Holland B. Coulter
"Dutch"

Company D-2

10 Jan 1938 - 2 Feb 2018

Place of Death: Hendersonville, NC

Inurnment: West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY

It is with great regret and sorrow that we must notify you of the death of our Classmate, Dutch Coulter, on February 2, 2018, in Hendersonville, NC.

Well done, Dutch. Be thou at peace.

Remembrances:

Class Memorial Pages\D-2 Dutch Coulter.pdf

Obituaries:

LTC (Ret) Holland "Dutch" Brewster Coulter, age 80, died suddenly on February 2, 2018 in Flat Rock, NC. He was predeceased by his parents, Henry Brewster Coulter and Maxine Smith Coulter.

Dutch grew up in Dade City, FL. He was a member of the West Point United States Military Academy class of 1961 and earned a M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. In the Field Artillery, he served overseas in Korea, Germany and was a Vietnam veteran. A holder of two patents, he retired from the military after 22 years and had a subsequent engineering career in the area of mathematical analysis.

Dutch was a member of Providence Baptist Church, Hendersonville, NC. Over the course of his life and travels he served in many churches as deacon, softball coach, youth leader, Sunday School teacher, trumpet player, and most recently, clergy spouse. He took great pleasure assisting in 5th grade math classes at Bruce Drysdale Elementary. His constant companion in recent years was his Weimaraner, Buddy.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Gail Coulter; children, Julia Coulter, Melissa Holloway (Paul) and William Reed Coulter; grandchildren, Chapney, Abigail, Callie and Lillian Holloway; brother, Wayne (Pam) and several nieces and nephews,

A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 10, 1 p.m. at Providence Baptist Church, Hendersonville. Final interment will be at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. Memorial gifts may be given to Providence Baptist Church, P.O. Box 6476, Hendersonville, NC 28793.

Condolence cards may be sent to the family at www.jacksonfuneralservice.com or to Po Box 945, Hendersonville, NC 28793.

Published in The Times-News on Feb. 9, 2018

Holland B. Coulter  1961

Cullum No. 23409-1961 | February 2, 2018 | Died in Hendersonville, NC
Cremated. Interred in West Point Cemetery, NY

When Holland Brewster “Dutch” Coulter was born in Miami, FL, his father, Henry, had recently been the youngest senator serving in the Florida legislature. His mother, Maxine, eventually became a politician serving many years as the tax collector in Pasco County, FL. His father died at plebe Christmas.

Before Holland fulfilled the dream of attending West Point, he attended the University of Florida, where he played trumpet in the university band. His fraternity endowed him with the nickname “Dutch.” He received his appointment to West Point from Spessard Holland, who had been governor of Florida and a U.S. senator.
Dutch said, “…cadet years were enjoyable especially thanks to two special roommates, Brian Schultz and Don Lockey. Academics, especially mathematics, were invigorating and opened doors throughout my professional life. I wasn’t a gifted athlete, but intramurals were an especially challenging, but gratifying, part of my West Point education.” Being a cadet Sunday School teacher began a lifelong history of doing that in many places.

Four days after graduation, their hometown minister married Dutch and his high school sweetheart, Gail, in the Cadet Chapel. During Dutch’s last two years at USMA, Gail taught third grade in Peekskill and knew the Bear Mountain Bridge well.

After Ranger and Jump schools and Fort Sill, OK basic instruction, Dutch became well acquainted with the Field Artillery in the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, WA. Daughter Julia was born there. During the year that Dutch commanded a battery in Korea, daughter Melissa was born in Dade City, FL (their hometown). Following the Artillery Officer Advanced Course at Fort Sill, OK, Dutch earned a Master of Science degree in Math at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Then the three years with the USMA Math Department were a highlight of his military career. Later in life, in North Carolina, he and Somers Dick, who had been chairman of the Math Department, became good friends. General Dick’s family asked Dutch to give the eulogy at he general’s memorial service in Asheville, NC. Dutch enjoyed his time as faculty advisor for the West Point Baptist Student Union.

Dutch was on the same plane to Vietnam with math colleagues Jerry Dombrowski and Mark Popovich. Then he taught gunnery and did some research and development at Fort Sill. At this time the family fulfilled his dream to adopt from Korea the Coulter son, Reed. Command and General Staff College followed and then a tour at Aberdeen Proving Ground testing howitzers.

Germany was magical for the family while Dutch was executive officer in the 3rd Division Artillery in Kitzingen and then in Heidelberg in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, ODCSOPS, USAREUR.  After 22 years he retired from the Army at Redstone Arsenal, AL.

Dutch earned a Ph.D. in systems engineering from the University of Alabama at Huntsville and had a productive career in mathematical engineering. At various times he worked for Teledyne Brown Engineering, Titan Systems, QuantiTech and DGI. His work produced two patents. He retired in 2005.

Upon completing his Ph.D., Dutch enabled his wife to earn the Master of Divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He followed her as she worked in Huntsville, AL; Austin, TX; Asheville and Hendersonville, NC.

Adjunct teaching, volunteer mentoring of fifth grade math students, hiking mountain trails with his beloved Weimeraner (Buddy), some gardening, kayaking with Gail, reading about politics, international relations and theology, teaching Sunday school, and playing the trumpet at church filled many retirement days. At the time of his death he served on the Advisory Board of the Baptist House of Studies at Duke Divinity School. He was an amazing support for his clergy wife in founding a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church in Hendersonville. They skied in Switzerland and Austria and traveled to Spain, England, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, Turkey and the Greek islands. Visits with children, Julia, Reed, Melissa and son-in-law Paul Holloway; grandchildren Chapney, Abigail, Callie and Lillian and the family of his brother Wayne filled Dutch with pride and joy. 

A great delight was a day during the Class of ’61 mini-reunion in Greenville, SC, when Gene and Georgia Witherspoon invited non-golfers to come to Flat Rock for a Carl Sandburg Home tour, lunch at the Coulters’ home, and a Flat Rock Playhouse performance of “The Buddy Holly Story.”

Classmate Brian Schultz reflects, “It was always a pleasure being with Dutch and Gail. Class reunions were very memorable, especially the 50th and 55th Reunions in 2011 and 2016. Unfortunately, Dutch came down with gall stones at the 55th Reunion and was hospitalized, missing most of the class events. Joyce and I visited him in the hospital, where his ever faithful wife stayed by his side round the clock until he could have surgery…Dutch was a fine man, a devoted husband and a dedicated officer. His death moved me to tears…I have lost my lifelong friend… .”

With no illness Dutch suddenly died on February 2, 2018. A retired first chair trumpeter from the West Point Band, Woody Dotson, whom Gail and Dutch met the day before his death, played Handel and other pieces at his memorial service at Providence Baptist Church in Hendersonville. Alongside family and friends a number of classmates were present as Dutch’s ashes were laid to rest at the West Point Cemetery on June 21, 2018.

Well Done; Be Thou at Peace.