David Thorne Holland, Sr. of Lawrenceville, NJ, passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, June 20, 2020, at the age of 64.
Enjoying tennis since childhood, Dave spent summers as a teaching pro, helping young players improve their game. Dave was ranked #1 by the USTA, Middle States as a junior. While at J.P. McCaskey High School, Dave was selected for National Honor Society, the Lancaster-Lebanon County All-Star Soccer Team, and was awarded the Optimist International Junior Service Award.
Dave played #1 on the University of Delaware Tennis Team and won the East Coast Conference in doubles. While at Delaware, Dave consulted with the Kevlar Products Group of DuPont. He introduced and patented the first Kevlar tennis string and a racquet stringing device as Co-Owner of Holland Products with his father, Ted. A member of the Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity, Dave maintained close relationships with his fraternity brothers throughout his life.
When Dave left Delaware, he pursued his tennis passion with a short stint on the professional tennis circuit. As Dave would remark, he was quickly humbled and did not like doing all of the laundry.
Dave spent his mid-twenties as a National Sales Manager for Woodstream Corporation, Lititz, PA. He won three consecutive Salesman of the Year awards. Dave completed his undergraduate degree at Northwestern University, concentrating in Management and Social Policy. While at Northwestern, Dave consulted for Wilson Sporting Goods.
After graduating from Northwestern in 1985, Dave joined Prince Manufacturing, Lawrenceville, NJ. Serving as Senior Director, Global Product Management, Dave developed products that advanced the game of tennis. Dave was awarded International Marketer of the Year and U.S. Marketer of the Year. Dave patented the Prince Duraflex String, which continued as the number one selling tennis string worldwide for 20 years. In 2000, Dave was honored by Tennis Magazine as one of the top 50 most influential people in the sport of tennis. Dave served as an executive member of the Tennis Industry Association and as a technical advisor to the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association.
Dave left the corporate world and started his own company, Holland Innovations, LLC. He launched Anulas, a signet ring developer and marketer, using new material and laser technology to create custom rings at a lower cost than traditional molded college and sports rings. Dave’s inventor spirit and fascination with satisfying consumers’ unmet needs continued throughout his career.
Dave’s family and friends will miss his creativity, adventuresome spirit, sense of humor and warmth. Dave felt great joy in the growth and accomplishments of his sons, David and Alex. He loved music, dancing, a good party, tennis and skiing, action movies, and the company of family and friends. Dave was a member of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Pennington, NJ, and enjoyed serving as a caregiver for Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County.
Dave is survived by: his two sons, Dr. David Thorne Holland, Jr., and his wife Camilla Gomes Xavier Holland of Washington, DC, and Alexander Parks Holland, of Charleston, SC; his former wife, Julia Witmer Gallagher; his two sisters, Susan W. Holland of Silver Spring, MD, and Elizabeth M. Holland of El Cerrito, CA; and eleven nieces and nephews. Dave is preceded in death by his infant daughter, Virginia Provost Holland, his brother, Stephen W. Holland, and his parents, Edward T. and Patricia M. Holland.
A memorial service to celebrate Dave’s life will be scheduled at St. James Episcopal Church, 119 N. Duke Street, Lancaster, PA, with the Reverend David W. Peck officiating. Interment will be in St. James Episcopal Church Memorial Garden. Service details will be announced on www.lancasteronline.com when available.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Caron Foundation, 234 N. Galen Hall Rd., Wernersville, PA 19565, www.caron.org/donate or Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County, 3635 Quakerbridge Road, Suite 16, Hamilton, NJ 08619, www.icgmc.org/donate/ . Please note memorial gift in memory of David T. Holland, Sr. when donating. To send an online condolence to the family, visit www.blackwellmh.com, Blackwell Memorial Home, Pennington, NJ.
