HOLLY NYE BAUMAN

1946 – 2024

Holly left this world to join her Spirit Animals and others before her on August 8, 2024. Born November 29, 1946, in New York City, (Alan & Beverly Nye) while her father was getting his master’s degree from Columbia University. Holly leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, compassion, dedication and a strong value of commitment to always do her best. She knew competition and how hard sometimes that could be, growing up with four brothers. Greg, Bret, Rick and Rodger. She was taught humility early when her father gave her a job at Fred M. Nye Company and told her, “This job does not come with a ride to work”, do not be late! Note: she was never late! Holly graduated from Ogden High School in 1965, worked hard as a new mother of a child to obtain a BS degree at Utah State, then later in life got a joint master’s degree from Weber State University and Utah State. Holly taught at Clearfield High School (10-12k) in the Special Educational Department. While there she taught girls gymnastics, girls swimming and girls drill team. Holly wrote grants for Davis School District and then went to work for the Child Abuse Council in Ogden. Later with her friends they started a business called “Reflections of Utah”.

She married Joseph J. Bauman when her son, Sean Thomas Mooney, was 8 years old. Holly’s biggest passion in life was her grandchildren (Myer, Cameron & Adian) and her nieces, along with her lifelong love for animals and mainly dogs. Every year she had the nieces’ party, cookie party and expanded it to include her grandsons as well.

Holly dearly loved all her grandchildren and nieces and always expressed that love to them regardless of what other negative forces tried to influence them to think otherwise. Her dog of choice was the Irish Water Spaniels. They were smart, loyal, clownlike and ready and willing to go to work when asked. We bought a building in Ogden and totally remodeled it and called it, “The doghouse”. There along with many other like­ minded people trained dogs for obedience, tracking, agility, scent training, police work, IRS, TSA, diabetic alert, and the show ring. We attended many dog shows together throughout the USA and loved the time spent with each other and our beloved dogs. The conversations we had on those long trips left no personal or private events secret, we shared everything with each other. What a tender loving way to know someone on a journey. We met many new friends on our travels.

Holly’s mom, Beverly really enjoyed watching Holly work with her dogs and getting them to do unbelievable stunts and physical movements through a preset course. Holly even held her Ladies Literary Club monthly meeting there to watch when it was her turn to host the monthly group and was so proud to do so. Holly won many, many trophies and ribbons for all the hard work given to her dogs. With her spare time she was a Junior League Board member and a sustainer, 1st Women to be voted to the Board of Directors for the Ogden Golf & Country Club, was an Ogden/Weber Chamber Board of Directors member and was awarded the Community Service for all of her hard work put forth in the community, Holly helped as a founder for the Ogden Goal and was a board member, she was on the National Advisory Committee for WSU, Holly was awarded the Ogden/Weber Chamber Athena Award in 1997, which is a well-recognized prestigious national award, was a founding member for Women in Business and also a board member, Holly was a Spiker with the Ogden/Weber Chamber, she was a founding member of Leadership of Northern Utah Academy and attended the 1st class, WSU Wildcat Club member, YCC Board Member, Helped start the Ogden Children Justice Center, was a Guardian Ad Litem for the Ogden Court system for abused children, member of the Child Abuse Prevention Council, Host & Volunteer for the 2002 Winter Olympics at the Curling House Venue, Board of Trustee of Family Counseling Service and recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award as a member of Rotary Club of Ogden and on the Attorney Generals Regional Exchange Effort Team Ogden. Even with all her extracurricular activities she was still a very loving and devoted wife to me and could cook one hell of dinner. After Holly was diagnosed with Alzheimer we talked and I told her not to worry, I would always be with her and never leave her behind (my military training) and just like our special written marriage vows that we committed too. I took care of Holly and all her needs for almost six years at home. Her hugs and kisses were like a transmitter of peace and thanking me for taking care of her. We traveled worldwide and did everything we possibly could do together while she could do so. Holly was an amazing person, once while we were golfing a big red fox came out of nowhere and fixed its eyes onto her eyes, she turned and said to me, “let me get some food for him, he his hungry”, she got some of her hotdog, leaned down and that fox came right up to her and took the hotdog out of her hand and disappeared into the bushes. I told her she is like a Spirit Animal and in touch with nature. We both loved the outdoors together and skied, hiked, snowshoed, fished, water skied, boated, kayaked, ran the Cataract canyon in rafts, slept in sleeping bags at Lake Powell hugging each other while watching the stars together at night, hunted doves together, walked with our dogs to flush pheasants, picked wild asparagus from the ditch banks, played golf, pickleball, tennis and Holly even had a Llama she owned and named Sally Ride, (appropriate as the 1st USA women in space). She played Bridge with two different friends’ groups and loved to golf with many of her friends. We spent a lot of time at our home in Bear Lake together and avoided Covid. I affectionally called Holly my Honey Bunney and Mrs. Music, we knew each other very well and what that meant to each of us. There is a void in my soul and heart right now and I know Holly will be waiting at Rainbow Bridge with all our animals to greet me someday. I would like to thank all of those that truly loved Holly in her final days and cared for her daily needs; Celeste, Gracie, Kam, Addie, MK, Rose, Rog, McKenzie, Erica, Tisha, Emma, Cheyenne and Holly’s nurse Denise who taught me about Holly’s Warrior Spirit and how strong of a person she really was to the end and that our souls and spirits are all connected as one. She gave me a shoulder to cry on many times and lifted me up to know that the best is yet to come for Holly. Holly loved all of you, as you loved her back {my dancing girl with cheek kisses}. Thank you for your love, kindness and care for Holly. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Animal Shelter, the Honors Program at WSU, the YCC, the Child Abuse Council or the Children’s Justice Center.

There will be a future celebration for Holly’s wonderful life. I love you all and thank you for your understanding with this private time to reorient, six years has been a long time in our life. Joe B.

Condolences may be shared with the family at www.leavittsmortuary.com.