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John F. Holcomb

Birth	:	17 Mar 1937 Middletown, Butler County, Ohio, USA
Death	:	22 Jul 2000 Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA
Burial	:	Miltonville Cemetery, Miltonville, Butler County, USA
Coordinate	:	39.4994011, -84.4649963
Description	:	Obituary, Hamilton Journal-News, July 26, 2000: John F. Holcomb, age 63, of Hamilton, passed away in Mercy Hospital of Anderson, Saturday July 22, 2000 at 6:28 p.m. He was born in Middletown on March 17, 1937 the son of James B. and Charlotte (Foster) Holcomb. As a child he attended Adams School and Wilson Jr. High School. His childhood dream was to play basketball for the Hamilton High School Big Blue, a goal which he realized as a member of the 1954 State Championship Team. He graduated from Hamilton High School in 1955. He attended... Read More	Obituary, Hamilton Journal-News, July 26, 2000: John F. Holcomb, age 63, of Hamilton, passed away in Mercy Hospital of Anderson, Saturday July 22, 2000 at 6:28 p.m. He was born in Middletown on March 17, 1937 the son of James B. and Charlotte (Foster) Holcomb. As a child he attended Adams School and Wilson Jr. High School. His childhood dream was to play basketball for the Hamilton High School Big Blue, a goal which he realized as a member of the 1954 State Championship Team. He graduated from Hamilton High School in 1955. He attended Wittenburg College, earning his way through school as a letter carrier for the United States Post Office. He was extremely proud of his service as a letter carrier and often spoke fondly of his days there. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati Law School in 1962 and entered private practice in Hamilton with Andrew Cherney and Jackson Bosch. He joined the prosecutor’s office in 1965 as an assistant prosecuting attorney and was elected prosecuting attorney in 1972, a position which he held for over 27 years. Among the highlights of his career were the 1975 trial of mass murderer James U. Rupert; the 1979 murder trial of Gary Morningstar; the 1985 trial of Rhett DePew; the 1987 trial of John Fryman; and the 1994 trials of Ron Branham and Melissa Grassa. He was also responsible for several of the largest civil jury verdicts in the area. He was a member of The Presbyterian Church, the Washington Lodge #17 F&AM and the Scottish Rite of Cincinnati in which he held the rank of Honorary Thirty Third Degree. He was also an honorary life member of the National Association of Letter Carriers. He is survived by his wife Judith Holcomb of Hamilton; three sons, John M. and his wife Karen Holcomb, Jeff Holcomb and his fiancé Brandi Lacer, and James Andrew Holcomb, all of Hamilton; one daughter, Mary Ann Goins of Forest Park; one brother, J. Thomas Holcomb of Morgan Township; three sisters, Nancy Baldwin of Annadale, Virginia, Rachel Jane Davidson of Austin, Texas, Mary Sue Smith of Rocky Mount, North Carolina; four grandchildren, Ashleigh Goins, Shelby Goins, Julie Holcomb and John W. Holcomb. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother-in-law Colonel Larry L. Baldwin, U.S.M.C. His favorite activity was watching his son Jeff play baseball at the Little League, High School and College levels. He also loved horse racing, collecting and running Lionel model trains, and in his younger days, squirrel hunting. In his recent years of ill health his greatest joy came from spending time with his grandchildren, a gift for which he was very grateful to God. Funeral services will be held at The Presbyterian Church, 23 South Front Street, today at 10:00 a.m. with Dr. John H. Lewis Pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Miltonville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Salvation Army, 235 Ludlow Street, the Shriner’s Burn Institute of Cincinnati or to The Presbyterian Church. Letter to the Editor, Hamilton Journal-News, July 28, 2000: "Holcomb a giant of a man" John F. Holcomb spoke for the victim and demanded justice. Tell it straight. Keep it plain and simple. No excuses and no bull. Confrontational. High impact. That was John Holcomb. John Was a master lawyer who knew his craft. I say master because he mastered trial practice but he was also a master of the law in other ways. I am not thinking about written rules of the law but unwritten rules about loyalty, duty, honesty and integrity. He could tell when the witness was holding back and ever so convincing, bare the truth from where it was hidden. John knew what lurked on the dark side of human nature...greed, lust, corruption and betrayal. John said you win your case by doing your homework while the other attorney is at home watching TV. Back in 1986 I passed John in the parking lot. He was heading for Aqueduct. He told me, "There's a lot of talk about your big case next week. It's a tough one - you could lose it. Are you ready? A lot of people will be watching." He knew how to challenge me. I delivered the verdict. He did OK at the races. Big John. That's what we called him, but not to his face; in later years, he complained that the young assistants called him "Mister Holcomb." He was also a master politician. No fragile political correctness for John.He told it like he saw it from the common man's perspective. John Holcomb was no kept politician. A Democrat in increasing Republican country, he watched many of his party affiliates turn coat - but not Big John. That was not his style.If anything stands out about Holcomb's politics, he believed in the two-party system and its checks and balances. His staying power depended on deep-rooted Republican support from the people that voted for the best man in office, never mind the party. Sometimes he showed his personal feelings. John was sentimental, just hard to reach. As a Republican in a Democratic office, I like to think that I was a favorite stepson; at least he made me feel that way. On the wall hangs my license from the United States Supreme Court. I am immensely proud to say that John Frederick Holcomb - Big John - was the one who nominated me for such a privilege. Did John hold office for too long? Some think so, but who would fill his shoes? I remember John saying that nobody was irreplaceable. That was a sign of optimism and his trust in the future. John Holcomb was a tough guy. It took a tough man to handle a tough job. He dealt with all that is wrong in our society. John was a potent force and young prosecutors wanted to be like John. What we learned from him was to develop our unique styles. John's way was not for everybody. John was not without his faults and he would say so. Such was his humanity. He lived as he worked - on his own terms. John was not one for negotiating - that was better left to others. John Holcomb was about winning. In later years he spouted that he would beat some other lawyer with his cane. He knew he could do it. John was from the old schools. Nothing plastic about John Holcomb. When John Holcomb delivered closing arguments, it was like Moses speaking from the Mount. He would close his eyes, adding to the suspense, searching for his words. John told the story in words everybody could understand and with feelings everybody could share. John raised goosebumps and made your heart thump. It was better than acting; John Holcomb was the real thing. The verdict on John Holcomb - he was a damned good prosecutor. And I was damned lucky to be included on his team. Jack Grove Attorney at law Fairfield

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is John F. Holcomb's memorial?
John F. Holcomb's memorial is located at: Miltonville Cemetery, Miltonville, Butler County, USA.
When did John F. Holcomb death?
John F. Holcomb death on 22 Jul 2000 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA
Where are the coordinates of the John F. Holcomb's memorial?
Latitude: 39.4994011
Longitude: -84.4649963

Family Members:

Parent

James Bailey Holcomb

(1906 - 1985)

Charlotte Lane Foster Holcomb

(1911 - 1986)

Siblings

James Thomas Holcomb

(1944 - 2007)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Miltonville Cemetery
Miltonville, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4994011, -84.4649963

2. Saint Peter Lutheran Cemetery
Trenton, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4854000, -84.4587800

3. Saint Johns Cemetery
Trenton, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4842580, -84.4575480

4. Elk Creek Baptist Church Pioneer Cemetery
Trenton, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4808006, -84.4598007

5. Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Cemetery
Trenton, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4796040, -84.4609940

6. Auspurger Cemetery
Trenton, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4760670, -84.4472060

7. Butler County Memorial Park
Trenton, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4850000, -84.5030600

8. Trenton Mennonite Cemetery
Trenton, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4664300, -84.4776100

9. Elk Creek Cemetery
Astoria, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5372009, -84.4586029

10. Cotton Run Cemetery
Seven Mile, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4860992, -84.5149994

11. Amanda Cemetery
Excello, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4905090, -84.4118750

12. Woodside Cemetery
Middletown, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5023003, -84.4104996

13. Township Cemetery
Jacksonburg, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5387580, -84.4966430

14. Old Middletown Burying Ground
Middletown, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5181630, -84.4098240

15. Jacksonburg United Methodist Cemetery
Jacksonburg, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5389560, -84.5010140

16. Hickory Flat Cemetery
Overpeck, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4621010, -84.5065002

17. Augspurger Family Cemetery
Trenton, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4455720, -84.4607710

18. Middletown Cemetery
Middletown, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5125999, -84.3956985

19. Calvary Cemetery
Middletown, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5200005, -84.3957977

20. Shiloh Baptist Cemetery
Jacksonburg, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5586170, -84.4854830

21. Pleasant Hill Cemetery
Astoria, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5611000, -84.4642029

22. Gregory Cemetery
Woodsdale, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4374330, -84.4415850

23. First Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden
Middletown, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5113990, -84.3753330

24. Salem Baptist Church Cemetery
Middletown, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5265800, -84.3796900