In Memory Thomas L. Holder Thomas Lee Holder (known to many as Tommy Lee the Musician), age 87, of Manhattan, died on Saturday May 20, 2023, at the Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community in Manhattan. Tommy was born on December 12, 1935, in Junction City, Kansas, the son of Mary Quinn. She passed away from childbirth pneumonia, and Tommy was raised by his grandmother, Alice Quinn. She taught him that hard work and honesty was the key to life. Tommy attended Junction City schools and graduated from Junction City High School with the class of 1953. Tommy organized several bands from the age of 14. His first band was a Neighbor Dixieland Band, then when he was a freshman in high school, he played with the Rhythm Kings. They performed at many school dances. In 1953, he moved to Manhattan he started the Tom Holder Quartet, then joined the Gordon Bute Big Band, and later he formed the Tommy Lee Band in 1957. Over the years, he filled in and played with many other bands in the area. As he learned from his grandmother, working hard was important, and he always had a job. He worked at the Dairy Queen in Junction City, and then in Manhattan he was the assistant manager at the newly opened Dairy Queen. He later was promoted to manager and then limited partner in September 1958. The Dairy Queen was sold in 1967, Tom was part of the business for 21 years. After Dairy Queen, he went to work for J.C. Penney in the management program. A year later, he was contacted by the Union National Bank in Manhattan. He interviewed with the Chairman and Owner of the Bank, Tom Griffith, and was hired in the summer of 1969. He enjoyed his career at the bank, working there for 33 years. Tom worked as a teller, general bookkeeper and then was promoted to the loan department, then loan security officer in 1972. He helped engineer the move to the new bank at 7th and Poyntz. He was then promoted to Assistant Vice President in 1974, and in 1976 he became the VP of Loans until his retirement. He was preceded in death by his daughter, LaShelle Pennell. Tom is survived by his wife, Betty Holder; his daughters, Mary Newman, of Ozark, Missouri and Kimberly Whitley, of Lincoln, Nebraska; his grandchildren: Crystal Bachoritch, Savannah Miller, Abby Lang, Lacy Schlegel, Afton Lopez, and his grandson, Corey Whitley; and also, his eleven great-grandchildren. 25
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