Dec. 25, 1925 - April 16, 2009

UNION, Mich. -- Donald Joseph Holtz Sr., 83, of Union, died at 7 p.m. Thursday (April 16, 2009) in his daughter's Elkhart home.

He was born Dec. 25, 1925, in Elkhart to Frederick A. and Pearl (Kalb) Holtz.

Mr. Holtz is survived by eight sons, Donald (Patricia) Holtz Jr., Peter (Susan) Holtz and David (Diedre) Holtz, all of Indianapolis, Christopher (Jean) Holtz of Cambridge, Md., Jonathan (Winnette) Holtz of Vancover, Wash., James (Dawn) Holtz and Andrew Holtz, both of Mishawaka, and Daniel (Rita) Holtz of Elkhart; four daughters, Letitia (John) Kampwirth-Cohoon of Naperville, Ill., Cecilia (Randy) Hayes of Elkhart, Monica (Daniel) Swygart of South Bend and Amelia (Wade) Patrick of St. Louis, Mo.; 38 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and one sister, Rita Froelich of Chicago.

He was preceded in death by one son, Mark Holtz; and seven siblings, Dorothy Compton and Ann, Mary Louise, Fred, Robert, Thomas and Leo Holtz.

Mr. Holtz was an inspector for the City of Elkhart, a mechanical contractor and a site supervisor for Aramco in Saudi Arabia. He was a 1944 graduate of Elkhart High School and attended the University of Notre Dame. He was a member of St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, Bristol, American Legion Post 143 and a life member of the DAV. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and was an amateur pilot and an avid sailor.

Friends may call from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart, with a parish rosary at 5:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 1405 N. Main St., Elkhart, with a half hour visitation prior to the Mass. The Revs. William Sullivan and Robert VanKempen will officiate. Graveside military honors will be rendered by the DAV Chapter 19 and the U.S. Army burial honors detail at St. Vincent Cemetery.

Memorials may be given to the St. Thomas building fund. Visit www.billingsfuneralhome.com to send online condolences.