Groundskeeper At Mobile Home Park Stuns Town With Secret
How well do you know the people who live around you? Chances are at least one of them has a secret. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a nefarious, “true crime” kind of secret. Just something you never would have suspected about them.
Geoffrey Holt was man who didn’t need much to make him happy. As it turns out, he had quite a lot. According to the Associated Press, Holt was the groundskeeper at the mobile home park where he lived in the small town of Hinsdale, New Hampshire. He led a spartan existence, wearing simple worn out clothes. His mobile home didn’t have a TV, computer, or even much furniture.
Despite struggling with dyslexia, Holt earned a master’s degree in 1968. Before that, he served in the U.S. Navy. Holt even became a social studies and driver’s ed teacher. Ironically, later in his life, Holt preferred riding a bike and then a lawn mower around town instead of driving a car.
While he certainly was a frugal minimalist, Geoffrey Holt had many hobbies. He collected model cars and trains, read history books, and had a substantial classical music record collection. After he left teaching, Holt worked as a production manager at a grain mill in Brattleboro, Vermont. It was during that time that Holt began investing his money based on what he learned from financial publications.
Geoffrey Holt’s Secret
Holt once confided in a friend that his investments were doing better than expected. Over time, this quiet man of seemingly modest means amassed quite the fortune. When he died this past summer at the age of 82, Geoffrey Holt left $3.8 million to the town of Hinsdale for the community’s benefit. His will specified that the money be used for education, health, recreation, and culture.
The town is considering various uses for Holt’s bequeathment, including upgrading town infrastructure and establishing online educational resources. The funds, managed through a trust with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, will also allow local organizations to apply for grants.
Geoffrey’s sister, Alison Holt, says their father taught them to not waste money, which her brother took to heart. She only wishes that he’d enjoyed his wealth more while he was alive. But thanks to his financial discipline and generous heart, future generations will be able to enjoy it. Who knows what this humble man’s remarkable legacy will sow?
For years, Geoffrey Holt was known as a mobile home park groundskeeper in a small New Hampshire town. Now, he's being remembered as a millionaire who gave his fortune to the community. pic.twitter.com/6RP4bUPJRZ
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 21, 2023