Memorial light display at Radway Continuing Care Centre

By Brandie Majeau
On the evening of November 19, the Holt family gathered with members of the Radway
Lions Club to plug in a very special Christmas display. The cheerful Santa in a sleigh pulled by
reindeer flickered to life in front of the Radway Continuing Care Centre, this festive decoration
may seem like just another display of many being put up in Radway in preparation for the
upcoming holiday season, but this one comes with something a little bit more.
Allan Holt joined the Radway Lions Club in 1964 with a devotion for his community and
a zeal for volunteering. Holt attained a lifetime of achievements and accomplishments that are
too numerous to name, however, one memory stands out among friends, family, and fellow
Radway Lions, his passion for Christmas. Specifically, the Christmas Street Lights placed around
the community, Holt often emphasizing that Radway “has the nicest Christmas lights around.”
Lions Club companions fondly discuss his requests for red light bulbs, always red, his favorite
color for Christmas lights. Every October and November Holt would attend the monthly Lions
meetings and remind the group of the amount of red light bulbs that would be required and the
maintenance that was needed to be completed on the Christmas projects.
Allan Holt and a merry crew would set up in the fire hall each fall and attend to the
joyful displays intended to delight anyone who passed by. This Christmas team was incredibly
creative, but also frugal, using speaker wire, electrical tape, bread loaf twist ties and a variety of
other random items to hold these designs together. The Radway Lions watched his dedication
with admiration, but as the years passed and the occasional decoration started to spark, there
were gentle reminders that it may be time for new lights. As the upkeep on the old decorations
became more difficult, Holt conceded that it may be time for new lights to be purchased.
Allan Holt passed away February 14, 2023. In honor of his passion for the community,
his passion for the Radway Continuing Care Centre, and his absolute delight of Christmas lights,
the Radway Lions Club dedicated a newly installed display in front of Radway Continuing Care in
his name. The display was chosen as a ground level one out of consideration for residents with
difficulty looking upwards. Admiring the cheerful arrangement, streetlight Christmas décor can
be seen in the distance around the quiet, close-knit community. One decoration may seem out
of place for the holiday season. Located across from the home of Allan and Cecilia Holt is one
more new addition to the street light decorations, there is an outline of a lightbulb, dozens of
red Christmas bulbs illuminating the memory of a remarkable man.