Community and officials gather in Auburn to honor Navy veteran and longtime council member Mike Holmes

Hundreds of friends, family members and civic leaders gathered in Auburn for a memorial service honoring Mike Holmes, a U.S. Navy captain and long-serving local official whose family and colleagues said helped preserve the city’s historic character and strengthen its civic life.

The service featured military honors and a presentation of a flag said to have been flown over the U.S. Capitol. "I present this flag flown over to The United States Capitol in his honor," Congressman Kevin Kiley said during his brief tribute.

Speakers recounted Holmes’s military record and local leadership. Becky, introduced as president of the Placer County Council of the Navy League, said Holmes’s decorations and postings reflected a long career supporting the sea services. Those remembrances noted that Holmes received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal and that he served about 30 years in the U.S. Navy before leaving active duty in September 1994.

Family and longtime friends recalled Holmes’s deep ties to Auburn. A family member read a condolence letter and traced the family’s Placer County roots; another speaker described Holmes’s role on the Auburn Rotary Club, the Auburn District Cemetery Board and local efforts to compile names for the Auburn Area War Memorial. "Mike loved Auburn," the family member said. "May God bless the memory of U.S. Navy captain and Auburn city council member, Mike Holmes."

Former colleagues emphasized Holmes’s municipal service. Bridget Powers, who said she served alongside Holmes on the Auburn City Council and in Rotary, pointed to his leadership on historic-preservation issues, public art projects and community initiatives that remain visible across the city. A representative of the Placer County Board of Supervisors offered the board’s condolences and praised Holmes’s long record of public service.

Those memories followed a brief liturgy and prayers led by Bruce Lundberg, identified in the program as chaplain of the Placer County Navy League and the event’s emcee. After the remarks and the formal honors, the family invited attendees to share refreshments at the venue.

Holmes’s death was noted in remarks as occurring on 06/27/2026. The transcript of the memorial did not specify the exact date or location of the service beyond Auburn or provide additional details about funeral arrangements.