertising department, and then moved to Arizona Highways Magazine as an Associate Editor and later became Editor of Books and Related Products. In 1976 he was honored to represent the State of Arizona by flying a Navajo rug depicting the US flag over the National Capitol in Washington, D.C.

In his mid 30’s he fulfilled a lifetime dream by learning to fly and had many adventures in his Cessna 172. In 1985 Wes and Suzi moved to Ahwatukee with South Mountain Park as their back yard. Wes loved studying petroglyphs, especially discovering and decoding the Sunstruck Site Petroglyphs at South Mountain Park. He loved the outdoors and explored the entire state, including hiking from rim to rim at the Grand Canyon, and rafting the Colorado River three times! He also had opportunity to ride in the SSN Arizona nuclear submarine during a submerged run.

Wes was predeceased by his son Mark David Holden, his parents Harlen and Ada Holden, and step-mother Irene Holden. He is survived by his wife of 58 loving years Suzi Holden, daughter Tammy Marcelja and son-in-law Dario Marcelja, daughter-in-law Cathy Holden, grandchildren Nathan Holden, Katrina Holden, and Emily Marcelja, great grandchild Hunter Holden, brother David F Holden, sister-in-law Mary Jo Holden, niece Lisa Holden and great-nephew Lucas Campos-Holden.