Dee LaMar Holladay, respected river runner and owner of Holiday River Expeditions, passed on to find more rivers to run. Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, brother in-law and uncle passed away June 21, 2015 surrounded by his loving family. Dee was born January 27, 1937 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Dee LaMar Sr. and Wanda Holladay. He is the 4th generation from John Daniel Holladay, the founder of The City of Holladay. He is survived by the love of his life Carole Sue Roth, his four daughters: Linda Rae Holladay, Janet Lee Holladay (John) Wood, Tammy Sue (Kerry) Jones, Shana Dee (Andy) Riddle, grandchildren: Lauren, Jesse, Topher, Lexy, Baily, Drew, brother Wayne and brother in-law Gary Roth. He taught his family a love for Western Rivers with the entirety of their beauty.
After National Guard service, and working for Bennett/Rick Warner Ford, Dee decided he wanted to run rivers and became the owner of Holiday River Expeditions. His family by biology or happy relation all helped in some capacity to create a reputable business that would forever be a part of their lives. In 1966 Dee and Sue hung out their shingle. Their business expanded from Utah into Idaho. Dee was part of the pack that brought about many important changes in the 60\s and 70\s by emphasizing the preservation of the river environment while also revolutionizing camping equipment. He has many friends in the outfitter business, including National Parks, The Bureau of Land Management and The Forest Service. Under Utah\s Governor Scott Matheson, many Congressmen and numerous Senators, Dee\s influence rippled in the pro-environmental movement. After many years of tireless effort Dee received many awards for his preservation and conservation doings in Utah River and riparian areas, including induction into the River Runners Hall of Fame.
We wish to thank Millcreek Home Health and Hospice for their love and care.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South) in Sandy. Visitations will be held Friday evening from 6-8 p.m. and from 9:30-10:30 a.m. prior to the services on Saturday. Online condolences welcomed at www.larkincares.com.
In lieu of flowers please donate to The Nature Conservancy, The John Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River, Utah, Colorado River Connected, or an environmental organization of your choosing.
