John Carawan Holt

Published 1:25 pm Friday, November 8, 2024

Mr. John Carawan Holt, age 87, a resident of Bath, N.C passed away on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. John was born in Raleigh, N.C. on July 1, 1937, son of the late Charles Hoyle Holt and Rachel Carawan Holt. He was a 1955 graduate of Broughton High School and attended Wingate Junior College where he played baseball and was then drafted by the Phillies. On December 18, 1957, he married the love of his life Beverly A. Dunn.

John’s love of baseball and coaching started in Raleigh, N.C. as a little league coach. Then upon moving to Greenville, N.C., he coached Greenville Little League and in 1964 he had the honor to have won the State Championship. John also coached Greenville Teener League and again had the honor to have won a State Championship, Area Championship, and Runner-Up National Championship in 1968. John’s baseball career included coaching Pitt County American Legion, Beaufort County American Legion, Washington Little League, Washington Jr. Babe Ruth, Pungo Christian Academy as well as Bath Rec Department, and Pinetown Rec. Department. John’s love for the game led him to become a baseball scout for the Kansas City Royals and many North Carolina colleges and universities.

 On May 1, 1986, John was awarded the Certificate of Appreciation for his volunteer service by Governor James G. Martin.

John was a member of Bath Christian Church and held multiple positions serving as a Deacon and Elder and an active member in the Scotty’s Men’s Fellowship Breakfast.  He was an elected member of the Beaufort County Board of Education and a member of the Bath Ruritan Club. He also enjoyed fishing, boating, hunting, storytelling, chewing Red Man and sharing jokes and tall tales of his childhood with his friends and family.

John was a loving family man, a former United States Marine, Tobacconist, baseball coach, New York Yankee fan and the BIGGEST fan of his beloved NC State Wolfpack.

John is preceded in death by his wife Beverly D. Holt of sixty-six years, his son John (Jay) Holt, sister Alyce Julie Holt and a great granddaughter Lily Knox.

John is survived by his daughters, Katherine Holt-Elliott and husband Louis of Washington N.C., RayAnne H. Jarman and husband Bobby of Washington N.C., daughter in law Carol Holt of Washington, N.C., his grandchildren: John Scott Cutler and wife Erin, Elizabeth Knox and husband Michael, Sarah Messick and husband John, Kelly Elks and husband Brooks, Kristen Holt, Katherine Ann Holt, Miranda Guinn and husband Branson and 13 Great Grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the team of ECU Home Health and Hospice for their compassion and care of our father with special recognition to Valere Shackleford. We would also like to send out our special thanks to Tammy Respass, Sheila Windley and Gail Asby who have become family.

Services to honor and remember John will be held on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Joseph B. Paul Jr. Funeral Service 4500 US Highway 264 E. Washington, NC. The family will receive family and friends starting at 11:00 AM with the service following at 12:00PM in the chapel officiated by Pastor Merritt Watson. Burial to follow at Oakdale Cemetery located at 180 E 15^th Street Washington, NC. Jimmy Bond, Joey Moore, Tommy Durham, Eddie Vincent, Mark Aydlett, Dick Adams, and Joe West will serve as pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s memory to the Washington High School Diamond Club for needed baseball equipment located at 3915 Edward’s Road Grimesland, N.C. 27837.

Joseph B. Paul Jr. Funeral Service is honored to assist the Holt Family.