Harry Holland Obituary

Harry Hunter Holland

Hanover, NH - Harry Hunter Holland (Hatch) was a fearless and vibrant juggernaut of a man. He passed away peacefully on Dec. 8th, 2023, with his wife Barbara by his side. Hatch was an indomitable, hard-charging, business-savvy man who reveled in his "boondocker" identity and constantly strived to entertain those close to him with sly humor and well-timed witticisms.

Hatch was born Jan. 16, 1935, in Barre, VT. He then, as he would explain it, immediately "moved in" with his parents Bert and Mary. He came of age in East Corinth, where the beating heart of the community was a general store and a white Congregational church, and where his mother ran most every parade and chicken pie supper. He and his brother Clark romped freely through the postcard town when they weren't attending their two-room schoolhouse, where first through eighth-graders sat elbow to elbow. It was in eighth grade when Hatch took his first job as head (and only) janitor of the school, which provided him with enough funds to launch some of his earliest entrepreneurial ventures, including a salt and pepper shaker business, which salvaged bobbins from his grandfather's bobbin mill up the hill. He called it "The Hatch Company" and made himself business cards. A Red Cross-certified swimming instructor, Hatch, along with his brother Clark, established swimming programs in Bradford, VT, and surrounding towns. They taught hundreds of children and some adults to swim.

A talented and enthusiastic athlete, Hatch also loved basketball, but later joked, as son Jim recalls, that his illustrious career came to an end in high school when he walked out on the court and was "surrounded by giraffes." Hatch's five-foot-six frame evoked more "bulldog" than "giraffe."

He went on to the University of Vermont, where he had to "put a second coat of paint" on (retake) various classes, and where he met the love of his life, Barbara Holland (née Johnston). Senior year, they married and began their sixty-seven year partnership. They settled back in East Corinth and welcomed their first child Mary Anne in 1957. Hatch began at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and earned his MBA in 1961.

Hatch took a public accounting job in Boston, but it wasn't long before he and Barb felt the pull of the Green Mountains. He jumped off the first rung of the corporate ladder and they fled the city to bring their young family to Norwich, VT, where he took a job at an accounting firm. He referred to himself as a "recovering CPA" from then on.

In his nearly forty years in Norwich, Hatch built himself an impressive resume, from manufacturing and wire distribution to banking and real estate. In 1990, he began his most impressive real estate venture, The Norwich Square, which included a bookstore, liquor store, bakery, and post office. All the buildings in the square were named after Norwich residents, with the exception of Hunter House, which Hatch named after his mother Mary Hunter. Years ago, when a Valley News reporter was interviewing him as their "CEO of the month" and asked about his aggressive real-estate ventures, Hatch told the reporter he had an "edifice complex." According to his late daughter Judy, he was a "hard-driving, type-A individualist with entrepreneurial energy running through his veins."

His son Mike notes how Hatch, through his "work ethic, dedication to family, sense of humor and low-stress approach to life, taught [them] key life lessons," including to under-promise and over-deliver, and whistle while they work. Hatch believed a job was finished only when the floor was swept and the tools were back where you found them.

Hatch could often be found at the town dump, hobnobbing with neighbors while unloading bins of meticulously separated glass bottles, newspapers, and rinsed-out tin cans, mostly those mini-sized ginger ale ones that his grandchildren loved. He'd then gather a regular crew of those like-minded neighbors, many of whom were retired surgeons, professors, and lawyers, at the "Nor-rich" Inn, where they'd sip cocktails and discuss world politics, history, and local happenings.

His children recall Hatch mowing his Norwich lawn in impeccable rows while balancing a glass of wine on the hood of one of many prized tractors. He purchased many tractors over the years, each one bigger and better than its predecessor, and enjoyed riding them down Route 5 in his boxer shorts or feed-store jeans and old t-shirts. Once, a new-to-town "flatlander" approached him in hopes of enlisting his services as a handyman. Hatch politely declined, and the next day emerged from his basement woodshop with a new sign, which he attached with rawhide strings to the backside of his tractor seat. The sign said: "Not for Hire."

Hatch valued a job well done and would declare a task "All Roused Up" when completed to satisfaction. This phrase was one of his many modifications to the English language. This vernacular became known to his family as "Hollandese," which his daughter Judy compiled into a dictionary of sorts entitled: "The Compendium of Hollandese." Along with his wife Barb, Hatch took immense pride in the accomplishments of his children, from record-breaking ski jumps, to successful business ventures, to journalistic awards. According to his son Joe, "the ultimate HHH approval was a 'thumbs up.' The preferred delivery was a thumbs up without eye contact, or better yet, while walking away, and saying 'dood-it,'" another "Hollandese" phrase.

Hatch spent his last seven years at retirement community Kendal at Hanover with his wife Barb. They faced some challenges in his final years, including the tragic passing of their daughter Judy in April of 2021. In the days before his own death, Hatch told his family members he looked forward to his and Judy's reunion. Through struggle, he never lost his penchant for humor and entertaining others. On one of his final days, a nurse came into his room and asked if he needed anything. He replied: "Cocktails all around."

Hatch is survived by his wife Barbara; his children Mary Anne, Mike (Heidi), Joe (Becky), and Jim (Analea); his son-in-law John (Judy); his brother Clark; his grandchildren Jeannie, Michael, Lindsay, Maddie, Jack, Hunter, Greta, Hazel, Jake, Anders, Lizzie, and Juniper; and great-grandchildren Jaysen, Austin, and Carley.

Details for a memorial service will be announced.

The Rand Wilson Funeral Home in Hanover is assisting the family. An on-line guestbook can be found at rand-wilson.com