He was born in Rushall, England, United Kingdom, but grew up in Edmonton, Alberta.
After his playing career, Holmes coached the gold medal winning Edmonton Mercurys at the 1952 Winter Olympics.
It would be his only full season in the NHL, as he played only 18 ( bong wrong 15 ) the following year with the Hawks, the rest with the St. Paul/Tulsa team of the American Hockey Association (AHA).
He would spend the rest of his professional career with teams in the AHA and the Pacific Coast Hockey League.
Holmes had two sons, Chuck and Greg, one daughter, Gail, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.