Claude Izaiah Holmes

From a young age, Izaiah had a love for sports. Throughout his youth and into high school, he competed in football, basketball and baseball. On the field and court, he was anything but shy. He was a solid athlete who played with determination and heart, and he was always up for a game of catch.

Early on, he earned the nickname "Sunshine" from his teammates because he always wore yellow clothing and accessories and of course, had a sunny disposition. This nickname stuck with him throughout his entire playing career.

Izaiah graduated from Lindbergh High School in 2017, and his love of athletics did not end at graduation. Fitness became an important part of his life. He visited the gym religiously. He began dabbling in power lifting, but also experienced knee issues that made the journey more difficult. His most recent goal was to bench press 325 pounds - after being stuck at 315 for some time. That determination was part of who Izaiah was; he was always pushing himself to become stronger.

In true Izaiah form, he also found humor in it all. During a phone call with his mom, he said in disbelief "Do you know you don't get paid to power lift? You just do it and pay for it yourself!"

His dry sense of humor was one of the many things that made Izaiah uniquely himself. Outside of the gym, Izaiah loved video games and the gaming world (a love that started as a young boy). He also valued his friendships and enjoyed spending time with the close friends that were an important part of his life.

He understood the value of working toward goals. He worked while putting himself through college, sometimes taking a semester off so that he could save and then return to his education. His path was his own, and he continually moved forward. In 2025, he had moved out on his own, proud in his humble way about his achievements (he had his own apartment, job, and car.) Izaiah graduated from UW Foster School of Business in 2026.

All that knew Izaiah knew that he had a kind heart and could be counted on. He was dependable and willing to help, although he may not have always arrived on time - he would arrive if he said he would be there.

Izaiah will be remembered for his strength and determination, his dry humor, his loyalty, his love of sports and gaming, and most of all his kind heart. He was a young man building his life and discovering what came next.

He is survived by:

Grandmother, Pamela Gladney of

Mother, Jackie Mitchell of Federal Way

Father and Step-mother, Claude and Andee Holmes of

Siblings, Darian Schriner of Issaquah, Jaydon Mitchell of Federal Way, Keanna Mitchell of Federal Way and Halle Holmes of

Niece, Paisley Schriner and Nephew, Micah Hayes of Issaquah

There are quite a few aunt/uncles/cousins. I don’t know how to reflect that. He had local family, but a big family presence in Nebraska/Midwest as well as Triana’s family.

He joins in heaven:

Eunice Cotton, great grandmother

Mary and Chuck Dusek, grandparents

Zyg and Elsie Stobbe, great grandparents