Jason Charles Holden

Jason Charles Holden, “Jay”, a resident of Berthoud, CO, died unexpectedly on September 20, 2016 at the age of 43 when struck by a car while road biking in the foothills of Colorado. Jay is survived by his parents, Susan and Charles Holden; his wife, Kari Holden; his children, Sydney Lee and Tyler Jason Holden; and his sisters, Heather and Kedron Holden. Jay was born in Bronx, NY in August of 1973 and raised on Long Island. He graduated from Colorado State in 1997 with a degree in Computer Science. On August 16, 1997, he married Kari, his college sweetheart. From there a life of love and adventure was built. First came his daughter Sydney in April 2001 followed by his son Ty in September 2003 who were the most important part of his life. For Kari, 25 years of life together included gratitude, joy, compromise, anger, laughter, patience, frustration, comradery, adventure, surprises, support, dedication, commitment, devotion, respect, understanding, a deep love, hope, and excitement about the future. Jay was dedicated to his career and was a successful leader and mentor. He spent his career in the Oil and Gas Industry and traveled extensively as a result. He began his career at CSU Engines Lab, continued at Enginuity in Ft. Collins, CO, then General Electric in Houston, TX followed by Dresser-Rand in Ft. Collins and, finally, UE Compression in Henderson, CO. He took a leadership role at UE Compression just this spring and was so excited to complete his vision there. His integrity, soft spoken style, honesty, humor and fierce work ethic were known by all who worked with him through the years. Jay was an avid cyclist, both road and mountain. His love for cycling began at the age of 3. He went on to complete many events in both categories including the Leadville 100, Breckenridge 100, 24 hours of Moab, Firecracker 50, and so many more his family can’t remember, countless charity rides, adventure races including AXS Moab 24 hour, a few mini-triathlons and most recently placed 3rd in the Breck Epic Mountain Bike Race just this August. He was a proud member of the 92Fifty cycling team based out of Blackhawk, CO. Jay was a committed family member. He was a wonderful brother who was a great inspiration and example for his younger sisters. He was always there to listen and give advice when needed or “just make fun of them” according to Heather. Kedron was always proud to call him her big brother. He was also a terrific son who was very easy to raise and made his parents very proud. He really found himself when he came to Colorado and met Kari. Jay was a devoted father. His absolute priority was his two kiddos. His love for his children showed in his proud, teary eyes at their shining moments, his laughter at their silliness, his patience at their most trying moments and walking away when the patience ran out, his solution to every problem starting and ending with a hug, his dedication to time spent when he had no time to spend, his brainstorming of ideas just to teach them one more thing, his tenderness with their feelings when he didn’t know how to “fix it”, his sharing of the beauty that is all around us through hiking and camping, his commitment to giving them a good life and showing them every day what it means to be a good father, husband and human being. Jay’s influence was so great; it will live on for years to come. His is not a candle to be easily snuffed out. He will be missed more than words can express.

Tributes

Jason Charles Holden

August 8, 1973 - September 20, 2016