Mike Holmes: Making a Big Effect on Small Town Life
Story by Marybeth Cale
When I first met Mike Holmes, my husband and I were feeling the "homesick blues" so typical after making a major move 12 hours from everyone we knew and loved. We had made an appointment to have our phone lines and Internet service set up through AT&T so that we might still feel connected to those we already missed so desperately. So, on the third or fourth morning we woke up as Leland residents, we enthusiastically welcomed Mike Holmes, a 39-year veteran with AT&T (who just recently celebrated retirement), into our home to give us all the technology we needed to feel like we never left.
The anonymity of a new place was tough on the soul, and I, for one, wasn’t sure I could ever again feel at home somewhere. But, in a wonderful, unexpected twist, by the time Mike left that day after sharing great stories of North Brunswick County living, I felt clarity! I didn’t need to e-mail all my friends back at home—I needed to begin living HERE, not in the cyberspace I was yearning for. All of the sudden, my homesick blues faded away and the prospect of making this area home was absolutely exciting.
That is the kind of impact Mike Holmes has on people. He has this delightfully buoyant personality and a peaceful joy about life in his hometown that makes you want to get out, get involved and embrace every moment as a chance to be part of something really special.
When I received my assignment to interview Mike and his equally wonderful wife, Ruby, I was thrilled. Almost a year has gone by since we relocated to the area—and not only did I want to learn more about this man who had unknowingly helped me overcome those homesick blues, but I also felt so fortunate to be able to have the chance to share his unique story with everyone in the area.
We started our interview by discussing some really interesting history about Leland. Mike told me about his Grandfather Holmes, who worked for Raney in Wilmington, a Chevy Dealer, and his Grandmother Holmes, who sold bus tickets at their country store here in Leland for Queen City Lines. When describing their life here, he talked about the dirt roads they traveled and how his granddaddy was one of the few people to have a Model A car—and proud of it he was. His grandfather hunted and fished, along with EG and Pete Godwin, whose family dates back to the "good old days of Leland."
Childlike wonder spread across his face as he told some stories, at one point sharing, "They hunted and fished all the time right up in Stewart Woods, before DuPont came in. That was what they all loved to do at that time. And one day, my granddaddy was walking through there and Yank Stewart was back in there. Maybe you haven’t heard of Yank Stewart, but he was famous for breaking out of jails and was always moon-shining back in Stewart Woods." He laughed impishly and went on, "Well, Yank starting shushing my granddaddy— you know, he was probably hiding from someone back there and didn’t want to get caught." Another gleeful smile comes over him. "Boy, things have changed so much since then."
Indeed they have. Mike, a 1967 graduate of Leland High School (among a class of just 37 students, 27 of which had been in school together since kindergarten), remembers the days when his Uncle Bruce owned Lee’s Service Station and Deli, caddy-cornered to land owned by another uncle, Bud Long, who was Leland’s postmaster. Uncle Bud built Long’s Dairy Dip and Long’s Farmer Supply when small country stores were the norm for groceries and everyday needs, and as Mike describes the lay of the land at that time, I wonder what it must be like to have this kind of history somewhere, this sense of place that most have to try to create for themselves. There is even a photograph of Mike at the age of five with Johnnie Mercer, who gave Mike his coat when he was out fishing one day so that Mike wouldn’t freeze. Mike enjoyed fishing on that pier so much that he never wanted to leave, no matter what the weather conditions, and he talks with nostalgia about those times—the days when you could park out on the beach by Mercer’s pier, shop in those small-town markets, when children and adults alike just enjoyed simpler living.
Mike’s history taught him about the importance of moments just like the one with Johnnie Mercer, when it is evident that it really does take a village to raise a child, that we all have a responsibility to serve one another, at every age and stage of life. His grandfather Herbert Long (on his mother’s side), a classic example of this value, was one of the people who helped build the first Leland firehouse. Long also served on the school board and was instrumental in building Lincoln Primary School. Mike was inspired by people like him, and his life is now motivated by this service-oriented lifestyle.
"Today, Ruby and I get to give something back to this community, and that makes me feel really good about my life," says Mike. "We have been so blessed through the years by the people and friendships here, and so we want to share something with them and with all of the new people coming in."
This commitment to their neighbors in Leland and beyond is illustrated in countless ways. As owners and operators of the well-loved, incredibly popular Seidokan Karate School, Mike and Ruby are involved in the Leland Business Association and North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce and they support local athletic teams and participate in the Leland Christmas Parade. They have also been involved at New Hope Baptist Church and give tirelessly to outreach ministries. Mike has served as an environmental chairman for BellSouth pioneers, has chaired the CWA-BellSouth Quality Work Life committee, was the First Chairman and Charter member of the Leland Jaycees Chapter and was appointed by the Brunswick County Commissioners to serve on the Cape Fear River Advisory Board as part of UNCW’s Marine Science Department.
Still, with countless hours devoted to their community and to their growing business, Mike and Ruby do not lose sight of what is central to their lives—their love for one another.
"I quickly fell head over heels in love with Mike," Ruby shares with the sigh of a young teenager in a state of true bliss. "It’s been such a blessing—I really feel we were made for each other." They also glow as they speak about their two children, Kristi, age 32, and Brandon, who is 24 years old. Both live locally and are involved at Seidokan Karate.
Their family values and positive energy also extend to the many children who are trained at Seidokan. Mike presently holds a Shihan (Master Grade) Rokudan-Kyoshi 6th degree black belt and a (Menko) teaching certificate from Japan. He has received black belt status in Okinawan Seidokan Karate, Tetsu Ken Ryu Karate, Hong Chung Kung-Fu, Dentokan Ju-Jutsu and a Kyoshi title in Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do. Ruby is studying under Sensei Mike for her black belt. Both believe strongly in providing local children with a discipline that will foster self-discipline, healthy living, self-esteem and a focus on community-based living.
Mike’s late father (who lost a battle with lung cancer this past May) and his mother are likely incredibly proud of his good work in the community. To think that he grew up in Leland at a time when "you could name every person in every house between 87 and the Cape Fear Bridge" (as Mike describes it) and today he is embracing the countless people who now call the area home, offering new opportunities to children and families, sharing a bit of the history but welcoming the ongoing changes—well, he truly has a story to be shared.
Today, Mike lives beside the Seidokan DoJo in a home that was sold to him by his one of his schoolteachers, Ms. Vaneta Geedy. "She wanted to preserve this land, and was so happy that I bought it," Mike shares proudly. "And now, with this property, we can live and work in a space that helps us give back to my entire home community."
It seems to me that they give more to everyone around them than they realize—they certainly have given much to me already.
