David W Holland

David W. Holland, 79, of Bennington, Vermont died peacefully on October 5, 2020, at the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation after a lengthy battle with heart disease. David was born on February 4, 1941, in New Britain, Connecticut to Wallace Alfred and Phyllis Jane (Perry) Holland. He was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Denise Holland Glemser. After graduating from Conard High School in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1959, David joined the Navy. He proudly served his country for four years in the submarine service on the USS Conger, leaving the Navy in 1963 with the rank of Quartermaster 2/SS. David expressed regret that he did not remain in the Navy, and he often joked that he’d give his left arm if he could be on a submarine again. He was a lifetime Holland Club member of the United States Submarine Veterans. In 1963 David began his undergraduate studies in business and accounting at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts, completing his B.S. degree in 1967. Throughout his forty-five-year career in higher education, David worked at Harvard University, Boston University, Tufts University School of Medicine, Bentley College, and Williams College. In his final position before retirement, David served as the Bursar of Williams College from 1997 to 2012. One of the greatest joys of David’s life was becoming a father to twin daughters at the age of fifty-four. He was a loving and devoted parent to Leah and Rachel, and he especially enjoyed attending their field hockey games which began in middle school and continued through the girls’ athletic careers at Castleton University. David was a voracious reader of history, a classical music aficionado, an avid Boston Red Sox fan, and an experienced sailor. David is survived by his daughters Rachel Holland of Brattleboro, Vermont and Leah Holland of Castleton, Vermont and their mother, Laura Lee Ashbrook; his nephew, Perry Rush and wife, Janine, and their children Piper, Harry, and Harper of Millsboro, Delaware; cousins Beverly Onslow, John Allen, Betsy MacDonald, and Douglas Perry; and three cherished friends, Charlie Ells, Bernie Cummins, and Steve Bateman. After David’s open-heart surgery in 2013, he was a regular attendee of the SVMC Cardiac Rehabilitation program where he spent many happy hours exercising and socializing with fellow heart patients. The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff at the Southwest Vermont Medical Center and the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation for the excellent medical care David received during the final weeks of his life. David was a member of Second Congregational Church in Bennington. There will be no visiting hours or church services. At his request, David’s ashes will be scattered in the ocean at Point Judith, Rhode Island. Contributions in memory of David W. Holland can be made to Second Chance Animal Shelter or SVMC Cardiac Rehabilitation, c/o Hanson Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home P.O. Box 957, Bennington, VT 05201.