Big sister pays tribute to little brother
Editor's note: Kelly Patrick Holmes of Elmhurst, was a PGA pro, former general manager at Bittersweet Golf Club in Gurnee and a father of three, who died Aug. 6, 2017. What follows is a letter written by his older sister, Cheryl Holmes of Denver as a tribute on the anniversary of his passing. He was 53.
Jennie and Les (my dad) raised four kids in Addison — Larry, Cheryl, Perry and the baby son, Kelly.
My father was a tool and die maker and a weekend golfer. He would bring my brothers to the golf course and hit balls at the driving range. Perry and Kelly were the ones who took to golf immediately.
The boys and my dad would watch golf every Sunday and built a putting green in our backyard. Kelly was a natural at golf and won his first amateur tournament “The Little Peoples National Championship” when he was 10 years old.
The list of tournaments he won or placed in is too numerous to mention. Kelly graduated from Addison Trail High School, and Northern Illinois University and played on the golf team as their captain. He was voted the most valuable player and was the assistant golf coach. He obtained his PGA class A status and played in Western Open, the Oldsmobile Scramble, and Illinois Open.
My father was his coach and caddie throughout his career. Needless to say, we were his biggest fans.
Kelly was the general manager of Bittersweet Golf Club in Gurnee. Kelly married Leanne Guidolini from Addison and had three great kids, Max, Mitchell and Shayne. And, yes, he taught them to play golf as his father, Les, taught him.
Kelly hired my dad to be a ranger on the course. If you ever wander on 14th hole at Bittersweet, there is a plaque honoring Lester Holmes, who had a fatal heart attack there. It was devastating and heartbreaking for all of us. Kelly lost his coach and best friend.
Kelly and his family lived in Elmhurst where his sons, Max and Mitch, were on the golf team at York High School.
Kelly worked for Callaway Golf as a sales representative and knew about every person at almost every course in the Illinois area. He taught lessons on the weekends and played golf as much as he could.
Here is where things changed. He was tired and had no energy. He was having trouble sleeping. My brother was never sick. He went to Mayo Clinic, where doctors determined he had two rare forms of blood cancer. They said he would be ok as he was too young and healthy at 51.
He had transfusions. He had chemo. He had doctor's appointments. His wife Leanne was with him all the way.
The doctors at Loyola Medial Center told him he needed a stem cell transplant. My older brother Larry, my younger brother Perry and I were tested to see if any of us could be a 100 percent DNA match. Larry and I were a match. Larry could not be a donor because of some health issues. I was the donor. I flew to Chicago as I live in Denver and went through the tests and donated my cells for him. Incredible experience. The transplant went well and he stayed in the hospital for about a month to prevent him from getting sick. He stayed with Leanne's parents, Bob and Zoe for three months.
Everything was going good. He came home to a house filled with hearts and signs saying welcome home after 108 days. About 6 months later, he started having symptoms and the doctors said he had to have a second infusion of cells, which happens to patients that undergo this procedure.
He went in last June and his body was not able to withstand the second transplant. He died Aug. 6, 2017.
The baby son was in heaven with his coach Les, and our family is still in shock and mourning.
I would have switched him for me if I could as his children, Max 22, Mitchell, 18 and Shayne, 19, and his wife, Leanne, could have him back.
You will never be forgotten and I will always think of you and Dad in heaven playing 18 holes.
Love ya, Kelly. Sis.
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