By JAN GRIFFEY/Editor

Prominent Shelby County banker and businessman Anthony F. “Tony” Holmes, 58, has died.

Holmes, president and CEO of Regions Bank Shelby County, lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday.

Holmes is well known in Shelby County and all of Alabama as a champion of business.

“He was our very first Chamber member 30 years ago,” said Jennifer Trammell, president of the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce. “Tony has been a very strong supporter of the Chamber and The Partnership for 30 years.”

Trammell said Holmes’ leadership was innovative and provided insight and input into a variety of Chamber activities.

“We are definitely going to miss him,” she said.

State Rep. Mike Hill, R-Columbiana, worked for Holmes at Regions Bank.

“Tony has been my boss for the last two years and been a friend for 30 years, and you couldn’t ask for a better person professionally or personally,” Hill said.

Hill said Holmes was instrumental in the growth of Pelham and all of Shelby County.

“He was president of The Partnership when it first began, and he helped raise a lot of money to get that organization under way. No one else could have done that. He was so well-respected in the community. I don’t know a single community leader or politician who hasn’t picked up a phone and called to ask Tony’s advice on an issue,” he said.

Holmes was beloved by his employees, as well as management, at Regions, Hill said.

“He was really loved by the employees of Regions Bank, from top management to tellers and proof operators. He was always even mannered, just a solid citizen. I never heard him be critical or use anybody’s name in vain,” Hill said. “He was very tolerable and understood people have faults. Even in situations when he had to turn someone down for a loan, you never heard him say a bad thing about them.”

Additionally, Holmes was on the board of the Shelby County YMCA, the Alabaster Industrial Development Board and was a board member for Shelby County Work Release Commission.

He is survived by his wife, Sharon Green Holmes; children Wesley F. Holmes, Emily H. Nix, Cody J. Lucas and Zac D. Lucas; grandchildren Cayden Nix, Lillie Nix, Noah Holmes and Reagan Lucas; his mother, Audrey Holmes; and a sister, Teresa Gannaway.

He was preceded in death by his father, Homer F. Holmes Jr.

Services for Holmes are Friday at 11 a.m. at Westwood Baptist Church in Alabaster, with burial to follow at Highland Memorial Gardens in Bessemer.

Visitation is Thursday from 4-7 p.m. at Westwood Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Westwood Baptist Church, Columbiana United Methodist Church or to the American Cancer Society.