Norma Crawford Holmes

Norma Crawford Holmes, 89, of Worthington, Ohio, died peacefully on Feb. 5, 2025. A breast cancer survivor of 47 years, sadly, she was no match for the Alzheimer’s disease that took her life. Born in 1935 in Everett, WA, and raised in Marysville, WA, Norma was a library sciences major at the University of Washington and a proud member of the Kappa Delta sorority. It was on a night out with sorority sisters at the Officer’s Club at Ft. Lawton in Seattle that she met the love of her life, 1Lt. Phil Holmes. They soon married and had a daughter, Leslie, and then moved to Phil’s hometown of Akron after his honorable discharge from the Army in 1957. Son Jeff and twins Valerie & Vanessa followed, and then they moved to Central Ohio in 1965 and into a house in Worthington Hills where Norma would spend her next 56 years. She lost Phil to cancer in 1993 but filled her life with her children and grandchildren, founding and running Tristar Transportation Company in Worthington (which is still flourishing today under the management of her grandchildren), visiting all 7 continents with her dear friend and traveling companion and in-law, Dick Carlson, and tennis and weekly luncheons at Worthington Hills Country Club with 11 fabulous Worthington Hills ladies known as “Soup Group.” Soup Group met “to solve the world’s problems!” every Wednesday afternoon for almost 50 years. Voted “Best Driver” in her Senior class, Norma was also a varsity letter winner in volleyball, softball and basketball at Marysville High School. She was a lifelong athlete who played competitive tennis into her 70s and was an avid sports fan who never missed an athletic event of her kids or grandkids, from t-ball games in Worthington Youth Boosters to Division I college soccer games and swim meets around the country, as well as dance performances & competitions in several states. Norma could be found cheering loudly for the Reds, Buckeyes, Blue Jackets and Crew. She was a voracious reader, crossword puzzle solver, movie goer, season ticket holder for the Columbus Symphony, BalletMet and the Columbus Jazz Arts Group, and a knitter famously known for her personalized hand-knit Christmas stockings given to friends and family whenever a baby was born. Norma will be missed by her children Leslie Holmes, Jeff (Brenda) Holmes, Valerie Carlson, and Vanessa (Lincoln) Frazier. She was the best “Mimi” to her grandchildren Lauren (Seth) Payne, Kelly (Sam) Wright, Ryan (Eileen) Downing, Chris Downing, Will (Kaylie) Frazier, Jack Frazier, Ellie Fraizer, Haley Carlson, and Phillip Carlson, as well as great-grandchildren Maddy & Charlie Payne, Isla & Goldie Wright and Max & Theo Downing. Norma is also survived by her brother & sister-in-law, Gordon & Elaine Crawford, nieces Barb Neal, Sherry (Joe) Simone and Suzanne Kellner, nephew Grant (Lisa) Crawford, and great-nieces and nephews Christopher Simone, Rachel Kellner, Jacob Kellner, Christopher Neal, Alex Neal, and Caleb Crawford. A Celebration of Life for Norma will be held in June. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Shane Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship (www.shancecenter.org). Leave condolences or share a story about Norma at www.rutherfordfuneralhomes.com

Norma Crawford Holmes

September 11, 1935 - February 5, 2025