The State College community lost one of its best residents last week, someone who many of you probably didn’t even know. His name was Tim Holdcroft, and he was the epitome of an unsung hero in life, with family, at work, in his church and in the community. His untimely death has devastated family and friends who are struggling to grasp how such an outstanding athlete who appeared to be in terrific shape could be gone at just 62 years of age.
I have personally really struggled with the unexpected loss of my great friend and hockey brother of over 40 years. I don’t know that there was a better family man, teammate, friend, coach, volunteer or man of faith. He always made everyone around him smile and feel special.
We were all blessed to have him in our lives. My heart goes out to his wife, Michele, and their kids and grandkids. There just weren’t many better people than Tim. No words can describe the pain inside me and many others whose lives were touched by Tim. I will pray we can all focus on the pure joy he brought to all of us.
For those of us who played hockey with Tim, we saw that smile a lot as he stole a puck from us or simply flew right by us in one of our hundreds of NHL (Nittany Hockey League) adult hockey games at Greenberg Ice Pavilion or Pegula Ice Arena. He did the same on his outdoor Holdcroft Ice Rink (complete with boards, lights, and an amazing firepit) in his Ramblewood II neighborhood. I always looked forward to Tim’s email that it was rink-building time and would summon his friends to pitch in, which everyone gladly did. In more recent years my own boys and their friends loved joining us for the outdoor hockey games just down road from our State College home.
Tim would travel almost annually in March to Hilton Head with longtime friends Bob Beaury and Kevin Michael, and I sometimes accompanied them long before I moved here. Lately, that trio would come down and join me and other Penn State friends for a week of golf. I certainly had hoped it would last for many years into our retirement. Bob and Kevin were two of Tim’s closest friends and shared a passion for hockey, golf and possibly an adult beverage or two.
Bob Beaury and I spoke the morning after we learned of Tim’s passing, and we both cried unashamedly. Bob told me, “Tim impacted more people in a tremendously positive way than anyone I have ever known. The loss I feel and the loss for our community is more than I can express.”
Kevin added, “Tim and I played in the Toftrees golf league just two weeks ago. After I four-putted to lose a hole, and likely the match, I knew what Tim’s response would be. ‘OK, we’re in great shape. We’ll just get two points here, then…’ He was an eternal optimist and tremendous fun to be around. We will miss him every day.”
Tim’s youngest son Robbie described his father this way: “He was my dad, my role model, my golf partner, my hockey line mate, and my rock. We shared hobbies and passions. He taught me with words but mostly by being an example. We all (my siblings) know without a doubt that we had the very best dad, and it has been the greatest blessing of our lives. We are so thankful that he was there to raise us to adulthood. He knew and touched so many people. I hope his passing creates an army of people who try each day to be just a little bit more like him. Then maybe together we can fill in a part of the hole he has left.”
I reached out to many of Tim’s former Penn State and “NHL” teammates and friends to share their feelings about him. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions, but I think you will find that Tim was universally loved and that was because he was so loving and caring himself toward others. He was, what a lot of us would want to have said about us, “a good Christian man.”
From longtime friend Gary Montebell: “I met Tim on the ice in the early ‘80s with his brother Bob playing against each other for the annual Children’s Hospital Christmas benefit game. I had the privilege to coach him during the 1983-84 PSU Icers National championship season! Tim was a great competitor on the ice, on the golf course or biking. As a person, he was the best! Always there to help, never negative. He was an even better husband and father. Tim’s memories will never be forgotten.”
Tim White, a GeoHabs “NHL” teammate: “The kindest and most giving person I’ve ever known. In over 40 years of friendship, never a cross word between us and plenty of times when he could have. Great man, great friend. I miss him already.”
Icer teammate Lynn Sipe: “Although gone, Tim will always be a part of the PSU hockey family and will live in our hearts forever. I had the privilege of being Tim’s teammate for three years. As a player, Tim was a relentless competitor and one of the best teammates of my lifetime. Tim was always quick with praise, encouragement and a good joke. Gone but never forgotten. We will miss you, my friend.”
Scott Hammerstedt said, “Tim was my high school coach and a longtime teammate in the Nittany Hockey League (go GeoHabs!). Although I moved away from State College in 2006, every time I would run into Tim when I was back in town it was like I had never left. He will be missed, and I send my best to his family.”
Former Icer Glenn DeStefano: “Tim was the Energizer Bunny — always hustling and always positive. The teammate that every team needs to make it positive and fun. Talent alone can’t match his hustle, and Tim epitomized that as an undersized player. He was a great role model for his teammates.”
Fellow youth coach, teammate and friend Gary Stidsen: “For 30 years, I was fortunate to share time with Tim on and off the ice — as a GeoHabs teammate, as coaches, and as friends. He wasn’t just a great hockey player, he was a great man whose loyalty, laughter and love of life and family touched everyone around him. I’ll carry the moments we shared and the memories we built for the rest of my life. Tim’s presence will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.”
Icer Teammate Clark Dexter: “Tim was a great teammate and a great guy, and fun to golf with. He was always so upbeat and welcoming whenever I saw him.”
Former State High player Mike Hendrickson: “Tim was my high school hockey coach, fellow adult player in the NHL, and a family friend. I was so happy to reconnect with Tim when my family moved back to State College in 2006. It was always a great day for hockey when Tim would join us for a skate at Pegula, even though he skated circles around most of us! Tim’s smile and energy was infectious, and his passing is such a blow to our local hockey community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wonderful family.”
Former teammate Greg Speece: “I always considered Tim to be one of the nicest people that I met at Penn State, he was always positive and only had kind words to say about everyone. My brother and I are just in shock. But it’s comforting knowing that all of our crew from that era are truly brothers.”
State College resident and former Icer captain Kyle Jordan: “I am in disbelief. This past winter I was sitting beside him at his outdoor rink listening to him talk of all his plans for retirement. I have no words. One of the best, if not the best dudes I met through PSU hockey. We lost a great one. I don’t admire many people. He was one of them.”
From longtime “Pittsburgh Thursday Night Hockey Group” member Loran Tyler: “Tim was a remarkable man and cherished friend. Tim’s ever-present smile and effortless ability to connect with others, brought warmth and kindness wherever he went. His passions—especially ice hockey and golf—were more than hobbies; they were lifelong sources of joy and community. Tim became a beloved icon in the hockey world. His legendary backyard rink was a testament to his love for the game, and his commitment never wavered—he played his final match with his Pittsburgh Hockey Group just a week before his passing. The day before we lost him, Tim enjoyed a beautiful round of golf with his family – a fitting reflection of the life he lived. His spirit remains on the ice, in the laughter of his grandchildren, and in every memory shared by those who had the privilege of knowing him.”
It’s been a terribly hard week for those of us that loved Tim. When trying to make sense of Tim’s passing, all I can think of is that God must have really needed Tim’s help in heaven, because he was an angel on earth to so many.
