Alan Holbert: A Wonderful Tribute

In Memoriam: Al Holbert

Beloved Educator, Visionary Technologist, and Shaper of Cabrillo College

By: Pegi Ard, Claire Biancalana, Rick Graziani, and Rock Pfotenhauer

It is with deep sorrow that we share the passing of Al Holbert, a treasured member of the Cabrillo College family, who passed away on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the age of 87.

Al’s journey at Cabrillo began in its formative years. Although he may have started teaching high school biology, it was Cabrillo College that became his true academic and professional home. Hired at a young age as a biology instructor, Al went on to serve in many roles—including Chair of the Natural Science and Health Occupations Division, Chair of Business and Computer Science, and ultimately Director of Computing Resources (CR). In each role, Al shaped the future of the college with vision, generosity, and tenacity.

As a teacher, Al was deeply committed to student success. His field biology courses—most famously the “Biology of the Sierras”—gave students powerful hands-on learning experiences, many of which were life-changing. Al’s quick action even saved a life on one of those trips, a testament to the responsibility he felt for his students, both academically and personally. His classroom wasn’t confined by walls—it was wherever students could grow.

Al also had an early and prescient interest in personal computing. When bureaucratic restrictions prevented him from teaching a computing course through the Computer Science department, he didn’t let that stop him. Instead, he taught The Biology of the Apple through the biology department—Cabrillo’s very first personal computing course. That creative problem-solving and refusal to be limited by roles would become a signature trait.

Al was instrumental in founding the Computer Science/Computer Information Systems (CS/CIS) department as a unified vision of how technology should be taught and accessed. In 1997, thanks in large part to Al’s advocacy and problem-solving, Cabrillo became one of the first 25 colleges in the country to offer Cisco Networking Academy courses. He secured the department its own dedicated Internet connection to support advanced instruction without disrupting the college's production network—a network still in use today.

Later, as Director of Computing Resources, Al revolutionized how technology served the college. He led the decentralization of computing services, making technology accessible across campus—from labs and classrooms to administrative offices and student services. He believed technology should empower its users, and his team worked under the guiding principle that it was their job to figure it out—no excuses and no passing the buck.

On a community level he was politically influential, promoting the college values in the community and the community values in the college. He served on successful bond committees and worked to interest community members to serve on the Board of Trustees.

Al didn’t just build systems—he built community. In the words of one colleague: “See something that needs to be done? Don’t let role definitions get in the way. Jump in, do something about it.” That was Al. Cabrillo was never just a workplace to Al. He helped foster a culture where faculty, staff, and students were part of a family. Al helped define a golden era in which people came to Cabrillo because it was where they wanted to be. And once there, they never wanted to leave.

Al Holbert leaves behind an extraordinary legacy: not just in the departments he helped build or the technology he implemented, but in the people he inspired, the community he nurtured, and the college he loved. He will be missed more than words can express.

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If you’d like to donate in memory of Al, contact the Cabrillo College Foundation at foundation@cabrillo.edu. or 831-479-6338 to direct your gift to the Al Holbert Scholarship, supporting Cabrillo students in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, and Biology.

Image Credit:

Gary Patton, personal photo