Neil Randolph Holser

Neil Randolph Holser, 77, of South Boston, Virginia, passed away peacefully on June 18, 2025, with family by his side.

Born in Washington, D.C., to Richard Charles Holser and Virginia Rose Holser (Reynolds), Neil was the eldest of six children. He spent his early childhood in the D.C. suburbs before his family moved to Rockville, Maryland, around 1955. Neil's love for sports, particularly baseball, began in childhood when he and his mother cheered for the Washington Senators.

Growing up near a golf course, he earned money as a caddy, and he and his brothers turned their yard into entrepreneurial parking for Shady Grove Music Fair patrons. His industrious nature showed early through his bicycle paper route and creative Fourth of July celebrations, where he would tape sparklers to bicycle spokes for spectacular neighborhood rides.

Neil graduated from Gaithersburg High School and attended Montgomery College before transferring to Bob Jones University, where he met the love of his life, Cherry Harlene Woods. Neil's military service began when he joined the Army just as his draft notice arrived in the mail. His determination to avoid deployment to Vietnam led him to excel at military language school in Monterey, California. After mastering German in only six months, he was deployed to West Berlin.

After military service, Neil pursued various careers, including teaching mathematics at Martinsburg Christian Academy in West Virginia. He later joined the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier. Health issues forced his early retirement, but his passion for education continued as he tutored and taught math at Wave College in Virginia Beach and Tidewater Community College in Norfolk.

Neil and Cherry raised four children: Derek, Kendra, Heather, and Daniel. The family lived primarily in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Louisville, Kentucky. Neil was a devoted man of faith who served as a deacon at Beth Haven Baptist Church in Louisville. He was also a dedicated Sunday school teacher. His generous spirit extended far beyond his local congregation—he faithfully supported missions organizations and distributed thousands of copies of the Gospel of John to share his faith with others.

After their children were grown, Neil and Cherry lived in Las Vegas for nine years before settling in Virginia Beach in 2008. Following Cherry's untimely death in 2013, Neil remained in Virginia Beach until relocating closer to family in the Richmond area in 2021. When his pulmonary fibrosis worsened in 2024, Neil moved to be near his son Daniel in South Boston, where he spent his final months.

Neil is survived by his four children: Derek, Kendra, Heather, and Daniel; his five siblings: David, Lee, Tricia, Aletha, and Cheryl; one aunt: Iris; and numerous grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife, Cherry.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 30, 2025, at 2:00 pm with visitation starting at 1:00 pm at Gill Grove Baptist Church 10726 River Rd, Chesterfield, VA 23838. Interment will be the following day at a private cemetery. Arrangements are by the Colonial Heights Chapel of the E. Alvin Small Funeral Homes, 2033 Boulevard, Colonial Heights, Virginia 23834.