Obituary: David Holladay, 70

WESTFORD — David Holladay, age 70, of Westford, Massachusetts, passed away on February 15, 2024 at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts. He was married to Caryn Navy with whom he would have celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary on January 2, 2025.    

Born in San Andreas, California, he was the beloved son of William Lee Holladay and Jean Grosbach. 

He graduated from Newton North High School with the Class of 1971 and also attended American Community School-Beirut for many prior years. He is a graduate of MIT with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. 

He was employed by Duxbury Systems, Inc. for many years. 

He was a member of Congregation Shalom in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. 

He loved the work he did with software to enable computer-assisted production of braille material in many languages around the world. He also loved creating software tools for archiving the wide-ranging information he always sought. While being cared for at home by the loving hands of his nurses and home health aides for over three years, he enriched their lives with his broad interests, humor, compassion, and generosity while he continued his enthusiastic work for Duxbury Systems. 

Besides his wife, he is survived by his mother Jean Grosbach, son Seth Holladay and partner Morgan Hallion, his daughter Diya Holladay, his brother Martin Holladay and wife Karyn Patno, his brother Peter Holladay and wife Elana Wolkoff,  brother Clark MacKenzie, and brother-in-law Joel Navy, Martin’s sons Moses and Noah, Peter’s daughter and son Mara and Josh, and Joel’s daughters Allison and Heather. 

He was the brother of the late Catherine Holladay of Boston, Massachusetts who died on June 12, 1985, survived by her husband Mike and children Anna and John with their newer family members Judy and Sarah. He is the son of William Lee Holladay of Amherst, Massachusetts who died on May 13, 2016, survived by his wife Patty and their daughter Meg along with David’s brothers. 

FUNERAL NOTICE

David Holladay of Westford, Massachusetts died February 15, 2024. 

Funeral Monday, February 19, 12 noon at Congregation Shalom, 87 Richardson Rd, N. Chelmsford, MA 01863, with streaming available at congregationshalom.org/worship-2 for at least several days; press the button labeled Play just after the level 3 heading “Live streaming of services is now available”! Burial follows at 1 pm at Beth El Cemetery, intersection of Waverly Ave and Housatonic Ave in N. Chelmsford. 

Shiva will be held at the home of Caryn Navy in Westford on Tuesday, February 20 from 7 to 9 pm, on Zoom on Wednesday, February 21 from 7 to 9 pm, and at the home of Peter Holladay and Elana Wolkoff in the Roslindale section of Boston on Thursday, February 22 from 7 to 9 pm. 

Memorials may be made in his name to OXFAM America (give.oxfamamerica.org), the Greater Boston Food Bank (my.gbfb.org), or Westford’s Cameron Senior Center (westfordmafriendsofcameron.com). 

ARRANGEMENTS BY DOLAN FUNERAL HOME 978-251-4041. Guestbook at www.dolanfuneralhome.com