Who is Jeffrey Holland’s wife Patricia Holland? All about family as next in line to lead LDS Church dies at 85

Influential educator and religious leader Jeffrey Holland, 85, has passed away, a few days after being hospitalized. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced his passing in a media release on Saturday, December 27. The LDS Church confirmed that Holland died from “complications associated with kidney disease.” He passed away on Saturday morning around 3:15 am MST, while being surrounded by his family, the press release confirmed.  

Jeffrey Holland is preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Terry Holland, also a prominent figure in the LDS Church community.

She was an educator and religious leader like her husband. Patricia Terry studied at LDS Business College in Salt Lake City and Dixie College (Utah Tech University) in St. George.

After her graduation, Holland pursued music studies at the NYC-based Juilliard School.

Patricia Terry and Jeffrey Holland married in 1963 and had three children – Matthew, David, and Mary Alice. The couple also shared 13 grandchildren and multiple great-grandchildren.

Patricia, who served as a counselor of the LDS Church’s Young Women General Presidency between 1984 and 1986, later authored a book titled A Quiet Heart. 

The educator passed away on July 20, 2023, after a brief hospitalization. Patricia and Jeffrey Holland’s son, Matthew, has been a General Authority Seventy at the LDS Church since 2020.

He previously served as the president of Utah Valley University. David, Patricia, and Jeffrey Holland’s second son is a historian and professor. 

LDS Church President Dallin H. Oaks pays tribute to Jeffrey Holland

The late religious leader and Utah native was next in line to lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jeffrey Holland was the next longest-tenured member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles after the incumbent president, Dallin H. Oaks. 

The LDS Church confirmed Holland’s hospitalization on December 24, in a statement that read: 

“President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is currently hospitalized for treatment related to ongoing health complications. He is receiving expert care and is with loved ones during this Christmas holiday.” 

Jeffrey Holland passed away on Saturday at the age of 85. Along with the other members of the LSD Church community, Oaks also penned a tribute in a Facebook post. He wrote: 

“I grieve the passing of President Jeffrey R. Holland. Our relationship in education and Church service began more than 50 years ago. It was a long and loving relationship in the work of the Lord. During my service as President of Brigham Young University, I had the privilege of inviting him—then a young scholar in his early 30s—to serve as Dean of Religious Education.” 

Oaks remembered his fellow LDS Church member: 

“From the beginning, his influence strengthened the university’s sacred mission to unite spiritual purpose with academic excellence. Over the last three decades as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he lifted the weary, encouraged the faithful, and bore a powerful witness of the Savior—even through seasons of significant personal trials.”

Jeffrey Holland, a former president of Brigham Young University, served as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from October 2025 until his death. He had served in various leadership roles for decades at the LDS Church.