Elizabeth Catherine Holden, our lovely daughter and big sister, died on July 31, 2026, in Salt Lake City, Utah, from injuries sustained in a violent assault. She was 34.

Elizabeth was born on January 22, 1992, to Mark and Melissa Holden. Known fondly as “Bibbit” to her family, she was the eldest of five children. Born and raised in Manhattan, she graduated from The Spence School in 2011. She attended Sewanee: The University of the South and Brigham Young University, where she received a Fine Arts Scholarship for her work as a ceramicist. Following her time at BYU, she cultivated a life in Salt Lake City.

Elizabeth took immense pride in being the eldest sibling and the first grandchild on both sides of the family. She was a supportive and empathetic older sister, setting an example of resilience. Elizabeth had a sharp wit and a keen sense of humor. Eager to share her interests with her family members, she was an enthusiastic contributor to the family group chat. She found great satisfaction in making her siblings laugh and could always be counted on to interject with an amusing remark or poke gentle fun at her family members. Growing up, she loved to help her siblings put on performances, often improvising the piano accompaniment. Elizabeth loved animals, particularly dogs. She was a loving mom to her dog, Oliver “Mr. Moo,” whom she proudly trained to hug on command. She also loved being an aunt to her sisters’ two dogs.

Elizabeth was incredibly intelligent and curious. Particularly precocious, she began reading at the age of two and developed a joy of learning at a young age. Elizabeth had many interests, including history, culture, food, music, film, and politics. She was a tastemaker whose preferences were not influenced by contemporary fads and often predated trends. Elizabeth always welcomed a debate and a chance to share her expertise with others. As a New Yorker, she loved her city and had a deep understanding of and reverence for its history. She loved the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was a Papaya King loyalist, and learned how to ride a bike in Central Park. Elizabeth couldn’t pass a city block without sharing which culturally significant establishments had once stood there, lamenting their erasure. Able to converse on any topic, she found joy in befriending people wherever she went. Whether it was the cheesemonger at the grocery store, the man walking a remarkably large dog, or the woman who lived on her street corner, Elizabeth had a unique gift for connecting with others.

Elizabeth was a talented artist across a range of media. She was a skilled ceramicist, painter, and multimedia collagist. She was an excellent creative writer and enjoyed writing poetry. Elizabeth prized makeup as an art form and dedicated countless hours to learning about and experimenting with different looks, methods, and products from around the world. She had a particular interest in special fragrances and amassed an impressive collection. In addition to creating her own art, she loved visiting museums, studying classic films, and avidly following the theater.

Elizabeth was a lifelong musician, born with an innate aptitude for and appreciation of music of many genres. She began studying piano at age five. Soon after, she started making up original songs and playing songs by ear. In high school, she taught herself electric and acoustic guitar, and in college, she mastered the autoharp. She loved singing from a young age and participated in her school choir and a cappella groups.

Elizabeth began writing music more seriously during her time at BYU, where she created Violettas, her musical persona. She began performing live as a member of the local music scene at venues including Kilby Court. In 2015, concerned about the representation and safety of female and nonbinary musicians in Provo, Elizabeth founded The Medusa Collective, a music collective for female and nonbinary musicians.

Elizabeth’s first EP, The Easy Ones, consisted of songs she had written between the ages of seventeen and twenty-two. Her debut album, The Difficult Ones, released in 2015, explored complicated themes of identity and mental health, with intricate harmonies inspired by the Mamas and the Papas. The album was praised as “haunting-yet beautiful” in Salt Lake City’s SLUG Magazine’s “Top Five Organic Free-Range Local Albums” of 2015: “If there were a counterculture to the counterculture in Provo, Violettas would be one of its leading members, trying to make the hometown music more lo-fi and lovely.” As a writer, Elizabeth tackled the challenges of mental illness years before it emerged as a fashionable musical theme. Her vulnerability and bravery earned her a devoted following of online listeners, who often messaged her with deep appreciation for putting into words what they could not. Elizabeth was writing songs for her sophomore album, ULTRA, in the years before her death.

Elizabeth had wide-ranging tastes in music and an impressive record collection. No genre was off limits. On any given day, her speakers could be playing George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, Neko Case, Linda Ronstadt, Chance the Rapper, Cass Elliot, Lily Allen, the Walk Hard soundtrack, Dolly Parton, Lana Del Rey, Brian Wilson, Jenny Lewis, or the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack. Listening to music provided Elizabeth with great comfort and a means of expression, but she also loved explaining the history behind a song, its influences, and its significance in the cultural landscape.

Elizabeth was remarkably resilient. Born with multiple health problems that greatly impacted her life, she underwent her first neurosurgery as an infant and began using a wheelchair when she was seventeen. Since childhood, Elizabeth was keenly aware that her daily life was, and would continue to be, very different from that of her peers; her efforts would be expended differently. Each day, she valiantly confronted the physical and mental health challenges that accompanied her unyielding chronic pain and other associated disabilities. Her last years were filled with many doctors’ appointments and hospital stays. Along the way, Elizabeth made friends with the nurses, the bus drivers who transported her, and the pharmacist who filled her medications. As her body continued to create new challenges for her, Elizabeth remained vibrant and charming, choosing to participate fully in life.

Elizabeth is survived by her parents, Mark and Melissa Holden of Nashville and New York; her siblings, Annie, Katie, Caroline, and William; and her grandmother, Ellen (Keith) Holden. She is also survived by her aunts, uncles, cousins, friends in Utah and New York, and her loyal dog, Oliver, all of whom miss her very much.

A memorial service for Elizabeth will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Historic City View Mortuary in Salt Lake City, Utah.