M edical R ecord F eature
In Memoriam Eric Holm, MD, FACS, FAAN by Raymond C. Truex, Jr., MD, FACS, FAANS
I
first met Eric when he was a General Surgery Intern at Temple University Hospital in 1970, when I began my Neurosurgical Residency at the same institution. Thus, it seems like I’ve known Eric for the most part of my professional career, and his passing came as a shock to me. Although we were, in a way, competitors, we practiced at different hospitals and maintained a congenial and collegiate manner, frequently cross-covering on weekends. We considered Eric to be a worthy colleague, a kind and skilled neurosurgeon. Eric grew up in Chester County and graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1959. He then attended and graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with an engineering major in 1963, and as long as I knew him, he was a passionate Penn State Nittany Lion football fan. Several times, I had the pleasure of going with him to see a game; he had great seats, too. Eric graduated from Temple University School of Medicine in 1969, and then went across the state to complete his Neurosurgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh under Chairman Anthony Susan, in 1975. Eric first entered the private practice of Neurosurgery in Johnstown, PA, but after several years there, in 1978, elected to move back east to join Gregory Lignelli in the practice of Neurosurgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Pottstown Hospital. It was at these two institutions that he did the majority of his clinical work, while also maintaining privileges at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center. At some point in the early 1990s, Dr. Lignelli elected to concentrate his practice in Pottstown, and Dr. Holm at St. Joseph’s, and at this point he was joined in practice by Dr. David Allen, and they practiced together for many years. Dr. Holm was a member of the Berks County Medical Society, which honored him for 50 years of medical practice in 2019, and was also a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and an active member of the Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society. He retired from the surgical practice of Neurosurgery in 2010, and for several years afterward, “kept his hand in” by practicing non-operative diagnostic neurosurgery. In retirement, Eric enjoyed travel and socializing with his wife, Kathy, and their extended family. They particularly enjoyed traveling to various tropical Caribbean beaches and were planning their next trip at the time of Eric’s sudden passing. In Kathy, he had found an excellent life companion; she being an expert Neurosurgical nurse and Nursing Instructor in her own right. She fully understood the pressures placed upon a surgeon by the demands of practice, helped him maintain the smooth operation of his practice, and was skilled at defusing delicate situations. Berks County has lost a hard-working, skilled, and dedicated physician. The Berks County Medical Society mourns his passing, and we extend our condolences to Eric’s wife, Kathy, and to his children and many grandchildren.
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