Paul Thayer Holmes, 88, of West Columbia, died peacefully at home with family on March 4th, 2024. He was born September 25, 1935, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, son of John Paul and Mary Louise McKenna Holmes. The family lived in Schenectady NY, before moving to Richland WA when he was in junior high. In Richland, he worked at a ranch during high school summers and learned to rope and ride. He also played the French Horn and had his life-long love of mathematics sparked by high school geometry.

Paul met his wife of 67 years (Charlotte Martin) during his undergraduate studies at Washington State College. After graduating from Washington State with a masters degree, Paul earned a Doctorate in Mathematics from Stanford University and went on to be a professor at Purdue (4 years) and Rutgers (3 years), before settling into a 33-year career at Clemson University. He turned down far more lucrative corporate careers in order to teach, which he loved.

Moving to South Carolina and Clemson was life changing for Paul when it came to outdoor activity. Lake Hartwell provided boating, skiing and swimming. The proximity to the mountains and joining the Clemson chapter of the Sierra Club led to an over 50-year career in whitewater kayaking. This was mostly on the Chattooga River and other southeast Rivers but also on trips to Ecuador, Idaho, Oregon and the Grand Canyon.

Paul began running during college and kept that up for many decades including multiple 5K, 10K and marathon races. He looked forward to certain birthdays when he would become the youngest in his age class and win! The goal was to qualify and run the Boston Marathon which he did three times.

When describing Paul Holmes, the term "life-long learner" comes to mind. He was a voracious reader, learned woodworking and car repair at Tri County Tech, audited many French and Spanish courses, and became a beekeeper. He tried to learn to play the banjo, taught himself to roll a kayak from a book, and learned to drive a tractor. He was an excellent baker of breads. The list goes on and on. And one assumes that it takes some learning to get a PhD from Stanford! Paul and Charlotte visited 18 countries, learning much about each before embarking, and were great fans of the National Parks.

Paul celebrated his 69th birthday paddling his own kayak in the Grand Canyon, tried skydiving in his 75th year, and leaped off a huge boulder into the Merced River at Yosemite with his grandsons to usher in 80!

Paul is survived by his wife, Charlotte; daughter, Ann Gressette (Bam); son, Ken Holmes (Gina); brothers, Larry and Robert Holmes (Sue); grandsons, Lawrence Gressette, Paul Gressette, John Gressette, Jackson Holmes, and Connor Holmes; and five nieces. In addition to his parents, Paul was predeceased by his sister-in-law, Joan Holmes.

Visitations will be held Saturday, March 9 from 12 until 2 o'clock at the Patrick Square Clubhouse, Keller Blvd, Clemson, SC and Sunday, March 10 from 3 until 5 o'clock at the Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community (Guinyard Mansion), 1 Still Hopes Dr, W. Columbia, SC. There will be a private family service held at a later date. In honor of Paul's aversion to a coat and tie, please come in casusal attire.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to American Whitewater at P.O. Box 1540 Cullowhee, NC 28723, https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/c178a504-b0d6-486e-8d74-db507a71fad1 ; or the Still Hopes residence assistance fund www.stillhopes.org , 1 Still Hopes Drive West Columbia SC 29169