I felt close to Uncle Harold. Coming from a religious heritage that didn't always encourage questioning, he nurtured my curiosity with dialog and wisdom. So when I posed the query to him some years ago, "how do we know definitively there is life after death--beyond ‘faith’", he responded with "intimations inform us ... intimations from across the generations and cultures. Intimations of the Divine." When asked in conversation about remarkable civilizations of the past and how they informed the present, he was quick to say, "The ancients weren’t that different from us. We have more advanced technology and the benefit of more years of knowledge. We can learn a lot from their experiences." When queried about whether he believed in a personal God, he responded definitively “yes”, because he felt the presence of God personally in his life, and he had a vital, personal relationship with God. And when questioned about metaphor & Christ one evening over dinner in Philadelphia, he thoughtfully reflected on this, shook his head in appreciation of the question and then shared how we often get stuck on the object of a metaphor and miss the meaning, concluding dinner with a conversation about the wonder of grace. It was my experience that Uncle Harold never met a question he did not wish to entertain, rarely had a thought that wasn't grounded in a scholarly search for truth and understanding. Uniquely human, he lived his life richly, with immense curiosity of the past and how this heritage informs us today, with a giving heart, ever reaching for truth, with the assurance of his faith and with intimations of the Divine in our world and beyond. My heart goes out in sympathy to Aunt Mary, to my cousins, and to all of us over his loss. Uncle Harold will remain in my consciousness, in my heart, always. Ken Ellens

Our hearts are filled with sorrow upon hearing the news of Harold’s passing. It was an honor to have known such a remarkable man who lived his life with compassion, grace, a strong faith and, love of family and many friends. Harold was beloved by everyone who met him and, we are blessed to have been able to share in his life. Our most sincere condolences to his beloved wife Mary Jo, and the entire family at this time of grief, you are in our thoughts and in our prayers.

The privilege of knowing Hal and sharing in his life was an inestimable gift! He was a boundless source of intellectual and spiritual inspiration and the breadth and depth of his knowledge was truly amazing. He was also one of the wittiest conversationalists I'd ever met, and conversations in Heaven are now occurring at an enhanced level of sophistication! I will miss you deeply dear friend.!!

Next to my dad, Hal was the most important man in my 67 years. He was and is a blessing beyond measure. My love to Mary Jo and family.

Love Him. Always did, always will!

Our lives were so enriched by the Lyceum and our friendship with Hal and Mary Jo. Love to Mary Jo and all the children and extended family. Our memories are rich and many.