Herbert Francis Holtkamp, a faith filled child of God, loving husband and father, passed to eternal life on June 10, 2022.  Herb was born on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, October 4, 1944 in Breese, Illinois to Julius "Bud" and Loretta (Hartlage) Holtkamp and was the third of six children. He is preceded in death by his parents, brother David Holtkamp, sister Mary Kay Holtkamp, and brother-in-law Bob Newman. He is survived by his wife of 52 years Susan (Parker) Holtkamp and daughters, Lori and Amy Holtkamp; siblings Carol Newman, Susan and (Ed) Conkle, Mark and (Pam) Holtkamp, and his sister-in-law Stephenie Holtkamp; brother-in-law Gregory and (Sandy) Parker and extended families.

Herb was affectionally known as "Butch" by his immediate family and had a knack for story telling and good humored antics. He never knew a stranger. He had an expressive and unique way of bringing a smile or a joyful laugh to others. With impeccable timing for comic relief, he would sing the chorus of a Mac Davis song, "Oh Lord It's hard to be humble, when you are perfect in every way". Herb had a deep faith in Jesus Christ, his Savior, and had a loving devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary which all developed over the years. Pivotal in that development, was the friends he met through Cursillo in 1986 and their pilgrimage to Medjugorje and Rome in 1988. Herb took his role as spiritual father seriously to lead his family in faith by example, teaching and dialogue. His prayer, fasting and sacramental life was a priority to him which overflowed into how he loved others with joy. Herb was a long time member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Springfield, MO and thoroughly enjoyed singing bass in the choir. He had a love for tennis and biking, but most of all fishing. In his younger years, he was a charter member of Missouri Bass Club Association and Sports Anglers. Fishing continued in later years to be a source of relaxation and was an integral part of his life.

Early Years

Herb had fond memories of his childhood in Breese, Illinois, especially spending time with "Big Grandpa" Holtkamp and "Little Grandpa" Hartlage. In 6th grade, his dad, "Bud", moved the family to Ft Lauderdale, FL to start up a business in home construction. He met lifelong friends during the first two years at St Thomas Aquinas High School. Some of his best memories came from the 4 years they lived in Florida. When his dad's business partner/brother-in-law died unexpectedly, the family picked up and moved to Huntsville, Alabama to start South Central Recycling. Those were rough years in the start up phase of business, so Herb and older brother, Dave, would help his dad before and after school.

Early Adult Years

Upon graduation from S.R. Butler High School in Huntsville, Herb set his sights on becoming a plumber. He was accepted to The David Ranken Trade School in St Louis, MO. After graduation, he went back to Huntsville to do his apprenticeship, but desired to be in the St Louis Plumber's Union. It was a near impossible task for an outsider to be accepted, but his persistence paid off. Herb then transferred from the Alabama National Guard to the St Louis National Guard.

Family Life

In the meantime, Herb prayed to meet a nice girl. He joined a YMCA dance class where he met Sue. You can imagine where that led.  On May 29th, 1970, they exchanged vows at St Mary Magdalen in Brentwood, MO. Lori was born two years later and Herb enjoyed being a father. Herb and Sue made the decision to move to Springfield, MO for a better opportunity. Herb could also be near all the fishing lakes and get out of the big city. He was a fence installer for Sears while he worked on his Master Plumbing License. In 1973, Herb and Sue started Holtkamp Plumbing Company and it became a successful business with loyal customers. To put customers at ease, he would often say, "never fear when Herb is here!". He expressed,  "people are the best part of my job". Shortly after Amy was born in 1974, Herb and Sue acquired some land.  Sue drew up the plans and Herb, as contractor, oversaw the construction of their new home, completed in 1978.

Retirement

Herb and Sue bought a Hi-Lo RV in 2004. They traveled around and eventually settled on their favorite location in Leesburg, Florida. For 12 years, they would stay 2-3 months during the winter as "snowbirds". Herb thoroughly enjoyed the daily fishing and annual fellowship with friends in this RV community. On one of their annual trips to Florida, Herb drove the Suburban towing the RV and bass boat (which totaled 64 feet in length). Even he knew that was nuts! But he did it again the following year! Herb's younger brother, Mark, would often join him in Florida to fish. On February 14, 2014, Herb caught one of his biggest bass weighing an impressive 8 lb 15 oz and outshined Mark's catch of only 8 lb 1 oz. Mark claims that Herb is only a "fair" fisherman… we will let the evidence speak for itself.

In Honor of Herb

Herb was a tissue/organ donor.

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to give a donation to a pro-life cause and/or give the generosity of self to another with your time, talent or just a smile.

Memorial Mass will be at 10:00 AM, Friday, June 24, 2022 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Rosary will precede Mass at 9:30 AM in the church. There will be a reception following the mass. Arrangements are under the care of Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home