Obituary of Jack Lee Holcomb

Jack Lee Holcomb, age 87, passed away on July 18, 2023, at his home in Melbourne, FL. He was born July 10, 1936 in Monroe County, TN where he was raised until he was 13. During WWII, while his father was serving aboard the U.S.S. Arkansas, he often traveled with his mother cross country to visit his father at various ports of call. After the war (and with the family reunited), he lived on naval bases in Alameda, CA; Pearl Harbor, HI; and, finally, Piney Point, MD where the family settled. He graduated from Great Mills High School, attended St. Mary’s College, and then graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He spent his professional career at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, completing the US Naval Test Pilot School (engineering program), and working at Flight Test Directorate, ASW, and Force Warfare. He was also a talented athlete: he played collegiate basketball and was a fixture in the St. Mary’s Softball League which eventually awarded him a spot in its Hall of Fame. In 2016, he, his wife, and his mother moved to Melbourne FL, and now after his passing, he will return home and be laid to rest at the family church in Tellico Plains, TN.

Jack was predeceased by his wife, Karen Holcomb, and his parents, Smokey and Nellie Holcomb.

Jack is survived by his two sons, Steve Holcomb (Diane) of Gambrills, MD and Chris Holcomb of Columbia SC; grandson William of Gambrills MD; his stepdaughter Janice Zilch (Pete), step-grandsons Aidan and Zachary (all of Melbourne, FL); his uncle, Don Holcomb of Mount Vernon, TN; his cousins, Tim Lee (Heather) of Etowa, TN and Donna Holcomb of Mount Vernon, TN; and his first wife, Marjory Holcomb of California MD.