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Ryan Holden, H.A.D.
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Jan 14, 2026
If you’ve lived in Modesto long enough, chances are you remember the Holden name. For more than half a century, the Holden family has been part of this community’s story—first through optical services, and later as trusted providers of hearing care. What began as a small optical lab in the 1960s has grown into a family legacy that continues today with Golden State Hearing Aid Center.
This is the story of how hearing care came to Modesto through the Holden family, and how that tradition of service carries on today.
A Beginning in Optical Care
The Holden family’s journey in vision and hearing started in an unexpected place—Santa Barbara, California. In the late 1960s, Ron Holden opened an optical lab, crafting eyeglasses for local customers. At the time, optical work was very hands-on: lenses were cut, polished, and fitted into frames manually, requiring a steady hand and a commitment to precision.
Not long after, Ron’s brother Ken met his future wife, Pat Baker, who had grown up in Modesto. The young couple decided to relocate back to Pat’s hometown, and with that move came a pivotal change. Ron brought the optical lab north, setting the foundation for what would become Holden Optical & Hearing Aid Center in Modesto.
Hearing Aids and Eyeglasses: A Natural Connection
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, hearing aids looked very different from what we know today. One popular style placed the hearing technology directly on the temples of eyeglasses. It was this innovation that sparked Ron’s interest in expanding his work from vision care to hearing care.
By combining optical services with hearing aid fittings, the Holden family created a one-stop center for two of the most important senses in daily life. For local residents, Holden Optical & Hearing Aid Center quickly became a trusted name—not just for improving sight, but also for improving hearing.
A True Family Business
What made Holden Optical & Hearing Aid Center unique wasn’t just the services offered—it was the people behind it.
Ron Holden was one of six brothers, and at one time as many as five of them worked together at the Modesto office. It wasn’t only the Holden brothers, either. Pat’s brother, Gary Baker, and his brother-in-law, Doug Wesson, were also part of the team.
Those early years saw the business become more than a workplace—it was a family hub, where brothers, in-laws, and extended family worked side by side to serve the community. In the late 1970s, Ron passed the torch to the next generation when my father, Jim Holden, along with Gary Baker, purchased the business.
Together, they carried Holden Optical & Hearing Aid Center into its next chapter, keeping the family legacy strong while serving the growing needs of Modesto. Doug, meanwhile, eventually branched out and opened his own practice, but his time working within the Holden family business helped shape the early hearing care landscape in the community.
Decades of Service in Modesto
From its opening in 1969 through its closing in 2020, Holden Optical & Hearing Aid Center was a fixture in Modesto. Generations of families came through its doors. Many locals still remember walking into the office for their first pair of glasses or sitting down to be fitted for a hearing aid.
The center offered both optical and hearing services equally, never losing sight of its dual mission. Patients could get an eye exam, choose a new pair of frames, and—if needed—discuss hearing concerns in the very same visit.
The Holden family and their extended network built a reputation not just for their skills, but for the way they treated people. Patients often describe the experience as “family taking care of family,” a tradition that left a lasting impression on Modesto.
Closing a Chapter
By 2016, after nearly five decades of service, the Holden family decided it was time to transition out of the business. Holden Optical & Hearing Aid Center was sold that year, though it continued to operate until 2020.
I (Ryan Holden) stayed on for a time, helping during the change in ownership. But as the months passed, it became clear that the new direction of the business didn’t align with the high standard of care my family had always believed in. By October 2017, I knew it was time to make a decision—either accept a model of care I didn’t agree with, or take the leap and carry on the Holden legacy in my own way.
A New Beginning: Golden State Hearing Aid Center
That decision led to the founding of Golden State Hearing Aid Center. While the original family business had always balanced both optical and hearing care, I wanted to focus exclusively on hearing. More importantly, I wanted to build a clinic that honored the past but set a new standard for the future.
When Golden State Hearing Aid Center opened its doors, I designed the practice around one core idea: patients deserve the highest level of care possible, delivered with the same family values that guided my uncles, my dad, and my extended family for decades.
That commitment takes shape in several ways:
Real Ear Measurements (REM): A best-practice technique that ensures hearing aids are tuned to the unique acoustics of each patient’s ear.
Speech-in-Noise Testing (QuickSIN): Because real life isn’t quiet, every hearing test includes evaluation of how patients hear in challenging environments.
Longer Appointment Times: Instead of rushing patients through, I schedule extra time to educate, adjust, and make sure every concern is addressed.
Personalized Fittings and Follow-up: Hearing care isn’t “one and done.” I stay connected with patients, making adjustments and providing support long after the first fitting.
Family-Style Service: Just like my uncles, my dad, and the rest of the Holden family before me, I see every patient as part of the extended Holden family.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Even today, nearly 60 years after Ron first opened his optical lab, the Holden name still carries meaning in Modesto. Patients often walk through my doors and tell me they remember my uncles, or they ask about my dad. Some even recall Gary and Doug from those early years. Sadly, Uncle Ron passed away more than ten years ago, but hearing those stories reminds me of the impact he—and the whole family—had.
That connection is something I hold close. When I fit a patient with new hearing aids, I’m not just providing technology—I’m continuing a family tradition of care that started long before I was in the profession.
The Evolution of Hearing Care in Modesto
Looking back, it’s remarkable how much hearing care has changed since the late 1960s.
Then: Hearing aids were large, often bulky, and sometimes built into eyeglasses. Testing equipment was basic, and adjustments were limited. Patients often had to “make do” with the technology available.
Now: Hearing aids are smaller, smarter, and more powerful than ever—many connect directly to smartphones, stream music, or even translate languages in real-time. Testing is more advanced, allowing for precise fittings and better outcomes.
Through it all, the Holden family and its extended circle have remained part of that story—helping Modesto residents hear better across multiple generations.
A Legacy Rooted in Community
The history of hearing care in Modesto isn’t just about technology. It’s about people. Families who trusted the Holden brothers in 1969. Children who grew up seeing their parents and grandparents come to Holden Optical & Hearing Aid Center. And now, patients who walk into Golden State Hearing Aid Center and feel that same sense of family connection.
It’s a story about continuity. About a community that values relationships and a family that has spent more than half a century giving back through care.
Looking Ahead
As I reflect on where this journey began and where it stands today, I see Golden State Hearing Aid Center not just as my business, but as the next chapter in a much larger story. It’s the story of my uncles’ hard work, of innovation sparked by eyeglass-style hearing aids, of decades of service under one family name, and of a commitment that remains unchanged: to provide care that puts people first.
The Holden family may have started with glasses, but our legacy in Modesto has always been about something bigger—helping people experience life more fully. And today, that legacy continues, one patient at a time.
