It was just a week ago that I learned about the passing of Dr. John W Holaday in Charlotte, North Carolina. John was a mentor and dear friend. John leaves a wonderful legacy as an amazing force of nature.
The best parts of John could be found in his constant humor and irrepressible optimism. He was a powerfully positive force and an outstanding representative of the quest in the biotechnology industry to help people.
As a mentor, John jumped in without warning to change the direction of my life. I got to know John during his time at EntreMed. He was also an active leader in the biotechnology community. As chairman of the Maryland Bioscience Alliance, he took me under his wing and somehow found the time to bring along a very green young professional.
Early in my days on the job, I sat down with John at a table before the start of one of our conferences. When the time came, I turned to him and asked if he was going to kick us off. He looked right back at me and said, “I think you should do it.” I had never spoken to a room so full of people. I got my feet under me and off we went, but it was that kind of selfless act he took that empowered the people he found myriad ways to support.
We traveled together a lot over the years that followed. He always stayed with me, saying ‘yes’ whenever I asked him to be involved in my businesses. He occasionally sought me out to pitch in on something with one of his startups. At any moment during all of these adventures together, John could pop out a tale about Joe Namath or neuropsychopharmacology - and they were all tales he told with a knowing twinkle in his eye. John always kept up on how I was doing and wanted to be sure I was both on track and enjoying the ride.
I spent parts of my last twenty years looking to John as a touchstone and compass. That’s the thing about a mentor - he remained an active navigator in my path. I won’t get over the loss of John Holaday, but the very process of thinking through his impact on my life will continue to push me to try to live up to his deeds.