Richard Allen Holle

Richard Allen HolleRichard died peacefully on November 5, 2011 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester.Richard was born on July 14, 1934 in Rushford, Minnesota to Leonard and Alice Holle. He graduated from Rushford High School and spent 2 years at Winona State. He moved to Californina in 1954 where he and Moonyeen Deaton were married in 1955. Richard was called to serve his country and sent to Fort Ord in Monterey, California where he tested into the Chinese Mandarin Language Institute. From there he acquired a Top Secret Crypto Security Clearance and was sent to work with the Army Security Agency and the National Security Agency at the Pentagon. He spent time on a security mission in China. After the service he finished his bachelor's and master's degrees in biology at Winona State University. He was fluent in Chinese Mandarin, Japanese and Spanish. He did post graduate work with National Science Foundation Grants at University if California Berkeley and Yale University and worked on his doctorate in Asian Languages at the University of California Los Angeles. He often served as Professor for a Day at Winona State University and recently donated a large collection of Chinese books to the Kreuger Library. He was honored this year at Winona State University as Distinguished Alumni 2011.He owned a Century 21 Real Estate Office, a mini market, was a building contractor, a science and math teacher and a high school counselor. He had a trainer's license in California and raised and raced thoroughbred horses. He had a winning horse at Canterbury Racecourse in Shakopee named Rushford. He and Moonyeen returned to Rushford in 1992 and continued their sideline of restoration, including historic Rushford buildings.Richard's first book The Wisdom Tree: A Black, Brown and White Story was published in 2008. His second book, a memoir, A Seed Not Watered: The Throw Away Kid was published in September of 2011.A Celebration of Richard's Life will be held on Tuesday, November 15th at the Hoff Funeral Home from5 to 7pm. With memorial celebration at 6:30.Richard is survived by his wife of 56 years, Moonyeen (Holly) Holle. He will be missed.In lieu of flowers memorials may be commended to cancer organizations.
Tribute video can be found at: videos.lifetributes.com/259525