Gwendolyn M. Holmes, wife of Stanley T. Holmes Jr. died Oct. 1, 2020, in her home. She and Stan met in 1947 on the Ocean City, N.J. boardwalk and were married for 71 memorable years. She was the daughter of the late Kenneth D. and Sara (Edwards) Matthews.

She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in arts from the University of Pennsylvania.

She shared her talents as a vocalist and pianist at several Philadelphia area churches and as a music teacher in the Coopersburg School District.

She served as president of both the Lehigh County Association for the Blind and the Allentown League of Women Voters.

She and her husband were sacristans at the Emmaus Moravian Church.

She personified dedication to her family and the community, set high personal and civic standards of living responsibly in a democratic society and was a proud American who embraced service to God, country and humanity.

She was an accomplished knitter and seamstress, self-taught carpenter/painter/wallpaper hanger, Girl Scout troop leader, avid skier, baker, French substitute teacher at Emmaus and Eyer schools and lover of all travel.

She embraced her Welsh heritage and, before her stroke, drafted much of a novel based on Welsh life.

She is survived by her husband; children, Stanley T. II and his wife, Rebecca and their daughter, Dulce; Sally and her husband, Mike Shirley and their children, Samantha and Clark; Jeanette and her husband, Anthony Fiumenero and Wesley T. and his wife, Judy. She was predeceased by a brother, Kenneth D. Matthews Jr.

Contributions may be made to your favorite charity.

A viewing will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Schantz Funeral Home, P.C., 250 Main St., Emmaus. Services and burial will be private for the family in Spring Brook Cemetery, Spring Brook Township.