As I write this, my heart is heavy as the community mourns the loss of Carla “Jonah” Holland, who was tragically killed after she was struck by a vehicle while riding her bike on Osborne Turnpike. Police report that the driver was 18 years old and has been charged with driving under the influence and manslaughter.
Jonah had recently celebrated her 49th birthday and was the proud mother of two children. She had worked as the social media and digital content manager for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for 14 years and was active in the community, wholeheartedly committing herself to her interests, which were many. She was passionate about open-water swimming, social justice, yoga, social media — she was the first person I knew who used Twitter in 2007 and was an early member of Social Media Club Richmond — and over the past year, she had spent a lot of time on her bike. Her unexpected death is a reminder that even as the area has improved its biking infrastructure, it’s still dangerous to cycle on the roads, even if you get an early start when few cars are out, and even if you follow all the rules and ride as safely as possible.
I met her in 2007 as part of a women’s triathlon training group, TriGirl Training, where she took me under her wing as her “little sister,” encouraging me as I tried a sport that was new to me and cheering me to the finish line.
Jonah never met a stranger and was a connector — she loved nothing more than introducing people of similar interests, making a recommendation or helping to solve a problem. A tireless advocate for the city, she worked for Richmond Region Tourism for years and was one of those people who seemed to know everyone in town.
When people ask me what Richmond is like, I always describe it as a small town disguised as a big city, and Jonah’s untimely death really brought this home. As the news came out about the accident, I received text messages from so many people from different areas of my life, all of whom knew and loved Jonah and were heartbroken at her loss. Every corner of social media was full of condolences and remembrances and regret that her bright light had been extinguished far too soon. She never sought the spotlight but was one of the people who worked quietly and diligently in the background to make Richmond a more positive place.
