Charlotte community activist and avid cyclist made the city a ‘better place for all’

John Holmes III, a Charlotte community activist and avid cyclist who once lost a job after standing up for his beliefs, died Dec. 29. He was 29.

Two years ago, Holmes was cast into the spotlight after his Facebook post speaking against the Charlotte City Council’s decision to allow a drive-thru-only Chick-fil-A in an area zoned for transit-oriented development.

At the time, Holmes was an operations manager at an east Charlotte Chick-fil-A. He announced the next day on Twitter that he had been fired.

“Do I regret it? Not at all,” he said.

“John didn’t just work for a better city for his family and his community, he lived even when it cost him personally,” Holmes’ obituary at Lowe-Neddo Funeral Home stated. Holmes had died unexpectedly at his home, according to the obituary.

Holmes’ wife, Nashaly Ruiz-Gonzalez, said Monday on his X account that her husband had been vocal about his struggles with depression. He “believed firmly in the power of his community. I genuinely think that it is that —community — that kept him going for so long.”

Ruiz-Gonzalez said she and Holmes met through a friend in 2019 at UNC Charlotte. They became close after the mass shooting on campus that left two dead and four injured.

“What drew me to him was his kindness and willingness to help other people,” she told The Charlotte Observer. “He was very caring and always looked to make Charlotte a better place.”

She hopes her husband is remembered for his kindness, advocacy and achievements.

“He constantly fought for his vision,” she said, “and encouraged others to keep moving forward and do the best they could with their circumstances.”

‘Take a step to fix it’

Holmes was a husband and father whose life work was entrenched in community service.

The South Carolina native was a Marine Corps veteran, pursuing a master’s degree in public administration.

He was a community engagement officer for Civility Localized, a Charlotte consulting firm that works with governments to enhance community engagement. Holmes promoted equitable engagement on projects like the Albemarle Corridor Cultural Trail Framework, CATS Red Line Commuter Rail Project, and Next In North End Transformation Plan, according to his biography on the firm’s website.

Holmes also has been a member of the CharlotteEAST transportation committee and the city of Charlotte Bicycle Advisory Committee.

In 2021, Holmes co-founded Charlotte Urbanists, a group that advocates for bike and pedestrian-safe streets, transit access and affordable housing. Among its work, Charlotte Urbanists installed benches at some bus stops and held a bike ride in protest of car-friendly road plans.

“...What we can do, is we can see a small problem in the community and take a step to fix it,” Holmes told The Charlotte Observer in March 2022.

In August 2022, when zoning variance requests were made by Chick-fil-A and Starbucks in another part of the city, Holmes called on community leaders to “make the right decision.”

“We cannot make progress if we continue to repeatedly sell-out our vision... We cannot even remotely claim that our civic leaders are well-informed if they routinely ignore the advice and counsel of multiple organizations and civil servants who work for the city,” Holmes wrote in a guest opinion column for The Charlotte Observer.

‘Making Charlotte a better place for all of us’

Holmes leaves an inspirational legacy of “community-centric spirit” from those who knew him, and even people who didn’t.

“He was an incredible force in the community, and one of the first people who made me feel welcomed in this city,” one person said on Charlotte Urbanist’s Instagram page.

“John was such an amazing person, he spread positivity and inspiration and was a passionate force of change. This is such a loss for our community,” another person said on Instagram.

“John’s local outreach sparked a passion within me, and I’m sure many others, to take tangible actions today for the betterment of our community,” Andrew Lohmann said on the GoFundMe page set up for Holmes’ family.

“Didn’t know him but my condolences to those that did, it seems that his life brought a lot of good which is the ultimate achievement,” one person said on Charlotte Urbanist’s Instagram page.

Others thanked him for his community work.

“He was willing to take an active role in making Charlotte a better place for all of us,” one person said on Reddit.

“Thanks John for showing people what real community service looks like,” another said on Reddit. “I hope to see a bus stop bench with your name on it in the future.”

Service for Holmes

The cycling community planned a tribute ride at 6:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at First Ward Park “to honor and celebrate a beloved champion of our community gone too soon,” Sustain Charlotte said on X. The Mecklenburg County nonprofit, like Holmes, advocates for transportation choices, as well as smart growth.

A visitation service for Holmes was held on Sunday, Jan. 5, at Lowe-Neddo Funeral Home at 4715 Margaret Wallace Road, Matthews

To honor Holmes, a “bike bus” has been organized on MeetUp for cyclists to ride together to the service at 12:30 p.m. from First Ward Park.

This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 2:01 PM.