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Joseph Holewa's devotion knew no bounds

After running a Northeast area social services agency for more than 40 years, he never stopped being involved.

February 12, 2008 at 4:45AM

Joseph Holewa (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Joseph Holewa of St. Anthony pioneered several programs for the needy in Minneapolis.

Holewa, who led the East Side Neighborhood Services in northeast Minneapolis for more than 40 years, died in St. Paul on Jan. 29 of cancer. He was 84.

Holewa combined his creativity, drive and personality to help people at the social services organization, primarily used by northeast and east Minneapolis folks, said Bill Laden, executive director of East Side Neighborhood Services.

"He had a way of connecting with people that was just amazing," Laden said. "He was very organized, and had the great ability of managing multiple projects at the same time."

After playing basketball with former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant at the University of Minnesota and graduating with a degree in recreation, Holewa took a job with Northeast Neighborhood House in 1950.

Holewa organized booster clubs to support local youth sports teams and coached youth sports. Once, he arranged for the Minneapolis Lakers to practice on the Neighborhood Service's basketball court.

He also helped develop Camp Bovey, a summer camp in Wisconsin for underprivileged children. He served as its first director.

Holewa left Neighborhood Services to lead St. Paul's Merriam Park Community Center in 1967, returning to Neighborhood Services in 1973.

He officially retired in 1989, but was a key fundraiser for the agency's new building in 2001. He could be found helping at the agency or Camp Bovey until recently.

He mustered recruits from the many service clubs he helped lead to work at the camp for underprivileged kids.

"He'd be straightening out used nails" when money was tight, said Bruce LaMere, of Roseville. "He could really rally the troops. Whatever it took, he got it done."

Holewa, a lifetime Gophers basketball and football ticket holder, made it to the games until recently.

Until just a few years ago he swam and walked regularly.

At age 80, he took up snowshoeing. He won amateur races in Minnesota and Wisconsin, often being the only competitor in the 80-and-over class. And he tied his newfound sport to helping Neighborhood Services. It will hold its annual fundraiser, the Snowshoe Shuffle, on Feb. 23.

Holewa, who grew up in northeast Minneapolis, was a 1941 graduate of Edison High School. During World War II, he served aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific, participating in the Okinawa invasion.

His wife of 49 years, Florence, died in 1999.

He is survived by two sons, Curt of Savage and Greg of St. Anthony; three grandchildren, and companion Lucille Miller of Minneapolis.

Services have been held.