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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Beth Barcus Holtz, philanthropist and wife of legendary football coach Lou Holtz has died following complications from years of cancer treatment at the age of 82.
Born to Eleanor Josephine (Czech) Barcus and John Campbell Barcus on March 29, 1938, Beth was raised in East Liverpool, where she met her future husband and partner for life. Beth and Holtz were married July 22, 1961, in East Liverpool at St. Ann Catholic Church.
Mrs. Holtz has been recognized over the years for her tireless dedication to causes that reflect her interests and care for others, including No One Dies Alone and the Holtz Family Foundation. She was an entrepreneur and founded the Tennis Hog Pro Shop in the late 1970s and grew the business before selling it in the 1980s.
In December 2003, the homeless shelter in Columbia, S.C., was named after Lou and Beth Holtz. High school seniors in her hometown of East Liverpool have been awarded annual life improvement scholarships through the Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame.
Beth became a research ambassador with her husband for the University of Notre Dame in 2011. In this role she raised awareness of the importance to pursue research with the focus to "heal, unify and enlighten a world deeply in need." Cancer research was a particular focus. She was given a 5 percent chance of survival from a rare form of cancer in 1997. She later shared that a strong commitment to her faith and the incredible support of her family made her recovery possible.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her husband; their children Luanne (Terry) Altenbaumer, Skip (Jennifer) Holtz, Kevin (Kelly) Holtz and Elizabeth (Michael) Messaglia and nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way.