Clifton Holmes

RICHFORD - Clifton Edmund Holmes died February 14, 2012 at Northwestern Medical Center surrounded by his loving and devoted family.
Clifton was born on July 9, 1935 in Barre City Hospital to the late Kenneth and Irene (Thompson) Holmes. He graduated from Montpelier High School in 1953. He served 12 years in the US Army, including two tours in the Korean War with honorable discharge in 1966 as First Lieutenant. He is a lifetime member of the American Legion Post # 12.
He studied at Officer Candidates School (OCS) while in the Army, and pursued Environmental Science at the University of Vermont. He graduated with high honors from Charter Oak College in Farmington, CT in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science with a dual major in History and Political Science.
He was a self-employed dairy farmer for 22 years, in Essex and Richford. He married Sonia Mae Shepard of Addison on Valentines Day in 1970. He was a 4-H leader and President of Vermont DHIA. He also served as a municipal planning consultant, housing developer and political candidate. In the last ten years, he worked on writing a biography, chronicling the life of his great-grandfather, James Henry Holmes.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Sonia (Shepard) of Richford, his five children, Janelle (Holmes) Ashley and her husband Jonathan of Whiting, Marlene Holmes of Chateaugay, NY, Justin Holmes of Sheldon, Marcia (Holmes) Sweeney and her husband Travis of Highgate, and Holly Holmes of Berkshire, seven siblings, Marjorie St. John of East Montpelier, Gertrude Austin of St. Albans, Lorraine St. Onge and her husband Arthur of Montgomery, Clayton and his wife Gail of South Burlington, Clinton and his wife Joyce of Richford, Lawrence and his wife Donna of Essex, and Raymond and his wife Linda of Guilford, eight grandchildren, David and Jarrod Ashley, Tucker and Shae Malone, Jacob and Caleb Holmes, Porter and Hayden Sweeney, and several in-laws and nieces and nephews.
Both his parents, three brothers-in-law and one niece, predecease him.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 18th at the Richford United Methodist Church on River Street in Richford. Calling hours are scheduled for Friday, February 17th from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Spears Funeral Home at 96 Dickinson Avenue in Enosburg Falls, Vermont.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Vermont Cancer Center, UVM College of Medicine Development Office, The Courtyard at Given - 1 South, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405; Richford United Methodist Church, C/O Carolyn Smith, 49 Magoon Road, Richford, VT 05476 or the charity of ones choice. A special thank you is extended to the Oncology Department at Fletcher Allen Health Care, the Franklin County Home Health Agency/Hospice and the caring staff of the Northwestern Medical Center.