Edward C. "Papa" Holyoke Jr., age 60 years, passed away Monday at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston following a lengthy illness. He was the husband of 32 years of Rhonda L. (Morton) Holyoke of Bridgewater. Born in Brockton, he was the son of the late Edward C. Sr. and June R. (Kelley) Holyoke. Mr. Holyoke was raised and educated in East Bridgewater. He was a longtime resident of Brockton and had been living in Bridgewater for the past 16 years. He was employed at Blue Hill Cemetery in Braintree for several years prior to becoming a successful office equipment salesperson. Mr. Holyoke was a grateful 30-year member of Alcoholics Anonymous, helping many men and women in recovery. He was a communicant of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brockton, serving on the church council and was involved with running the annual golf tournament through the church for over 10 years. He enjoyed traveling and was an avid fan of the New England Patriots. He coached for the Brockton Little League and also for the Bridgewater Youth Football. In addition to his wife of 32 years, he is survived by his children, Kerrie (Holyoke) Doherty of Braintree, Christina (Holyoke) Kosik of Brockton, Julie Holyoke of Missouri, Eryn (Dufault) Kraft of Oregon and Michael E. Holyoke of Bridgewater; eight grandchildren; and three brothers, Arthur Holyoke, George Holyoke, both of East Bridgewater, and Bradford Holyoke of Maine; as well as several nieces and nephews. A sister, June (Holyoke) Elwood, predeceased him. A funeral service will be held Friday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m. at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 900 Main St., Brockton. Interment will follow the service in Blue Hill Cemetery, Braintree. Visitation will be Thursday from 4-8 p.m. in the Dahlborg-MacNevin Funeral Home, 647 Main St., Brockton, with a celebration of life service at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to the charity of choice. For additional information, please visit www.d-mfh.com. Dahlborg-MacNevin Funeral Home, Inc. 647 Main St., Brockton


Published in The Patriot Ledger on October 20, 2010