After a long, vibrant and fulfilling life, Nancy Barton Holmes (born Nancy Keith Barton) passed peacefully on her 83rd birthday, surrounded by family. Her life story is as fabulous as she was.
Nancy was born in Seattle, Washington in 1943 to James Winter Barton and Mary Keith Barton. Her parents had two more children, Mary Diana, and James Keith.
Nancy’s early years were spent in and around the then small, forested and rather remote community of Hunts Point on Lake Washington. In her youth, she enjoyed swimming, boating, water and snow skiing, being a Girl Scout, and playing with friends. She was an athletic young woman and served as a snow ski instructor for several years while attending Bellevue High School. In 1963, after her sophomore year of college at the University of Washington in Seattle, Nancy moved to Grenoble, France to study abroad. While she did not love her study abroad program, she did meet the love of her life, John Holmes, and dropped out of school to travel around Europe with him.
In 1964, Nancy and John returned to the United States, graduated from California State University at Northridge where Nancy earned a degree in Political Science, and the two were married in 1967. John went on to earn a medical degree and complete an orthopedic residency at George Washington University in the Washington, D.C. area where the couple had their first two sons, Brian and Colin. John had received an educational deferment when drafted by the U.S. Army, so with his studies completed in 1976, John and the family served three years in Germany, where two more sons, Jamie and Kevin, were born. In 1979, the Holmes family moved to Merced, California where John joined the Merced Orthopedic Medical Group. In 1985, Nancy helped John establish a private orthopedic practice — Olivewood Orthopedics — and for a time she managed the office.
Nancy spent nearly 47 years raising a family and growing a community in Merced, California. She did an incredible job raising four active boys who were two years apart in school and who kept their parents very busy with seemingly never-ending sports practices and games. When she arrived in Merced in 1979, she did not know anyone in town. She immediately got to work making and nurturing friendships. She volunteered for the Parent Teacher Association at St. Luke’s elementary school and made lifelong friendships with other parents at that school. She joined the Garden Club. She organized play dates and pool parties for her children and costume parties for her friends.
Nancy volunteered at school events and was a key force behind the once, locally famous St. Luke’s auction. She hosted numerous celebrations for special occasions, and her home became a gathering place for her children’s friends in high school and beyond. When her marriage with John came to an end after 30 years, she became the Varsity Tennis Coach at Merced High School, a job she loved during her 10-year tenure. She participated in morning bicycle rides and tennis groups for many years and was an active member of numerous organizations including a book club, the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, and the charitable organization, Together Women Rise.
Nancy absolutely loved her boys and supported and encouraged them throughout her life. She was also a loving and engaged grandmother to her nine grandchildren. Nancy was an avid reader and a passionate global traveler. She developed an incredible group of friends in Merced and beyond and was a pillar of strength and support for her wider family. She was an excellent cook and hosted regular family gatherings. She sent cards and gifts to family members for any and all occasions. She had a kind heart and a ready laugh. Nancy’s life was a joyful adventure, and she will be missed greatly.
Nancy is survived by her sister Diana (Michael) and brother Keith (Karen); her four sons: Brian (Mary Kay), Colin (Wyokemia), Jamie (Laura), Kevin (Jessica); and nine grandchildren: Hazel, Sid, Olivia, Abbie, Emma, Logan, Jack, Oliver, and Waverly; her niece Sarah Gibbons (John), and nephews Loren (Goretti) and Kyler (Neomi).
A celebration of life will be held at the Fish and Game Building at Lake Yosemite on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, starting at 3 pm. To RSVP for this gathering, or to share memories of Nancy or condolences with her family, please email: [email protected].
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in honor of Nancy Holmes to the Merced Chapter of Together Women Rise (https://togetherwomenrise.org/give/), an organization Nancy belonged to, loved and supported.