Obituary of Kenneth Alan Holbert

Kenneth Alan Holbert, age 82, of West Branch, MI, passed away on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at The Horizon Senior Living in West Branch. Kenneth was born on September 30, 1940, to Harold and Jenny (Lee) Holbert in Saginaw, MI. Kenneth lived in West Branch since 2012 with his son Todd and granddaughter Zoe. 

Kenneth grew up in Saginaw Township and graduated from Saginaw high school. He went to work with his father at Holbert Construction company for a little while after graduation. For the rest of his career he was a truck driver for Parker Motor Freight out of Traverse City, until retirement in 1998. Yet he always wanted to be a pharmacist. He married Karen Nelson and together they had two sons, Todd and Mark Holbert. They had lived in Bridgeport where they raised Mark and Todd and spent weekends with family in Rose City, MI. He later married the love of his life, Ardith (Bundy) Holbert, in 1983. They shared 23 years together before she lost her battle to cancer in 2006.

In his younger years, Kenneth was known to be a little bit of a wildcard with his friends. He created a lot of memories and stories to tell that we reflect back and laugh together about now. He was fond of snowmobiling, riding his motorcycle, watching westerns like Gunsmoke, chocolate milkshakes, listening to Robert Goulet, and tinkering in the garage. He was also known for his big smile that could light up the room, one liner jokes and humor, and one-of-a-kind personality. He made an impact on everyone that knew him. He was a member of Bear Lake Christian Church of Kalkaska. He enjoyed being a part of the church's men’s group where they had potlucks, played bingo, and went on men’s Christian retreats. He lived in Kalkaska since 1993 before moving to West Branch in 2012. Since moving to West Branch in 2012, he developed a close relationship with his granddaughter Zoe, who also had taken care of him for the last 11 years. He enjoyed being with his family, especially his great-granddaughter Leighton the last couple years. Leighton called him “Little Grandpa” and Leighton was “his little girl”. 

Kenneth is survived by his son, Todd Holbert of Fort Lauderdale, Fl; granddaughter, Zoe Holbert; great-granddaughter, Leighton Johnson of West Branch; step-grandson, Matthew (Laura) Smith; and step-great-grandchildren, Caleb, Domenic, Cara, Christian, Cassidy, Connor; and grandchildren, Kenneth Holbert and Karen Holbert of Clarksville, IN. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Jenny Holbert; wife, Ardith Holbert; son, Mark Holbert; nephew, Robert Holbert; and siblings, Robert Holbert and Alice Eineder.

A special thank you to Compassus of West Branch for your exceptional care, the staff at The Villa of West Branch, and the staff at The Horizon. Per Kenneth’s wishes, cremation has taken place and he will be buried beside his wife Ardith in Excelsior Township Cemetery of Kalkaska this spring/summer. A private celebration of life with family and close friends will take place at that time. To sign online guestbook, visit www.cremationsocietymidmi.com  Arrangements were made with Cremation Society of Mid-Michigan 1-989-892-1772. 

 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Kenneth Holbert, please visit Tribute Store