Frederick E. Holden of Winthrop, formerly of East Boston, Revere and Delray Beach, Fla., a combat paratrooper in the Korean War who went on to serve more than 20 years as a Boston police officer, died October 11. He was 92.
He was born in Boston on January 22, 1934, to Frederick D. Holden and Blanche (Poirier) Holden. He served in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division from 1952 to 1955, including combat duty in Korea, and earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, a Bronze Service Star, the United Nations Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. After the Boston Police Department he kept working in security as a detective.
He loved hockey, above all when the Bruins played the Canadiens, and he played street hockey with his kids and his brother-in-law Al Festa. He also followed the Patriots and Red Sox, liked the horse races at Suffolk Downs and Gulfstream, spent time outdoors in Maine and wintered in Florida. The family knew him as Mr. Fix It.
He leaves Barbara (Festa) Holden, his wife of 68 years; his children, Cheryl Holden Cuddy and her husband, Brian, of Milton, and Frederick “Rick” A. Holden and his wife, Jennifer, of Beverly; two granddaughters; three great-grandchildren; his sisters-in-law Beverly Pacheco and Elaine Festa; and many nieces and nephews. His brothers, David and Robert, died before him.
Visiting hours are Sunday, October 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Vertuccio Smith & Vazza Beechwood Home for Funerals, 262 Beach St., Revere, followed by a funeral service there at 3 p.m. The family suggests donations to the West Roxbury VA Medical Center, where he was cared for in his last months.
Compiled from information published by Vertuccio Smith & Vazza Beechwood Home for Funerals, 262 Beach Street, Revere. Photograph courtesy of the family via Vertuccio Smith & Vazza. This is our own summary, not the family’s obituary; read the full obituary and leave a condolence at the funeral home’s website. Corrections: we will fix any error promptly.