Lillian Estelle Moore Holden

Lillian Estelle Moore Holden, peacefully passed away Tuesday, December 5, 2017, in Midlothian, Virginia. A memorial service will take place Saturday, December 9, 2017, 12:00 p.m., at Christ and Grace Episcopal Church, Petersburg, Virginia, with a reception to follow in the parish hall. Born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1931, Boots was the daughter of the late Harry Frederick Moore and Thelma Conway Moore McCutchan and the stepdaughter of the late John Nicholas McCutchan, VIII. She grew up in Hopewell, Virginia, graduating from Hopewell High School in 1949 as salutatorian. She attended Richmond Polytechnic Institute, now Virginia Commonwealth University, graduating in 1953 with a degree in art and a minor in psychology. On December 22, 1953, she married the late Bobby Glenn Holden in Hopewell. After living in Fort Knox, Kentucky, the port of Whittier, Alaska, and Richmond, Virginia, she and Bob settled down in Petersburg, Virginia, where they continued to live until Bob’s passing in November 2016. When living in Richmond, in addition to caring for their children, Boots supported Bob through medical school working as a fashion illustrator for the Miller and Rhodes department store. When she moved to Petersburg she continued her art career, creating portraits in oil and pastel, as well as flowers in watercolor. These treasures adorn the homes of so many friends and families. She also enjoyed teaching art in many settings, including a memorable period with Bollingbrook School. Everyone felt loved and welcomed in Boots’ warm and creative home, as she hosted holiday gatherings over the years for her extended family and friends. She also stayed deeply involved in her community and church. She enjoyed her many years in the Petersburg Garden Club, the Medical Auxiliary and also took part in a literary study club. She was an active member of Christ and Grace Episcopal Church, where she served on the vestry and the altar guild, as well as participating in many other ministries. Outreach was perhaps most important to her, as was clearly seen in her ongoing dedication to the local feeding programs for the needy. One of her lasting gifts to the church is in the form of a beautiful oil on canvas depiction of children gathered around Jesus. She led a rich spiritual journey throughout her life, always seeking a deeper understanding and connection to God, through prayer and study. She collected books and passages to support these goals and even completed extensive coursework, Education for Ministry, through the Episcopal Church. Boots was preceded in death by her sister, Nancy Conway Moore Lanik. Boots is survived by her loving family: her son, Jeffrey Glenn Holden of Sussex and his son Edmund Ruffin Holden; her son John Conway Holden and his wife Nancy of Disputanta, and their sons, Robert Holden and his wife Lacey of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Bobby Glenn Holden II, and his wife Shelby of Boston, Massachusetts; her son Christopher Hunter Holden, his wife Margaret, and their daughters, Mary Margaret Whitmore Holden, Charlotte Hilliard Holden, and Elizabeth Hunter Holden, all of Charlottesville; her daughter Lisbeth Whitmore Holden Wilson, her husband Andrew, and their sons Andrew Harrison Downes Wilson, Jr. and Holden Frederick Moore Wilson, all of Midlothian; her sisters Jane Carolyn Moore Eliades of Hopewell, Martha Randolph McCutchan Faison of Prince George, Rachel Nicholas McCutchan Childs of Prince George, and Elizabeth Mountcastle McCutchan Amick of Prince George; and her brother John Nicholas McCutchan, IX. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Boots leaves a legacy of unconditional love and compassion and will forever be an inspiration for all to look for the beauty in God’s creation. As a dear friend expressed so beautifully, all who have known Boots "have experienced her graciousness as a soft light that overlooks our flaws and illumines our goodness. She has always seen the divine spark in everyone.” In lieu of flowers, you may send donations in Boot’s memory to the outreach program at Christ and Grace Episcopal Church, 1545 South Sycamore Street, Petersburg, Virginia 23805.