Michael Dale Holdcroft

Michael Dale Holdcroft, 72, passed away April 25, 2024, after a short, but hard-fought battle with Lymphoma. He was born January 9, 1952, to Asel and Anna (Shockley) Holdcroft, and attended Eastbrook High School (class of '70), where he ran track and cross country, played freshman basketball, and golfed. He married Paula West on October 1, 1971, and they celebrated nearly 53 years of marriage.

Mike is survived by Paula and their three children: Adam (Stephanie) Holdcroft, Nikki (Kip) Benbow, and Lee Ann (JJ) Barraza. He is also survived by grandchildren Shon, Mathew, and Christjan Holdcroft, Murphy Benbow, and Oliver and Emilia Barraza. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Linda Holdcroft, and three grandchildren.

For much of his working life, Mike was a Union Carpenter, and he could build or fix almost anything. Retiring a decade ago, he and Paula traveled frequently, and especially loved heading out west. Some of the places he enjoyed the most were Las Vegas and its Valley of Fire State Park and Red Rock Canyon, Williams AZ, Austin TX, and Mesa Verde National Park. Mike was the king of driving huge numbers of miles to see something, taking it in for a few minutes, and then taking off to the next stop. No wasting time for him! Most trips, Mike and Paula were able to find their way to casinos along the way for a little fun.

A quiet man, Mike held his emotions very close to his chest. He came off as gruff but you could see how he showed his love through actions. He coached all three of his children in baseball and softball, and he and Paula spent over 20 years volunteering at the Matthews Ball Park, maintaining fields and helping with concessions (along with other community members). He would lend his family a helping hand with moves and household repairs (driving one son-in-law crazy with his refusal to ever use written instructions). He enjoyed watching his grandkids' sporting events, band competitions, and choir concerts, and taking the youngest grandkids to the petting zoo or to the woods to learn to catch blue-tailed skinks. The family jokingly called him a "cat whisperer" as he had a soft spot for all cats, and cats seemed to be magically drawn to him.

Mike was quiet but had a good sense of humor and could surprise you with his antics. His family fondly remember him marching out to the backyard in the middle of summer to burn his ratty old Notre Dame hat while singing "Oh Tannenbaum" after being teased for how shoddy the hat was. He also had a good sense of adventure, enjoying hiking, visiting historic sites, riding roller coasters, and once even zip-lined down Fremont Street.

Mike will be dearly missed, and per his wishes, he will be cremated and a celebration of life will be held at a later date. Over the years, Mike was a supporter of the Matthews Volunteer Fire Department, and those wishing to remember him in a gift can make a donation to them at 731 Massachusetts Ave, Matthews, IN 46957. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Jones-Smith Chapel of Armes-Hunt Life Celebration Funeral Home and Cremation Services.