Capt. Lewis J. Holub was born in Corona, New York, on December 1,1913, and was graduated from Baldwin (Long Island) High School in New York in 1932. He worked for the Telephonies Corporation as a machinist and tool maker from 1933 to 1941.
From an early age Lew showed keen interest in aviation. He took flying lessons at Roosevelt Field, Long Island and soloed in December, 1935 in a Fleet K5. He subsequently earned commercial, instrument and flight instructor ratings.
Later, Lew flew sales demonstration flights and instructed in numerous early aircraft, including Waco, Bird, Stinson, Cub, Fairchild, Stearman, Savoia Marchetti, Swallow, Monocoupe, Ercoupe and Bellanca.
By the late 1930's he had purchased and begun flying a Travelair 2000, powered by an OX-5 engine.
Eastern Air Lines hired Lew on March 3,1941, with a seniority number of 242. During his tenure at Eastern, Capt. Holub acquired type ratings in the Curtis C-46, DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, DC-8, Lockheed Constellation1049, L-188 Electra, L-1011Tristar, Boeing 707 and Boeing 720. From 1942 to 1944, while based in Miami, Lew flew Military Transport Division flying to South America and West Africa. He opened Eastern's Boston crew base in 1946 and later instructed Eastern pilots in the B720 and DC-8.
Capt. Holub logged over 250 hours in the Eastern DC-3, which is prominently displayed in the Air and Space Museum.
During his long career, Capt. Holub flew with many pioneering aviators including Captains Gene Brown, Johnny Miller and Dick Merrill and accumulated nearly 29,000 hours of flying time.
Capt. Holub retired from Eastern Air Lines on December 1, 1973.
Lew was a member of the Retired Eastern Pilots Association and the OX-5 Club. Capt. Holub's son, Capt. L. Joseph (Joe) Holub, Jr., was hired by Eastern in January 1968 and joined United Air Lines in May 1991. He and his wife, Donna Holub reside in Newtown, CT and St. George, ME. He is now flying the B-777 to the Far East. Lew's daughter, Mary Holub Peacon, of Abbeville, SC is a former EAL flight attendant and her husband Captain George L. Peacon, III is a former EAL pilot. Capt. Holub is also survived by a daughter, Elizabeth Holub and her husband David Rinkle of Hudson, FL with whom he made his home.
Also surviving are two grandchildren, Kathryn A. Holub and her husband Edmund J. Waters, III of Pelham, NY and L. Joseph (Joe) Holub, III of Newtown, CT.
Lew passed away April 25, 2003. He was predeceased by a sister Edith H. Gurbel of Salt Point, NY and is survived by his sister Marie Van Sprewenberg of Mt. Sinai, NY. A private memorial service was held at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Pleasant Valley, NY where he is buried next to his wife of 54 years, Jeanne Whelan Holub, who died in February, 2000.