Thomas Michael Holden

Thomas Michael (Mike) Holden played his final round of golf and joined The Masters on Tuesday September 22, 2026.

He came into this world on Dec 7, 1940 to Thomas Jagers & Mary Ellen Davis Holden in Provo, Utah. He weighed in as a tiny 4 pound baby that was so small, his bed was a shoebox and he was kept warm in the oven. You would never know that tiny baby would go on to accomplish amazing things.

The second born in a family of 4 energetic boys, he quickly learned the art of the hustle. As a young boy in the 194o's, he would hide in the bushes on the roadside and throw sticks and rocks in the road. The fruit trucks would go by, hit the debris and apples would topple out of the truck. He would quickly pick them up and run home as fast as he could for a sweet summer treat.

In his early years his friends dubbed him "The Keyed up Executive" because he was dressed to kill, had a nice hot rod and was always revved up and ready to go. He met Reon Rich in high school and thus began a commitment of love & laughter that would span almost 70 years. They married in 1959, and though there were hardships, and money was always tight, the adventures were non-stop every step of the way. He would come home with a new idea, and Reon, being an adventurer in her own right, was usually on board, and would follow him to the end of the earth. A packed U-haul, and 4 kids in tow, they were headed full force into a world unknown. They made friends everywhere they went, some for a day, others a lifetime. Mike and Reon knew how to have fun and they never let the grass grow under their feet.

If the word unconventional had a mascot, it would be Mike Holden. He had a brilliant mind that worked in ways we'll never understand, (the good lord knows we all tried) but he knew what he wanted to do, and he was going to do it, regardless of what the world thought. He was never afraid to try something new, and failure was only one step further in the right direction. His mind was running 100 miles an hour at all times to figure out a way to do something better, faster, longer, stronger or just new ways to do old things. He had a divine love for learning something new, and when he decided to do something, it was all the way or not at all. He even tried his hand at Uber driving at the age of 79, and went skydiving at 80.

He worked almost every job known to man in his 85 years, too many to list, but after 50 years of living life to the fullest and coming up on the age of retirement, he Once again

re-invented himself. With the alfalfa hay market falling, and his farming days coming to an end, he thought, what can I do with all this farm equipment?

He found a run down 3 hole golf course that had been neglected and forgotten, but he, of course, could see the potential it held. People laughed and said "That's a crazy idea. This is a farm town. No one here knows how to golf. It will never work", and just like so many previous times in his life, he succeeded and proved them wrong. Skyline Mountain Resort Golf Course is a beautiful legacy that will live on not only in this community, but in his family, long after he's gone.

Mike was an inherent underdog and could find people in need without ever looking, they seemed to find each other, as if through some sort of unspoken beacon. He and Reon made their home a place where anyone and everyone was welcome, and for a man with a stutter, he could make easy conversation and could tell a story that would leave you in stitches.

He took the art of Velcro and duct tape to a supreme level, but once you saw how useful his invention was, it made you wonder why no one had thought of it before. He was resourceful and resilient until the very end. He fought a hell of a fight with cancer at So years old and actually beat it, then lived 5 more years just to show it he's the boss.

He could debate an issue back and forth for hours, but once he got his point across, he would stop the entire conversation and say "Enough said, End of Story" and he wouldn't talk about it again.

He lived a simple life, in a complicated way. Most people spend their entire lives trying to fit in, but Mike wanted to be different. He never followed the herd and he stood up for what he believed in, sometimes to a fault.

Shortly before his passing he was asked "How are you doing?" and he simply replied "I'm doing the best I can with what I've got, that's all I can do". He lived his entire life on that premise. He was an imperfect man, with flaws deep and wide, but he tried his best at everything he did. He loved his family with all his heart, and his grandkids meant everything to him. His was a life well lived, and though there were still many things he wanted to accomplish, there wasn't a moment wasted.

Well done Michael, you can now put your mind and body at ease.

"End of Story"

Survived by: Lifetime Soulmate and Wife: Reon Holden, Children: Kelly (Lolly) Holden, Korry (Donella) Holden, Kammy Tucker, Kandy (Phil) Beebe, 7 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren; brothers: Tim Holden, Paul (Donna) Holden

Preceded in death by: Grandson; Trevyn Tucker, Son in law; Kenny Tucker, Brother; Steve Holden; Baby Sister; Patricia Holden

Family graveside services were held on Monday Sept 28, 2016. Internment; Fairview City Cemetery

To Watch Graveside Services Live, Click Here. The Live Zoom Link will Activate at 12:45 p.m. MST prior to services.