But they had heard of him - the civilian who was shot while intervening in enraged gunman and home cannabis grower and dealer Jan Molenaar's shooting of senior constables Len Snee, Bruce Miller and Grant Diver in Napier on May 7, 2009.
Mr Snee was killed, the two other officers and Mr Holmwood were critically wounded.
Molenaar fired dozens of other shots around his Chaucer Rd neighbourhood, putting a large area of Napier in lockdown for two days.
The Napier siege, later turned into a TV movie, ended only when it was confirmed Molenaar had taken his own life inside his house, where he kept not only a sophisticated indoor cannabis growing operation, but also an arsenal of firearms and explosives, and thousands of dollars in cash.
The surviving officers were eventually able to return to work, but it was different for Mr Holmwood who'd worked in seasonal jobs and other work over the years.
At the time of the shooting, recently reluctantly laid-off by a construction firm in a building industry downturn, he had prospects of something more permanent, and was looking forward to starting lifeguarding at the Ocean Spa swimming complex on Napier's Marine Parade.
In a coma for five days and, like the officers, requiring ongoing surgery, it was 18 months before he was able to return to work, still suffering the effects of having been shot in the rear. One hip is a "bit buggered," he reckons, and nerve damage was such that it was a red-letter day when he could finally feel anything in his left foot - "my little toe."
He moved from Napier to Hastings to work for bbi Wood Products, but about eight months later his hip could no longer handle it and he had to give up.
Life drifted and he left town - "needed to get away" - feeling hassled and threatened by others who'd been friends with Molenaar and struggling a little with the hero status which came with a series of bravery awards, and a New Zealander of the Year Award from the New Zealand Herald in Auckland, where he'd grown-up "a Point Chev boy from way-back".
He was unable to find full-time work but did take on casual night work in Whanganui, until deciding late last year it was time to return to Hawke's Bay.
Mokonui Gardens was a mere germ of an idea with Tu Tangata Maraenui, one of several movements which have emerged or developed in the lower-income profiled southern Napier suburb during the past two to three years, but by early last month was under way, with aims of encouraging people to learn to grow their own gardens. People were passionate about it, but for the present a bit shy on the skills and knowledge to get it moving.
Enter greenfingers Holmwood, a studious and resourceful type who wasn't about to let a bit of a limp and any other after-effects from the shooting slow him down any more.
He was more than the guy they were looking for, showing them not only how to plant and grow a range of vegetables, but also how to improvise and do it in a small area, and protect the crops.
For example, the mussel shells someone dumped on the compost heap annoyed him a bit, briefly, but he found another use, crushing them to spread around the plants to keep the snails away. "They don't like the sharp bits," he says.
And what about the white butterflies? "Rhubarb juice," he says. "Spray it on the plants, keeps them away."
He also came with contacts, including former employers and others who had emerged in the aftermath of the shooting and who were willing to help as he started building-up the necessities of the project, people like bbi Holdings, Alexander Construction, builders putting finishing touches to a Housing New Zealand Corporation development on the other side of Longfellow Ave, Bunnings, along with others "already on the go" at the time he appeared on the scene.
The trust made him (volunteer) project manager, and appointed him to the trust, both a little out of his comfort zone. Mr Holmwood, who turns 50 later this year, says: "I've always worked. I used to enjoy the routine, more than the job. There's work in the Bay if you want it, but I was getting into a bit of a rut. I probably would have been spending all day playing games on the computer."
There is, however, a simple explanation, and enough-said fashion he says: "My grandparents were market gardeners, at Taupaki, near Kumeu. I used to help when I stayed there."
Trust secretary Maxine Boag, who had briefly met Mr Holmwood in her role as a city councillor, says before he arrived unannounced, the trust had established itself with the land and council-assisted funding. "But it was like we were wondering what to do next," she says. "Then Lenny came along. He's just a gift. He's absolutely transformed the place."
"It's a real, genuine garden now," says Minnie Ratima. "There's even a [small] glasshouse."
While still looking for permanent, full-time work and having suffered some knockbacks because of the limitations his injuries have caused, Mr Holmwood's plans in the garden are ongoing. "We've planted a soup mix, and a winter vegetable mix," he says and there'll be a focus on harvesting for Christmas. There's room for growing of medicinal herbs, with the help of the knowledgeable elders of the community and an edible flower bed. "We've set up a different style of garden to show people there are still ways of gardening in small spaces," he says.
