CF to host naming ceremony in memory of Ira Holmes

Ira Holmes. [Photo courtesy College of Central Florida]

The College of Central Florida, in partnership with the city of Ocala, will host a special naming ceremony on Oct. 8 to dedicate a humanities and social sciences classroom in memory of Ira Holmes. The beloved professor passed away on June 9 at the age of 90.

Holmes joined the CF faculty in 1962. He started the Ira Holmes International Film Series more than 60 years ago to share his lifelong passion with the community. The newly named Ira Holmes Classroom will be the location for series film screenings, which are open to CF students and the community.

Holmes, known for his love of art, travel, lifelong learning and cultural studies, led more than two dozen study tours to Europe. He was one of the first members of the Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board, serving more than 40 years and assisting with numerous landmark projects including the Reilly Arts Center and Marion Theatre renovations. Just a few days before his passing, the city of Ocala was preparing a proclamation recognizing Holmes’ years of service, noted the CF press release.

The naming event will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Ocala Campus, Building 8, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala. CF President Jim Henningsen will deliver dedication remarks and Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano and Ocala City Manager Pete Lee will present the city of Ocala proclamation. At 6:30 p.m., Ira Holmes International Film Series director Wendy Adams will lead the sharing of memories and at 7 p.m. the 2024-2025 series will kick off with a screening of “The Seventh Seal.” The 1957 Swedish historical fantasy film was selected by Holmes as “a message of hope for us all.”

Adams was a friend and neighbor of Holmes. She suggested the film series be named in his honor on the 60^th anniversary.

“He had mixed feelings when I asked the college to name it after him because he’s a very humble man,” she noted. She referred to a podcast in which Holmes was given a chance to “brag about the film series and what he did with it, but instead he turns it around and talks about the whole goal of the community college system back in the ‘60s and this idealistic thing that local communities and working class people deserved to have a high-quality higher education and he says the film series was an example of the success of that. He takes the attention away from himself and uses the platform to brag on the community college system.”

Adams said Holmes’ legacy also would be “all those students out there that he inspired through his long career at CF.”

“He was passionate about learning (through books, museums, travel, art, and movies) to be able to teach students in the CF classroom,” said Holmes’ daughter, Amanda Concha-Holmes. “He loved trains, travel and inspiring people to be the best they can be by reflecting on the humanities and the meaning of life. He taught generations of families in Ocala and would always have students come up to him to rave about how great of a professor he was, and often how he changed their lifepaths in such meaningful ways.”

To RSVP for the naming event go to cf.edu/ira