'We are all richer for having had him in our lives': Patrick Holden dies after 500 Festival run
Patrick Holden, 29, was a rising star in the world of pharmaceutical medicine and had just started a new life in New York City.
Holden had recently been promoted to Eli Lilly 's newest director of health outcomes liaison, a feat he was able to accomplish within five years of being with the company.
His family would attribute his success to his 'rare combination of kindness, intelligence, and unwavering integrity,' which were a driving force in how he operated his life and were highlighted in the work he was doing at Eli Lilly.
He led an initiative at Eli Lilly to uncover and address care gaps for patients battling cancer, reflecting his passion for helping others through his pharmaceutical work, specifically focusing on breast cancer research, according to his obituary.
He was recently promoted to the position to advance patient care in the Allegheny region.
However, his life abruptly ended on Saturday, May 3, 2025, after suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest while visiting his hometown of Indianapolis.
The Marion County Coroner's Office identified Holden as the man who died after the 500 Festival mini-marathon on May 3. Holden died at Methodist Hospital, according to the coroner.
The suddenness of his death came as a shock to many within his family, friends and the community, primarily due to his age.
Days after his death, a GoFundMe was posted to help his wife with the funeral expenses, relocation costs and paying off the remainder of Patrick's student loans.
Within hours of being published, it achieved its $20,000 fundraising goal.
Who was Patrick Holden?
Holden had accomplished a lot in the 29 years he had in this world.
He grew up in Indianapolis, graduating from Brownsburg High School as valedictorian before starting his undergraduate degree at Butler University.
While studying at Butler, he became a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and eventually served as the fraternity's president.
In 2020, Holden graduated from Butler University with an MBA and PharmD.
Holden's work ethic and personal philosophy were noticed by not just his professors but also by his academic colleagues, according to Craig Caldwell, dean of the Lacy School of Business at Butler University.
'Normally, the MBA students didn't have a lot of respect for the PharmD MBAs like Pat,' Caldwell said in a Facebook post about Holden.
'Every semester, I would survey the class with this question: Which one of your peers was the most influential on your thinking? Despite his limited work experience, Pat Holden won in a landslide. Student 10 plus years his senior with a lot of work experience benefited from his wisdom.'
After graduating from Butler, Holden started his career at Eli Lilly and Co., inspired by his mother's battle with breast cancer, according to a fundraiser honoring Holden's work against cancer.
Holden started at Eli Lilly as an associate consultant and quickly climbed up the ranks, going from manager, to associate director of U.S. oncology, to associate director of health outcome liaison before ultimately settling in as the director of health outcomes in March of 2025.
Similar to his time in college, Holden's work ethic and passion were felt by many who worked with him at Eli Lilly.
'His unique gift was the ability to encourage and motivate others while keeping them completely at ease,' Bill Pilat said about Holden in his obituary memory board.
'There are many important things Patrick was able to advance through his work that impacted lives of people he didn't know, and he leaves a lasting impression on all of us who got to work with him. I will never forget his positivity and his ability to make you feel simply feel better.'
'We are all richer for having had him in our lives. Though his time with us was far too short, his impact was deep and enduring. His presence will be profoundly missed, and his memory will stay with us always,' said Logan Schwering, senior director of HR at Eli Lilly.
Holden's family willhold a service for him at Connection Point Church, located at 1800 North Green Street in Brownsburg, on May 9, 2025.
His memorial visitation will start at 9 a.m. and his service will go from 11:30 a.m. to noon.
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