Gladys Ann "Anna" Holden

Gladys Ann “Anna” Holden, age 94, peacefully passed away on March 29, 2023. She was born in Ocala, FL on November 16, 1928. She is preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Cleary “Clare” Holden, Jr. and Theodosia “Theo” Wallis Holden, her sister, Marie Holden Moore (Joseph), brother, Thomas Cleary “TC” Holden, III (Lida) and nephew, John Cleary Holden. She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Anna Moore Granen (Blaine), Loretta Moore Zada (Tarek), Joseph Patrick “Pat” Moore, Daniel “Danny” Cleary Moore, Cecelia “Celie” Moore Krown (Joseph), Michael Wakefield Holden, Christina “Tena” Holden Kurtz (Christopher) and Thomas Cleary “Tud” Holden, IV (Gloria), several great nieces and nephews and several great-great nieces and nephews, as well as many cousins. She also leaves behind her dear friends, Jackie DeYoung Kasky, Julie Sabit, Ed McArdle and Karen Galkowski. Anna led a remarkable life, dedicated to making the world a better place. She fought racism in the 1960s by joining the Congress for Racial Equality, worked at Fisk University in the 1950s in the Race Relations department, researching desegregation, worked for the Health & Welfare Center in Washington, DC researching poverty in the US. She worked with the US Commission on Civil Rights, which resulted in her writing and publishing a book, The Bus Stops Here. She then moved to Detroit where she worked in the city’s Employment & Training department, assisting unemployed workers to learn new skills in order to find employment in order fields. During her years as a Detroit resident, she became involved in many civic and professional associations, working for pay equity for all. She was an ardent supporter of the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club, which was instrumental in closing incinerators in the city. In 2019, she moved to Metairie, Louisiana to be closer to family. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Mass at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 15, 2023 at L.A. Muhleisen & Son Funeral Home, 2607 Williams Blvd, Kenner, LA 70062. Visitation will begin at 9:00 AM. Interment will be in St. Joseph #2 Cemetery.

Tributes

Gladys Ann "Anna" Holden

November 16, 1928 - March 29, 2023