Obituary: Vassar Compton ‘Skip’ Holman

Vassar Compton “Skip” Holman of San Antonio, former Texas Baptist minister and missions volunteer, died April 29. He was 73. He was born Aug. 19, 1950 in San Antonio. He was taken to Nixon by his adoptive parents, Florine Goodman Holman and Vassar Compton Holman Jr. He later moved to Pasadena until his mother remarried and the family moved to LaPorte, where he graduated from high school. He attended Houston Baptist University for a short time before transferring to Baylor University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion. He married Marilyn Browning on Dec. 21, 1973, in the chapel of Tidwell Bible Building on the Baylor campus. The couple moved to Leominster, Mass., as US-2 missionaries working in church starts. After completing their time as US-2 missionaries, they moved to Nederland, where he became minister of youth and activities at Hillcrest Baptist Church. While serving there, the Holmans adopted their first son, Curtis Compton Holman in 1977. The family then moved to Houston, where Holman served as a staff member of several churches including Jersey Village Baptist, Memorial Baptist and Tallowood Baptist. Holman served 22 years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Boling. While serving in Boling, Holman became active in Texas Baptist Men disaster relief, and the family adopted sons John Gary Holman and Don Yoo. He was involved in community activities such as Lion’s Club and served as a substitute teacher. He also was reunited with his birth mother Peggy Walker Drobinski and her husband Richard Drobinski, and he was blessed to become acquainted with three brothers, Larry, Chuck and Jimmy Drobinski, and three sisters, Suzanne Leritz, Julie Brookman and Sharon Schultz. After suffering a near-fatal automobile accident that left him unable to walk for three years, Holman became the Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for Wharton County. After retiring from the church in Boling, he worked part-time as the minister of discipleship at Northeast Baptist Church in San Antonio. Holman also handled discipleship resources for Blackaby Ministries including staffing book tables at conferences and providing Bibles and materials for many people through his nonprofit Barnabas Bibles and Books. When his health made it necessary to enter long-term care, he participated in his Sunday school class by phone. This, along with his Baylor football and basketball game watch parties with Marilyn, were the highlight of his last days. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marilyn Browning Holman; sons Curtis Compton Holman, John Gary Holman and Don Yoo; and two granddaughters, Jasmine and Hannah Holman. Services are scheduled at 10 a.m. on May 18 at Grace Bible Chapel, 18911 Redland Road in San Antonio. Memorial donations may be made to TBM-Texans on Mission disaster relief or Gideons International.