Gene Holmes of McDonough was among those who said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II this week. A longtime fan of the United Kingdom’s longest-reigning monarch, Holmes said the queen made a profound impact on her country and the world.

“I think Queen Elizabeth showed the world what it was like to be the queen and not to put herself so high above everybody,” said Holmes. “I think she did everything she could to make people understand the dignity of her position in life, to understand the difficulty that brings but also to understand the work she had to do to gain that dignity.”

The queen died September 8, at age 96, following 70 years on the British throne. A state funeral in her honor was held Monday, at Westminster Abbey in London.

Holmes, 87, has collected a plethora of stamps and other memorabilia honoring the queen and her historic reign. He said his affection for the queen began with stories from his mother, Yvonne, who passed away in 1998, and her three sisters growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“She would always bring up the name of the queen while she was there,” said Holmes. “When we would all get together, we would sit down and listen to her talk about things that she knew or that she had learned. She shared that with us.”
He said he can recall numerous instances of his mother talking about the queen anytime she was on the news.

“The first thing I felt [about the queen’s passing] was sorrow because my mother had built up a tremendous amount of respect for her, and it filtered down to the rest of the family,” said Holmes.

As he watched the funeral on TV Monday, Holmes reflected on the queen and relationships with heads of state in other countries.

“She was such a high-caliber leader that it was sad to see [the funeral], but I was glad to see the way they were giving her such respect around the world,” said Holmes. “She would always respond to them in such a positive way, and they all seem to respect her because of her knowledge about their country and the world.”

Holmes worked for juvenile delinquent programs on the west coast, retiring in 2009. He is also a jazz musician who has performed around the world. Currently, he owns hundreds of stamps from the Kenmore Collection Catalog, featuring notable figures including the queen and the late Princess Diana. He has also amassed approximately two dozen coins, from the Bradford Exchange, depicting the likeness of the queen, as well as former President Barack Obama and others.

Items in Holmes’ collection commemorate high points from the queen’s seven-decade reign, including her Golden Jubilee from 20 years ago. He recently added to his collection with coins celebrating two of the queen’s most recent milestones.

“I went to the Bradford Exchange, and they had a tribute of her being on the throne for 70 years, and another for her 95th birthday,” said Holmes.

The queen’s death came on the heels of events which she previously attended, before her health was in question. Holmes acknowledged that he contacted The Henry County Times just one day before her passing, because he wanted to honor her royal legacy.

“I had a sense that the end was coming shortly, so I would watch anything I could watch on her,” said Holmes.

He said the queen will be remembered as “a strong, dignified leader” of the United Kingdom, and as someone who was respected by political leaders around the world.

“I think she left a legacy for a lot of people to try and be like her,” said Holmes.