Tom Holmes, 49-Year Moraga Resident, Passes Away at 81

Thomas Robertson Holmes, a successful businessman, family man and 49-year resident of Moraga, passed away Sept. 9 at age 81.

Tom, best known for his low-key and cheerful demeanor, enjoyed 58 years of marriage to the former Suzanne Hunter. Tom’s greatest joy was spending time with Sue, their five children, nine grandchildren, extended family and dear friends.

He was born Dec. 19, 1932, in Santa Ana, Calif., to George and Margaret Holmes and graduated from Santa Ana High School. He earned an accounting degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1954 and was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity before joining the U.S. Navy. During his four-year peacetime service, he was a navigator in a single-engine Douglas Skyraider attack aircraft and toured the Pacific aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard. He was a graduate of the Naval Officers Candidate School in Newport, R.I., and was honorably discharged in 1958 as a lieutenant junior grade.

Tom started his professional career in 1958 as an accountant with L.H. Penney accounting firm in San Francisco and became a CPA in 1964. He joined Oakland-based Kaiser Steel in 1968 as an accounting manager and eventually rose to divisional controller. In 1984, he joined a partnership that acquired a manufacturing division of Kaiser and formed IMACC. In 1991, IMACC was honored as one of the Bay Area’s top 100 privately held companies. He served as partner and CFO with IMACC until he retired from full-time work in 2007. He was a member of IMACC’s board of directors until his passing.

Tom, Sue and young family moved to Moraga in 1965 and became part of the unincorporated town’s loose-knit leadership group that was committed to maintaining small-town character and preventing overdevelopment. He was director of one of Moraga’s community association districts until the town incorporated in 1974 but remained deeply involved in local affairs with Sue. Through the years, Tom was president of the Friends of the Moraga Library, treasurer of the Moraga Parents Club and a member of the Moraga branch of Sons In Retirement.

Aside from socializing, Tom loved traveling, reading, fishing, golfing, cheering on the Cal Bears and the occasional martini. He was an avid bridge player and achieved Life Master status during his retirement years.

Tom is survived by: wife Sue; brother Richard Holmes (wife LaVonne) of Tustin, Calif.; and children Steven Holmes (Kerry Robinson) of Sammamish, Wash., Jim Holmes (Devery) of Agoura Hills, Michael Holmes (Lisa) of Lafayette, Edie Ainsworth (Brent) of Novato, and Maggie Fancher (Max) of Oakland. He is also survived by grandchildren William Holmes, Ian Holmes, A.J. Holmes, Kellyn Holmes, Tommy Holmes, Peter Holmes, Kyla Ainsworth, Shannon Ainsworth and Ella Fancher.

At his request, no public memorial service is planned.