SPRINGFIELD - Dr. William "Bill" Lee Holman passed away peacefully on May 2 ^nd at The Manor at Elfindale. Bill was born April 24 ^th , 1933 to Otto George and Fern Genevieve Holman at Marshfield, Mo.

Bill completed his undergraduate degree in Spanish and French at Southwest Missouri State, now Missouri State University (MSU), where he was commissioned a 2 ^nd Lieutenant in the first Bear Battalion ROTC unit, and then served in Military Intelligence at 2 ^nd Army Headquarters in Washington D.C. as a 1 ^st Lieutenant. Following his military service, Bill continued his education with a Masters degree at the University of Missouri in Columbia; and a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He taught Spanish at the University of Wisconsin, the Madison campus as well as the Milwaukee campus, where he also taught Spanish and Quechua to the first Peace Corps Team to Ecuador. Bill then moved back to Missouri and continued teaching Spanish and Spanish Literature including Don Quixote for 30 years at MSU. Bill traveled extensively throughout the Hispanic world over the course of his career, as well as teaching Summer Sessions in Monterrey, Mexico; San Jose, Costa Rica; Salamanca and Acala de Henares, both in Spain. He then retired in 1999.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Julia Leigh, sister-in-law Edwena Ross, sister-in-law Jane Ross Wells, and brother-in-law Carl Wells.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, June, son Mark Alan (Lisa), granddaughter Madeline and grandson Jarrett, all from Dallas, Texas; sister Beverly Carlson (Dan), Springfield; nephew Eric Carlson, Springfield; nieces Beth Ghanem (Elie), Strafford, Nancy Herrmann (Jeff), Lawrence, KS., Carla Jan Husband (Dwight), Atlanta, GA; and great nieces and nephews.

There will be a graveside service with Military Honors, Monday, May 10 at 11:00 a.m., followed by a Celebration Luncheon.

The family wishes to extend a warm appreciation to the Staff at The Manor for their support and their care for Bill, especially throughout the Covid pandemic.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Holman Family Foundation Scholarship Fund at MSU, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Schweitzer United Methodist Church, the Alzheimer' s Foundation, or the charity of the donor's choice.