Talmadge "Tal" Holbrook

Talmadge “Tal” Holbrook, 86, passed away in his sleep December 15, 2024 with his wife by his side after a long battle with cancer.  He was born May 21, 1938 in Sandy Hook, Elliott County, KY and was a 1957 graduate of Sandy Hook High School. He was one of 12 children born and raised on a family tobacco farm.  Tal volunteered for the draft and served in the US Army from 1959-1961.  After basic training and Military Police School, he was stationed at Presidio of San Francisco, where he met his future wife, Nancy, who had also enlisted.  They were married May 25, 1960 and deployed for one year to South Korea during peacetime, where he served as MP stationed near Seoul.  After his military discharge, he followed family to Cleveland to work as a machinist at MarshAllen Manufacturing Company and Copper and Brass Sales, from where he retired in 2004 after 30+ years.  They raised their family in North Ridgeville and became foster parents for 12 years, taking in 17 children and adopted Larry.  Tal gardened nearly all his life; from borrowing land at a nearby church to a small plot next to their home in North Ridgeville.  Much of what he grew was eaten, given away or canned by his wife.  After retiring, he continued to maintain a large vegetable garden and yard well into his 80’s.  He loved to play and watch sports and was an amazing athlete.  Tal played basketball in high school, the Army and in a league in Cleveland.  He also played softball and enjoyed all the athletics his children were engaged with.  He watched a variety of sports, including basketball, football and the Olympics.  He preferred college teams, especially his home team, the Kentucky Wildcats and looked forward to March Madness every year.  Tal was very hardworking, a loving husband, father and grandfather.  His positively, quiet strength and quick witted nature will be missed and held in the hearts of his family and all who knew and loved him.

Tal is survived by his wife of 64 years, Nancy (nee Gray); daughters, Vicki (David) Heuser, Dianna (Jeff) Chapman and Staci (Christopher) Gerome; grandchildren, Chad (Rachel) Heuser, Brittany (Ben) Price, Brent Heuser, Nicole Hale, Brett Shirring, Jacob Schindler, Megan Olmstead, Emily (Chase) Ritchie, Michael Gerome, Jackson Holbrook and Skylar Holbrook; great-grandchildren, Kaitlyn and Kennedy Heuser, Taylor, Olivia and Harper Price, Archer Ritchie and Parker and Tucker Hale; brothers, Jack (Jeanette) Holbrook and Joe (Kay) Holbrook; sisters, Ina Brockwell, Donna (Robert) Addington and Karen (JT) Stephens and sister-in-law, Marianne Holbrook. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, James Willie and Dazel Dell (nee Green) Holbrook; son, Lawrence Holbrook; granddaughter, Kiara Shirring; brothers, Ollie “JB” Manning and James Charlie Holbrook and sisters, Edna Fay Holbrook, Wanda Johnson, Glenna Mae Dean and Opal Skaggs.

A private burial for the family will take place in Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery, Rittman.

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