Dr. John B. Holmes was born in Invermere, British Columbia in 1929. His father was an Anglican Priest, and he and his family moved several times before settling down in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in 1945. He graduated from high school there, attended North Idaho Junior College, and the University of Idaho. He graduated from that institution in 1950 with a B. S. degree in Zoology. In 1954, Dr. Holmes received a D. D. S. degree from the University of Washington School of Dentistry. In dental school he was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy; and, after he received his degree, he began active duty.

During his Naval career, Dr. Holmes served in two aircraft carriers: the USS Badoeng Strait and the USS Saratoga. He was the lone dental officer in the Badoeng Strait and Senior Dental Officer in the Saratoga. Among his numerous assignments, he was Commanding Officer of two Regional Dental Centers, one in San Francisco and the other in Norfolk, VA.

Dr. Holmes had completed one year of general postgraduate dental training, and was assigned to the 2nd Dental Company, 2nd Marine Division, at Camp Lejeune, NC. He had an interesting conversation with his Commanding Officer, then Captain Robert B. Lytle, Dental Corps, U. S. Navy. Dr. Lytle explained that Dr. Holmes would always be working in Prosthodontics, wherever he went, and should pursue further training in that specialty. Because of this valuable advice, Dr. Holmes completed his prosthodontics training at the Naval Dental School in Bethesda, MD, and was later a part of the staff there. In 1969 he became a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics.

Dr. Holmes retired from the Navy in 1982 as a Rear Admiral, and was immediately appointed the Associate Dean for Clinical Services at the University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry. He didn't even get a vacation before starting his new position! Within four years, Dr. Holmes became the Chair of the Removable Prosthodontics Division, and, eventually, the Chief of the Prosthodontics Section. During this time he developed a special friendship with Dr. Tom Curtis. He and Dr. Curtis carpooled and Dr. Curtis taught him the fine art of fly fishing! Dr. Holmes describes himself as a "novice fly fisher"; but he enjoys fishing very much. In the past, when residing in the San Francisco Bay area, he and a group led by Dr. Curtis (including Dr. Brien Lang among others) fished the Klamath River in Northern California several times.

Dr. Holmes is still affiliated with the U. S. Navy today as he serves as a Director of the Las Vegas Council of the Navy League of the United States. He also keeps very busy traveling to Loma Linda University (per the request of Dr. Charles Goodacre) to work with the Prosthodontics graduate students four days each month.

Dr. Holmes and his wife Bette have four children: one daughter is a dental hygienist, one is an exercise physiologist, one is a former nurse and current interior designer, and their son is a salesperson with Liberty Mutual. Not only does Dr. Holmes enjoy fishing, but he also loves gardening and carefully maintaining a 1963 Porsche that he bought from Dr. John Young in 1977.