A fixture at Marshall University’s School of Medicine and Huntington’s very own dancing machine tackles our 20 questions.
By Jack Houvouras
HQ 111 | AUTUMN 2020
Nearly everyone in the Huntington business and medical community knows Linda Holmes. If you haven’t met her, you’ve most likely seen her. She’s the physically fit lady you’ll find on the dance floor at nearly every fundraiser in the region. There’s no doubt about it, Linda loves to dance.
She also loves her job as director of development and alumni affairs at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, a role she’s held for the last 22 years. Her job duties include working with current students, staying connected to the hundreds of physicians the med school has produced and fundraising. That’s where the dancing comes in. In the world of fundraising it’s important to attend as many social functions as possible.
She possesses a rare combination of charm, wit and savvy. A natural people person, she wins people over easily.
Holmes is someone who definitely bleeds green. She graduated cum laude from Marshall University in 1974 with a degree in education, and two years later she earned her master’s degree in physical fitness. A self-professed sports nut, her dream as a child was to become a professional tennis player. She still loves to compete on the court to this day.
While in grad school, Holmes was the Thundering Herd’s women’s tennis coach for a year. After that she spent seven years serving as head coach of both the women’s softball and volleyball teams. And as if that weren’t enough, she also worked for eight years as assistant director of athletics at Marshall. Today she is a proud member of the Marshall University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Holmes transitioned from athletics to alumni affairs at Marshall in 1976 before assuming her current role at the med school in 1998. She is a strong advocate for the School of Medicine, its students and graduates and the important role the institution plays in the medical community. In fact, a building was recently named in her honor. The Linda S. Holmes Student Wellness Center opened in 2019 just across the street from the Marshall University Medical Center and Cabell Huntington Hospital. The 4,200-square-foot center is designed to provide a safe, convenient relaxation space for medical students when they need to take a break from studying. The center is part of a strategic initiative to promote the mental and physical wellness of the university’s medical school students.
We challenged Huntington’s very own dancing machine to answer our 20 questions, and, ever the “player,” she agreed. Her answers didn’t disappoint.
HQ1 How would close friends describe you?
This is a hard question to answer without seeming arrogant, so I asked some of my friends for their input. They described me as “a fixer who always wants to help when someone is dealing with a problem; thoughtful, kind, honest to a fault, loyal; full of energy and enthusiasm.”
HQ2 What is something few people know about you?
I love to dance — well, that is actually something that everyone knows about me. Seriously, many folks probably don’t know that I love to entertain, cook and bake, collect vintage china and dishes (and use them!) and decorate for every holiday inside and out. Love, love Hallmark movies. They just make me happy.
HQ3 What is your fondest childhood memory?
This is a hard one because I had many fond memories of my childhood growing up with loving parents and rgrandparents, but Thanksgiving at my maternal grandparents’ home immediately comes to mind because I was surrounded by all of my family, parents, uncles and siblings. The love, laughter and conversation, the aromas from the kitchen and the anticipation of the traditional Thanksgiving fare make this a memory I will always remember and cherish. How I wish it were still possible.
HQ4 What is your greatest regret?
For me the biggest regret was that I never had tennis lessons as a young girl with the possibility of playing professional tennis. Not that it would have happened, but I sure would have loved to have tried.
HQ5 What is something you could talk about for hours?
I chuckled about this. The first thing that popped in my mind was nothing. When I say nothing, I mean I have the gift of gab and can talk to anyone about anything.
HQ6 For the perfect meal, what would be on the menu?
Anything my mother prepares is a perfect meal because she is amazing and a good old-fashioned cook. If I were dining out it would be a caprese salad, Chilean sea bass and roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and cranberries. Oh, and don’t forget the crème brûlée.
HQ7 What movies made you laugh the hardest?
Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I don’t know how many times I have seen it, but it always makes me laugh. This isn’t a movie, but I laugh ’til I cry watching the SNL episode where Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley are auditioning for the Chippendales. If you haven’t seen this, it is beyond hilarious.
HQ8 Whom is the one person, past or present, you would most like to meet?
President Abraham Lincoln, who navigated the country through one of the greatest moral, constitutional and political crises our country faced. He was an ordinary man who did extraordinary things.
HQ9 What song moves you the most?
Amazing Grace. A sidebar is that I love Motown music.
HQ10 What are three books everyone should read?
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, The 5 People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and any good romance novel.
HQ11 If you had a day off from work, what would you do?
I would sleep in instead of going to the gym at 5 a.m. I would still work out, but at my leisure. I’d go to lunch with friends and then enjoy being outside working in my yard. Sometimes I take off work when the weather is good!
HQ12 If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Well, there are four places on my Bucket List. I want to go to every location of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments — the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
HQ13 What irritates you the most?
Rude individuals and anyone that is lazy.
HQ14 What scares you the most?
The evil and ugliness in the world.
HQ15 What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?
This is difficult to answer because there are so many beautiful things I have been privileged to see in my lifetime. But I find beauty in many things.
HQ16 What talent would you like to possess?
Anyone who knows me can answer this. I would love to have the gift of a singing voice. When I try to sing I end up laughing at myself.
HQ17 What do you like most about Huntington?
It possesses the traits of a small town with the amenities of a larger city.
HQ18 What is your favorite spot in West Virginia?
Send me to The Greenbrier every time.
HQ19 What brings you the most joy?
Giving to others and trying to make them happy. I would rather give than receive.
HQ20 How would you like to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as someone who worked hard and made a difference for Marshall University and positively impacted those I came in contact with both personally and professionally. I would also like to be remembered as a loyal friend.
