Bertha Holt:: 1916-2010

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Bertha Holt:: 1916-2010

Bertha "B" Holt, the Needle in the fabric of North Carolina, died on Friday, June 18, at the age of 93. Nothing less than a severe stroke could have stopped her. She was able to puncture the pomposity of politics, the egos of politicians, the hypocrisy of the righteous. She became an attorney when women did not venture into that profession. She worked diligently for justice all her life, and was part of many organizations which shared her beliefs. Her needle-sharp insights pierced issues to their core, and she worked to stitch up the lives of the least among us.

A loyal church woman, she served her Episcopal church in Burlington, Church of the Holy Comforter, right up to her last days. She was also active in her diocese, demonstrating to us that it is possible to make changes in even the slowest of official bodies. Her support of the North Carolina Council of Churches is legendary, and she received the Council's "Faith Active in Public Life" Award in 1987, while she was serving as a Representative in the North Carolina Legislature. During recent years, she has been serving on the Governing Board of the Council, and participated in the Council's 75th Anniversary, held at Duke Divinity School May 18 of this year. I am awed by her energy, her determination, and her brilliant mind, all of which was evident right up to the very end of her life.

What a legacy she leaves for her children, the people of this state, the NC Council of Churches, her church, and the residents of Burlington. It will be a very long time before anyone such as she enters the arena, but when that happens, it will be because of the foundation that B provided through her endeavors and her accomplishments.

May God greet her with joy. May her energy continue in those of us who follow.