Michel F. Holsten ’78

Michel died Oct. 6, 2025, of a pulmonary embolism in Bangkok, where he and Terry made their home.

At Princeton, Michel rowed heavyweight crew and joined Cap. It is reported that he wrote his econ thesis in the two weeks before deadline and aced it.

After successfully finishing a corporate training program, Michel realized that a very different life called out to him. He spent several years listening for that call, working construction, camping, and motorcycling, becoming an adventurous cook and lover of local cultures. Eventually, he found his call in the Peace Corps, serving in Costa Rica and Panama before transferring to DC to oversee operations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. He was particularly proud of re-establishing the Peace Corps in Panama after a 25-year break.

After leaving the Peace Corps, Michel settled into international development with Global Communities — housing, disaster relief, microfinance, public health, and whatever other projects made sense in localities worldwide.

Throughout his life, Michel remained deeply curious and passionate about biking, cooking, learning, and gathering friends together into something deeper. Somehow, he and Terry made their international life — sometimes on different continents — work out for themselves, their three children, and their communities.