Damon O Holmes

Damon O. Holmes (Died, July 22, 2024)

Born on April 18, 1934, to James William and Pearl Holmes in Fairfield, Illinois. He spent his early childhood in Fairfield before moving with family to Lakeland in 1942. He loved Lakeland and the warm winters. Damon graduated from Lakeland High School. His 1952 class was the last class to graduate from the old high school building on North Florida Avenue.

After graduating from the University of Florida, he was drafted in 1957 and spent his army years learning French and counter spying in La Rochelle. France, where he met and married an American friend’s sister.

A recruiter for the Internal Revenue Service won him over with the quote from Ciero, “Taxes are the sinews of the state.” With just one deviation from Internal Revenue to work for Florida Governor Reubin Askew’s administration in Health and Rehabilitative Service. Damon retired from the IRS as their Ombudsman. He also, in his spare time before retirement, partnered with a good friend to build houses for both families in Washington County, Maryland.

Those of us who knew Damon loved him, will remember that he was an early and vocal advocate for racial justice; a volunteer in the Guardian ad Litem program and Read Lakeland; and served for a while on the Lakeland historic Preservation Board.

We also believe that, though it did not come in time to spare him and his family from the sadness of Alzheimer’s, science will find a cure for this devastating disease.

He is survived by his wife, Jo Ann; daughter, Elizabeth Holmes Clark; son, Andrew William Holmes; grandson, Riley Altyn Clark; sister, Barbara Ann Holmes Thompson.