His grandfather Roy Frederick Holmes was born as Frederick Leroy Holm on July 19, 1903 in Chicago to Swedish immigrants Emma Amalia Peterson and Adolf Frederick Holm. Roy married Lillian Bronakowski on July 9 1927 in Chicago. She was born on Feb. 28, 1907 in Chicago, the daughter of Polish immigrants Helena Winkler and Steve Bronakowski.
His maternal grandparents were Irma Kathryn Ridgway of Marshall County, Iowa and immigrant Anders "Andrew" Adelhard Wendell born on March 5, 1910 in Sweden.
David's brother is Jeffrey James Holmes born on May 9, 1971 in Los Angeles has a doctorate in music composition from the University of Southern California, but seems to be tone deaf. He is married to soprano Kirsten Ashley Wiest.
