Opal Dean Johnston Holmes, 86, of Warner Robins, a devoted servant of God and follower of Jesus, entered into Heaven on August 4, 2015. She leaves behind an earthly legacy filled with love, compassion, and service to others.
Opal married her husband, Leon Holmes, almost 64 years ago in September 1951, and from that union, she provided life to three children, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.
Opal was born on February 16, 1929 in Tallassee, Alabama, one of ten children born to Thomas and Ruby Johnston. While raising her three children as an Army wife, she lived around the country to support Leon's mission to help protect our country. Opal and Leon moved to Warner Robins in 1971.
Opal volunteered at the Houston County Medical Center in Warner Robins for more than 35 years, twice serving in separate terms as the President of the Medical Center's Auxiliary. She also served in a number of leadership roles for the Civilian Wives Club. In her spare time, she loved flower gardening, playing golf and fishing, playing cards, and spending time with her family, as well as being an active member at Hartley Bridge Road Church of Christ in Macon.
In addition to her loving husband Leon, she is survived by her children, Jerry and Paula Holmes of Charlotte, NC, Debbie and Tony Martin of Lawrenceville, GA, and Chris Holmes of Washington, D.C. She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Jennifer and Rod Kinsey, Matthew and Shannon Holmes, Ashley and Shawn Brech, Allison Martin, and their respective children. She is also survived by her brother, Rentford Johnston (Rennie), sister, Rebecca Shirle (Bill, deceased) of Prattville, Alabama, and her brother, Freddie Johnston (Virginia) of Montgomery, Alabama.
She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Ruby Lou Williams Johnston and William Thomas Johnston, Sr., of Montgomery, AL, her siblings James Howard "Peck" Johnston (Eunice, deceased) of Warner Robins, Robert H. Johnston (Gracie) of Montgomery, William T. Johnston, Jr. (Sue, deceased), of Warner Robins, and Virgil R. Johnston, Sr. (Kaye) of Montgomery. Margarette Johnston Jarrell (George, deceased) of Tallassee, AL and Verna Johnston Broussard (Irby) of Warner Robins.
The family will hold a visitation on Thursday, August 6, 2015 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Fairhaven Funeral Home at 4989 Mount Pleasant Church Road in Macon. Minister Stephen Waller of the Hartley Bridge Road Church of Christ will officiate the funeral service at Fairhaven Funeral Home on Friday, August 7, 2015 at 9:30 a.m., with interment in Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Millegeville at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. In lieu of flowers, Opal's family requests donations in her name to the volunteer Auxiliary of Houston Medical Center and/or to the Heart of Georgia Hospice at Perry Hospital.
FairHaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services has charge of arrangements