HINSDALE, N.H. (AP) — In the quiet town of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, Geoffrey Holt was known as the unassuming caretaker of a mobile home park, leading a simple yet intriguing life that left many residents curious about the man in threadbare clothes. Holt could often be spotted riding his lawn mower, making trips to the convenience store, or parked along the main road, engrossed in a newspaper or watching passing cars. He occasionally did odd jobs for others but rarely ventured far from town. Despite having once taught driver’s education to high school students, Holt had forsaken driving a car and instead opted for a bicycle, and later, a lawn mower as his primary mode of transportation. Inside his sparsely furnished mobile home, there were no televisions or computers, and even the bed had its legs sinking through the floor.
Edwin “Smokey” Smith, Holt’s best friend and former employer, described him, saying, “He seemed to have what he wanted, but he didn’t want much.”
However, Holt’s passing earlier this year revealed a remarkable secret: he was, in fact, a multimillionaire. What’s even more astonishing is that he decided to give away his entire fortune to the community of Hinsdale, consisting of roughly 4,200 residents. Holt’s will contained brief instructions specifying that $3.8 million should be allocated to the town of Hinsdale to benefit the community in the areas of education, health, recreation, and culture.
Steve Diorio, the chairperson of the town selectboard, expressed his surprise, saying, “I don’t think anyone had any idea that he was that successful. I know he didn’t have a whole lot of family, but nonetheless, to leave it to the town where he lived in… It’s a tremendous gift.”
This substantial sum of money could make a significant impact in Hinsdale, a picturesque town nestled between Vermont and Massachusetts along the Connecticut River. The town boasts abundant opportunities for hiking and fishing and is steeped in history, with attractions such as the 1759 Hinsdale House and the nation’s oldest continually operating post office, dating back to 1816.
As of now, there has been no formal gathering to discuss specific plans for the funds, as local officials were only notified of the bequest in September. Some residents have suggested potential projects, including upgrading the town hall clock, restoring historical buildings, or establishing an online driver’s education course in honor of Holt, who always made sure to vote in local elections. Organizations will have the opportunity to apply for grants through a trust managed by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, with an annual interest of approximately $150,000.
Kathryn Lynch, the town administrator, affirmed that Hinsdale intends to utilize the funds as judiciously as Holt did during his lifetime.
Holt’s best friend, Smokey Smith, who also served as the executor of Holt’s estate, learned about his friend’s fortune in recent years. Holt’s diverse interests included collecting hundreds of model cars and train sets, a vast collection of books on history (with a preference for Henry Ford and World War II), an extensive record collection featuring Handel and Mozart, and a penchant for studying financial publications by a brook.
Holt confided in Smith that his investments had exceeded his expectations, leaving him uncertain about what to do with the wealth. It was Smith who suggested that Holt remember their town in his legacy.
Smith recalled, “I was sort of dumbfounded when I found out that all of it went to the town.”
One of Holt’s early investments was in communications, made long before the advent of cellphones.
Holt’s sister, 81-year-old Alison Holt of Laguna Woods, California, shared that her brother’s frugal habits and emphasis on saving money might have been influenced by their father. Geoffrey and Alison grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, in a family where their father, Lee Holt, was an English and world literature professor at American International College, and their mother, Margaret Holt, was an artist with a deep commitment to the values of the Quaker Society of Friends and a dedication to peace activism.
Geoffrey, who had dyslexia, was a highly intelligent individual who excelled in certain areas but struggled with writing and spelling. Alison speculated that Geoffrey may have felt pressure to live up to their father’s academic achievements by accumulating wealth.
The siblings received a quality education, with Geoffrey attending boarding schools and later Marlboro College in Vermont, where he graduated in 1963. He served in the U.S. Navy before obtaining a master’s degree from the same college where his father taught in 1968. In addition to teaching driver’s education, he briefly taught social studies at Thayer High School in Winchester, New Hampshire, before working at the grain mill.
Alison recalled their father reading Russian novels to them at bedtime, a memory that Geoffrey cherished. Despite his financial success, Geoffrey remained humble and unassuming. He was content with very little, avoiding drawing attention to himself and resisting the prospect of relocating for a promotion at the mill.
Alison lamented, “I just feel so sad that he didn’t indulge himself just a little bit.”
Throughout his life, Geoffrey had few possessions, never married again after a brief early marriage, and later shared his life with a woman in the mobile home park until her passing in 2017. The siblings had no children.
A couple of years before his death, Holt suffered a stroke that left him with mobility issues, preventing him from enjoying one of his favorite activities—mowing lawns. Jim Ferry, Holt’s therapist, described him as thoughtful, intellectual, and genteel. Holt found solace in mowing lawns, viewing it as a way to connect with nature and serve the people he cared about, the residents of the trailer park.
Residents of Hinsdale are optimistic that the generous gift left by Geoffrey Holt will bring greater recognition to their often-overlooked town. Ann Diorio, who serves on the local planning board, remarked, “It’s actually a forgotten corner in New Hampshire, so maybe this will put it on the map a little bit.”