Harold Rudolph Premdas

Harold Rudolph Premdas was born in Georgetown, Guyana, the first child of twelve for Neville Alwyn and Edna Ambrosine [Williams] Premdas. He was born on March 23rd, 1930. He received his London matriculation certificate after which he left home to attend Caribbean Training College [which became Caribbean Union College (CUC)] and is now the University of Southern Caribbean (USC) located in Trinidad. After graduation, he taught schools (Port of Spain Adventist and Sangre Grande Secondary School) in Trinidad and was principal of the Mt Rose SDA School in Grenada.

There he married his best friend and confidante, Edna Grace Bertrand. He then worked as cashier/accountant at the Port of Spain Adventist Hospital in Trinidad. Shortly afterward, he went over to British Honduras, now known as Belize to work as Secretary/Treasurer of the mission office there where his first son, Arthur Trevor was born. A couple of years later while on a vacation, his second son Neville Alwyn was born in Grenada. Harold continued as Secretary/Treasurer when he was transferred to Managua, Nicaragua where he learned to speak and preach in Spanish. There, his first daughter and third child Audrey Yolanda was born. Due to sickle cell disease, Arthur died at age 5 ½ during their time in Nicaragua. Harold returned to Trinidad as the controller of the Port of Spain Adventist Hospital where is fourth and final child Paula Gracelyn was born.

He immigrated to the U.S. in 1963 where he obtained his B.A. in Business from Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, and then a M.B.A from UCLA in Los Angeles, California. He worked for several years as Controller/Financial Manager in private industry. In 1982, he joined the staff at PUC teaching business. One more trip to Trinidad was made, where he was the Treasurer of Caribbean Union Conference for four years.

He returned to the U.S. in 1986 and went to work in Dallas, Texas as Treasurer of the Southwest Region Conference; subsequently pastoring the Bryan and Navasota churches. He then retired in 1998 to live in southern Oregon. After one and one half years, he came out of retirement and pastored the church he had been attending, Cave Junction SDA Church, for the next four years. Harold gave his life in service for the Lord.

Harold enjoyed traveling with his wife, Edna. They were adventurous, working in many areas of the Inter-american Division and United States. They shared an enduring love for each other, visible to all near to them. They loved to shared laughs and jokes, and clowned with each other often.

Throughout his life, Harold demonstrated a passion for woodworking, building many articles of furniture for his home as well as for others. He loved to garden, ensuring his family always had fresh vegetables on the table. He was a master handyman: building brick walls, installing lawn sprinkler systems, re-plumbing the house (a couple of times), electric wiring, building cabinets (including his masterpiece “Big Bertha”), installing carpet, laying tiles, keeping his vehicles serviced. Computers became household items in the 1990’s and Harold mastered that as he did everything else. He loved to send out the annual Christmas greeting to family and friends.

Harold formed many close friendships during his time at CUC which he highly valued. Many of these friends also immigrated to the U.S., and the bonds remained, demonstrated by the many social functions in which they engaged. His love for CUC was visible as he was one of those instrumental in forming the California Chapter of the CUC Alumni. This chapter has continued to provide support to CUC in many forms.

Poor health forced him to leave his beloved country home in Selma, Oregon and move to his daughter Audrey’s home in southern California on July 12, 2018. He succumbed to his illness on August 8, 2018, leaving to mourn his loss his wife of 63 years, Edna; son, Neville Alwyn, daughters Audrey Yolanda and Paula Gracelyn; grandson Marshall Blue, Jr; brothers Neville Samuel [Juanita], Randolph [Odelia]; sisters Ruth [Frederik] Van Putten, Kate Premdas, Esther [Cleophus] Quashie; sisters-in-law Eurela Perrotte, Geneva Bertrand; numerous nieces and nephews.

1 Thessalonians 4:14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Harold is now sleeping, awaiting the Life-Giver.