James Gene Holcomb, DNP, CRNA, died Monday, April 17, 2023 at home surrounded by family and friends after a valiant and courageous three-year battle with kidney cancer. In his 54 years, James perfected the art of loving his Savior through servant leadership and relationships. He was a selfless and loving husband and father, an accomplished and inspirational musician, and a gifted and peerless nurse anesthetist.
James was born to Jim and Bernice Holcomb in Orange County, California on March 6, 1969. As a child, he often enjoyed sitting on the roof of his house watching the Disneyland fireworks. His family moved to Texas when he was 10, and he quickly made many mischievous and dear lifelong friends. Graduating from Alvarado High School in 1987, he went on to Texas Tech University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 1993. While at Tech, he was on the snare line in ZIT (drumline and mock fraternity) and was a Kappa Sigma. In 1992, he married his high school sweetheart, Kelli, and continued playing drums on the weekends to make extra cash while he earned his diploma from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. He worked as an RN in a cardiac ICU while earning his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at West Texas A&M. In 1997, James took his wife and two small boys to Fort Worth to earn his Master of Health Science at Texas Wesleyan and completed his residency in Harlingen. In 1999, they moved to Joshua, Texas and he began his career as a CRNA at Plaza Medical Center in Fort Worth. While at Plaza, he was a clinical coordinator for Texas Wesleyan. During this time, he became very involved in his church and founded a praise and worship band named “In The Light,” picked up the bass guitar and added a daughter to the family. 2004 brought a move to Wichita Falls to work at United Regional, and he became very involved at First Baptist Church, serving in the worship band for many years in many roles, including leadership. While at United Regional, he was a clinical coordinator for TCU and his students awarded him the “Cadillac Experience” award. He earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice from TCU in 2012 and added another daughter in 2013. In 2017, he became an Assistant Professor of Nurse Anesthesia at TCU and moved his family to Fort Worth continuing clinical practice doing various locum jobs. Dr. Holcomb served on the Board of Directors for his profession’s state organization, Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists (TxANA) from 2020-2022. He was recently promoted to Associate Professor at TCU. James was a highly intelligent, integrative, and proficient CRNA. He was faithful with high moral integrity, and had the perfect balance of steadfastness and gentleness, never taking for granted the weight of his roles and responsibilities. God entrusted James with the talent to love and serve others well, and James used his gifts to grow the kingdom of God.
James is preceded in death by his father, Jim Holcomb, and grandparents, William Holcomb, Evelyn and Ralph Long, and Harvey Adams. He is survived by his wife, Kelli, and children: Joshua, Jimmy, Jenna and her husband Noah, and Juliet. He is also survived by his mother, Bernice Holcomb, grandmother Joan Adams, and sister Michele Pohlmann and husband Robert.
This obituary was originally published on Robertson Mueller Harper Funeral Home’s website.