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Colette O. Holmes, 72, passed away peacefully in bed on Saturday, October 22, from complications from Lewy Body Dementia.

She was born on February 21, 1950, in Providence, the daughter of George J. and Catherine A. (Richards) O’Connell. She is survived by her husband of 34 years, Mark, and their two children: Matthew H. and Marianna D. Holmes, both of Latham, NY. She was predeceased by her sisters, Madeline O’Connell and Ellen (O’Connell) Palmer.

After graduating from Rhode Island College, where she majored in mathematics and secondary education, Colette taught at East Greenwich High School. She went on to attend the University at Albany, where she received a Master of Library Science degree. She then worked as a science catalog librarian and a reference librarian at the State University of New York at Stony Brook for six years. After that, she worked as a reference librarian at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, at times being the engineering, instruction, and the management librarian. She retired from Rensselaer in 2015.

Colette met Mark Holmes on March 14, 1987, on the third floor of the R.P.I. library, which lead to a lunch of ham salad sandwiches and vanilla milkshakes at Duncan’s Dairy Bar. On February 12, 1988, they were married at the Neumann Cultural Center. Together they had two dearly loved children and many pets, including a mouse named Mr. Frisbee and the current family dog, Clover.

Colette was an avid reader and swam almost daily. She was a lover of all things Irish, and an activist in support of funding for research and treatment for sickle cell disease. She is also known for starting what she called the Skinny Book Club (to allow for more time to talk about things other than the book). Colette’s family is most grateful to the wonderful staff at the Memory Care Facility at Eddy Hawthorne Ridge, and at Van Rensselaer Manor, for their kind and compassionate care.

All are invited to visit with Colette’s family from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 11, at Bowen & Parker Bros. Funeral Home in Latham, NY with a service to conclude the evening at 7:00 p.m. Reverend Ed Kacerguis will officiate. In lieu of flowers, donations in Colette’s name may be made to either the Double H Ranch (97 Hidden Valley Rd., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846), or to the Lisa Mitzen Animal Care Center (Mohawk Hudson Humane Society) (3 Oakland Ave., Menands, NY, 12204).

An online condolence may be left with the Bowen and Parker Bros. Funeral Home HERE.