Billy Joseph Holt of Rupert, Georgia passed away on June 1, 2026, at Taylor County Health and Rehabilitation.

He was born on September 5, 1941, in Miami, Florida to Paul Roy and Mary Ellen Holt. Bill was a man who felt most at home beneath open skies, where the quiet patience of deer hunting and the rhythm of the woods shaped his days. He also found peace by the water, spending countless hours fishing and savoring the quiet that came with a line cast and time well spent. Bill carried a lifetime of stories—of long hours in the Everglades, of watchful nights as a prison guard, and of the people and moments that marked his path. He was a strong minded and passionate man and those closest to him understood the depth beneath his rough edges. His grandchildren, especially, adored him, finding warmth, humor, and a quiet kind of love that was entirely his own. He leaves behind memories as enduring as the land he loved and the stories he never tired of telling.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Bruce, Claude and John Holt and his sister, Betty Finnegan. He leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Carolyn, a sister, Charlotte Bush, and sister-in-law, Janelle Holt (both of Lake City, Fl). He also leaves behind his children – Lynn Stewart of Dahlonega, GA (Jaime, Juile, Kandice), Billy Holt (Jennifer) of Hickory, NC (Rosemary, Ciara, Noah and Samantha), Mary Van Houten (Neal) of Yorktown, VA (Dustan, Avery, Delanie and Easton). He also leaves behind 11 great-grandchildren: Audri, Adonis, Ellie, Ember, Reece, Lucas R., Landon, Annabel, Lucas E., Roland and Teddy.

Bill will be greatly missed. As he wished, the family will not hold services and they request privacy at this time.