Judge Holt- Portrait Contribution Letter

GERALD MALLOY

ATTORNEY AT LAW

108 CARGILL WAY PHONE (843) 339-3000 POST OFFICE BOX 1200

HARTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29550 SIMILE (843)332-4646 HARTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29551

EMAIL: GMALLOY@BELLSOUTH.NET

June 14, 2026

Dear Members of the Bar and Greater Community,

I write to you today not only as a fellow memberofthis bar, but as a neighbor, a colleague,

and someone who had the privilege of knowing the Honorable Michael Shea Holt, Sr., as a lawyer,

judge and a friend.

Judge Holt was one of our own. Born, raised, and educated in Hartsville. He was educated

in the local schools and graduated from Hartsville High School and the University of South

Carolina. He came home after law school and gave every bit of himself to this community and to

this circuit. He served as Mayor of Hartsville. was a Family Court judge for over twelve years, and

was a Circuit Court judge until his passing in July 2024. He was a leader of the Kiw Club, a

servant of First Presbyterian Church, a dedicated husband to Sherry, and a father to Annabell and

Shea. In every role he occupied, he carried himself with grace, integrity, and a genuine love for

the people who came before him.

Those of us who practiced law in front of Judge Holt or appeared before him know what it

meant to stand in his courtroom. He was fair. He was prepared. He treated every litigant and eve

lawyer with the dignity the law demands. His passing at just 54 years old was a profound loss for

our circuit and for our entire legal community.

It is for this reason that I am reaching out to each of you today.

This tribute was conceived and developed with his wife Sherry, and it is with her full

support and involvement that we now bring it to completion. A formal portrait of the Honorable

Michael Shea Holt, Sr., has been commissioned and will be placed in the Darlington County

Courthouse, where he dispensed justice.

The portrait location, the artist, and all logistical details have been finali The final step,

and the reason for this letter, is FUNDING.

We are asking members of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Bar, spanning Chesterfield.

Darlington, Dillon, and Marlboro Counties, to join in making this tribute possible. No contribution

is too small. This is an opportunity for others to say, in a lasting and visible way, that we remember

Judge Holt, that we valued what he stood for, and that his legacy belongs permanently in the halls

of justice where he served.

Any funds received beyond the amount necessary to complete and install the portrait will

be donated to a cause selected by Michael’s wife, Sherry.

Sherry has expressed her deep gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community

her husband loved so dearly and from others near and far. It would mean the world to her, and to

all of us, to see this portrait placed with the honor it deserves.

Michael Holt devoted his life to the legal profession and to the people of this region. Let

us honor him accordingly.

With deepest respect,

Gerald Malloy

Malloy Law Firm

Hartsville, South Carolina