Dick Holmes, longtime resident of Newport and Sunapee, NH, passed away peacefully, with family by his side, on July 13, 2022 at the age of 75 after suffering a stroke. He was born to Joseph and Kae Holmes on February 24, 1947 in Bryn Mawr, PA and was raised in Camp Hill, PA.

Dick is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years Dee Holmes; they were married on July 25, 1971 in Mahopac, NY. He is also survived by his sons, Rich Holmes and his wife Kim, grandson Thomas and granddaughter Chloe of Charlotte, NC; Brian Holmes and his wife Johanna, granddaughter Taylor and grandson Ben of Allendale, NJ; his brother Daniel Holmes of Niceville, FL and his sister Lynn Conway of Harrisburg, PA.

Dick went to high school in Camp Hill, PA where he played soccer, basketball, ran track and also swam, excelling in the butterfly. An Eagle Scout, he was also an exceptional trumpet player. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, OH, where he played soccer and was a proud member of Sigma Chi Fraternity. He then attended the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1973. He then joined the Air Force and was stationed at Kincheloe Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, later serving in Korea.

Dick moved to Newport, NH in 1977 where he opened his dental practice on Main Street. For more than 30 years, he cared for many patients in the community. Every year, he would dedicate time to hosting tours of his practice to the local kindergarten class and teaching them the importance of good dental hygiene. When high school athletes were required to wear mouthguards during competition, he fitted each player in Newport with a customized mouthguard for free. This was a prime example of his fervent support of local sports, where he was a fixture on the sidelines and in the stands at various sporting events throughout the year.

Dedicating his time and talents to the local community was a pillar of how Dick lived. A member and past President of the Newport Rotary Club, member of South Congregational Church and its Board of Deacons, and a member and past Chair of the Sugar River Savings Bank Board of Directors, along with various other volunteer committees, Dick led and worked on numerous civic projects and community fundraising efforts.

Upon retiring, Dick moved to Sunapee where he loved to fish with his grandchildren, take his family on countless boat rides on the lake, or just read down by the water. Dick was known for his unwavering devotion to his family and faith, respect for others, compassion, and warm smile. He will be sorely missed.

Visiting will be held on Friday, August 12th from 6 – 8 p.m. at Newton-Bartlett Funeral Home in Newport, NH. Services will be held at South Congregational Church in Newport at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 13th followed by a Celebration of Life at Lake Sunapee Country Club in New London, NH.

Donations in his honor can be made to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (www.projecthealingwaters.org), a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing.