Alfred Vincent Budenholzer

Vince Budenholzer

A Life of Many Chapters

August 8, 1929 - February 13, 2026

Phoenix, AZ

Alfred Vincent Budenholzer “Vince”, 96, peacefully passed away on February 13, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona.

A Living Tribute was recently held, where Vince’s family and friends celebrated his life and legacy with a mass at St. Patrick Catholic Community Scottsdale, on September 20, 2025, followed by a fiesta at Macayo’s Mexican Food in Scottsdale with one of his favorites, tacos, plus dancing to his favorite music by Pinetop musician James T.

Even at 96, the man danced the night away. His large family and more than 150 friends danced with him and toasted him as much more than a famous coach and teacher…speaker after speaker praised him as a community builder, a visionary, a mentor, a real estate investor, a civic leader, a deeply faithful servant of God, and as a loving family man. One young lady did a call-out to “throw it up for Vince Bud!” – and all hands went up and all joined him in laughter.

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Alfred Vincent Budenholzer came from humble roots. He was the 9th of 11 children, raised in Belen, New Mexico. At New Mexico State University, where he played on the Border Conference Champion basketball team, he met and married the light of his life, Elizabeth Blank in a dance class. Libby passed away three years ago, and on this past Valentine's Day Vince went to join her.

Vince and Libby had seven children who they raised in Holbrook, Arizona. He was a high school world history teacher and a basketball coach who was elected to the Arizona High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame. As a Coach at Holbrook, he had a 323-161 win-loss record and dominated his Conference. In 1971 he won a State Championship. The floor of Holbrook High School’s Antonio Munoz Gym is named after the family. He believed strongly in teaching and coaching, and that passion was passed on to all his children, especially to his youngest son, Michael, 2-time NBA Coach of the Year who led the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA Championship. Vince, in his last year, often escorted by family and friends, attended all 42 home games of the Phoenix Suns to see his son Mike coach.

Vince was active in the Holbrook community, serving as a City Council Member. He took great pride in having helped create the Hidden Cove Golf Course, and also in funding, planning and constructing the beautiful Catholic church, Our Lady of Guadeloupe, as well as a magnificent community hall.

After retiring from teaching and coaching, he and Libby split their golden years between Holbrook, Queen Valley, and Show Low, in Arizona, where they made friends and took up golf with gusto. They took the time to embark on scores of cruises and trips abroad, travelling to all the continents except Antarctica. He had a passion for the people of the world.

It has been a long and eventful life, “many chapters”, as he called them. Vince is survived by six of his seven children: Jim (New York); Richard (San Diego deceased 2023; survived by his wife Joni); Joe (Los Angeles, CA, and his wife Terri); Theresa (Scottsdale, AZ, her husband Jim deceased 2025), Helen Vinson (Oracle, AZ, and her husband Karl Leavitt), Bill (and his wife Kyung Ae) and Michael (Austin, TX); 19 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

In the final chapter, according to his wishes and those of his beloved wife of 70 years, his remains will be reunited with hers and placed in the Columbarium at St. Mary of the Clouds. The public is welcome, the Rite of Committal will be done by Father Peter Short.

Funeral Mass

Friday, April 10th, 2026 10:00am

Chapel

St Patrick Catholic Community Scottsdale

10815 N. 84th St.

Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Please note that because of recently held large Living Tribute Mass, attended by entire family and many friends on September 20th, this funeral mass is expected to be much smaller, family members and friends who attended the Living Tribute may elect not to come, and those who missed that event, and the public at large who would like to pay respects, are welcome to come, mass will not have prayer cards, flowers, reception. This will be a public mass in the Chapel, said by Father Eric Tellez.

Rite of Committal

Friday, April 10, 2026 3PM

Columbarium

St Mary of the Clouds

1915 Penrod Lane

Pinetop, AZ 85935

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Budenholzer Family Scholarship Fund with the Arizona Community Foundation. Gifts go to an endowment that funds the Libby and Vince Budenholzer Civic Service and the Mike Budenholzer Student-Athlete Scholarships for graduates of Holbrook High School. It is a great way to honor Vince and continue the work that Vince and Libby championed.

https://www.azfoundation.org/ways-to-give/other-ways-to-give/scholarship-funds/budenholzer-family-scholarship-fund/