Molly Michaela Holtzinger, creative young woman
Molly Michaela Holtzinger of Brooklyn, N.Y., passed away Monday, April 12, 2021, at Christiana Care in Newark, after a fall from her electric skateboard while visiting her parents in Millsboro. The fall caused a traumatic brain injury, which was unsurvivable. She chose not to wear a helmet when she skateboarded.
Molly was born in Harrisburg, Pa., March 14, 1994, to Joseph and Lori Holtzinger (former Camp Hill, Pa. residents). She graduated in June 2011 from Camp Hill School District with honors. She played for Camp Hill varsity softball and swam on the Camp Hill summer swim team. Molly also worked as a lifeguard at the Siebert Park pool and at the West Shore YMCA. During her time at Camp Hill High School, Molly was involved in various plays and musicals and also attended the Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA), studying theatre for one year and video production for her last two years. It was this experience at CASA that ultimately helped her decide her career.
Molly went on to study TV and film production at Hofstra University, graduating cum laude in December 2014. She was especially proud to have completed college in 3.5 years. During her time at Hofstra, Molly was involved with many student activities, including working at the equipment lab for the film department, and participating in the Hofstra Filmmakers’ Club and Script Doctor meetings, where peers shared and critiqued screenplays. Her passions at Hofstra included acting, filming, writing, and editing multiple skits and videos for “Thursday Night Live,” a take-off of “Saturday Night Live.” She had an endless supply of material for the show and was known to write a skit or video for each weekly episode while keeping up on her studies.
After college, she began her career in New York City, working first at Bain & Company and Refinery 29 before venturing out on her own as a freelance video editor. She had many credited and uncredited projects, some of which can be viewed on YouTube and her professional website, MollyHoltzinger.com. Her ultimate professional goal at the time of her accident was to be a director and screenwriter, and to be more involved with creating documentaries.
Molly had other passions as well. One was travelling. Before the pandemic, she never missed an opportunity to do so. Her favorite trips were to Iceland; London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland; Barcelona, Spain; and Andorra la Vella, Andorra, where she celebrated her 25th birthday. She was militant at writing travel itineraries for those who accompanied her that included 28 hours of activities in a 24-hour day! Her desire to visit all 50 states before she turned 30 was thwarted by the pandemic. Her other passion was documenting many of life’s moments with her photography and video skills and sharing them with others. She was very gifted at this, but often tried the patience of her friends and family with her desire to capture everything perfectly.
Molly was a creative, fun-loving young woman and lived life with gusto. She loved all animals, but especially cats, dogs and cows. Molly enjoyed visiting her parents in Delaware and relaxing at Rehoboth Beach or kayaking at Trap Pond State Park. She loved to sing while playing her ukulele and guitar. She was a Phillies fan, loved Lady Gaga, enjoyed countless Broadway shows, and was addicted to “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Office.” Molly loved to eat, especially sugar cakes from Brown’s Orchard, Loganville, Pa., and chocolate peanut butter pie from anywhere. Ketchup was a staple of her diet. In her “spare” time, Molly also partnered with Tina Wargo to host a podcast called “The Lady Parts” (theladypartspodcast.com and on various platforms), where they discussed the ways women are written about, talked about, and represented in the film industry. A caring and vocal advocate for many, Molly spoke up when she saw someone treated unfairly, and was quick to point out the inequities and hypocrisies in the world in which we live.
Molly was preceded in death by her grandmother, Lillian Royer, uncle Steve Brown, uncle Tom Brillhart, and her beloved Lhasapoo, Lucy. She is survived by her parents, Joe and Lori Holtzinger of Millsboro; her beloved cat, Betty White; a half-sister, Trisha Holtzinger of York, Pa.; grandmother Lillie Henninger of Topton, Pa.; Uncle Jeff Henninger (Lorraine) of Kutztown, Pa.; aunt Donna Sprenkle of Florida; aunt Bernadette Free (Don) of York, Pa.; aunt Angie Stambaugh (Wayne) of York; aunt Theresa Brillhart (Jeff Helm) of York and Camp Hill; numerous cousins; and many, many friends and professional contacts across the country.
Her parents are thankful for the excellent emergency services she received while at Christiana Care and through the compassion of Dustin Baker and Sheridan Knapp at Myers-Baker Funeral Home in Camp Hill. We also appreciate the professionalism extended to us by transplant coordinators Lauren Hall and Matthew McFadden with Gift of Life (donors1.org). Molly’s organs have gone on to help people in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. If you are not already an organ donor, please consider being one. It is the only bright light in this tragedy.
Services for Molly will be held Saturday, April 24, beginning at 11 a.m., at Camp Hill United Methodist Church, Camp Hill. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m., in the lobby of the church. Registration for in-person attendance due to COVID-19 restrictions is mandatory. The link to do so is: https://camphillumc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/825091. Social distancing protocol and mask wearing will be required while attending. For those unable to attend in person, the livestream link is https://youtu.be/emqNZE3biug. A private committal service will be held later at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Molly’s name to the Humane Society of Harrisburg (humanesocietyhbg.org), from where Betty White was adopted, and/or the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (seejane.org/donate-in-mollys-memory/). The institute is the only research-based organization working collaboratively within the entertainment industry to create gender balance, foster inclusion, and reduce negative stereotyping in family entertainment media.
