Obituary of Harold E. Remus

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Remus, Harold 

1928 - 2020

Harold E. Remus died on October 18, 2020 in Waterloo at the age of 92.  He served as professor in the Department of Religion and Culture, Wilfrid Laurier University; adjunct professor at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary; director of Wilfrid Laurier University Press; and executive officer of the Council on the Study of Religion.  He was a member of several professional societies and served as president of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.  Prior to moving to Waterloo with his family in 1974, he had worked as  a translator/editor at the Lutheran World Federation, Geneva, Switzerland (1957-59); as book editor, at Fortress Press, Philadelphia, PA (1962-68); and as assistant pastor (full- and part-time) at Messiah Lutheran Church, Princeton, N.J. (1959-1972).

After graduating from Great Falls High School (Montana), he studied at the University of Minnesota, Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, MO), and Göttingen University (Germany) on a Fulbright Scholarship, and received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. 

He was the author of various articles in scholarly journals, encyclopedias, and Bible dictionaries and of chapters in both scholarly and general interest books.   He was the author or co-author of books in the academic study of religion and biblical studies, one of which—Jesus as Healer—was translated into Korean.  The editor or co-editor of scholarly and general interest books, he also served as managing editor of The Council on the Study of Religion Bulletin and of Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses, and as founding managing editor of Religious Studies Review.  In retirement he edited the newsletter of the WLU Retirees Association. A member of St. Marks Lutheran Church, Kitchener, he was very active in its adult education program.  He worked for full inclusion of LGBTQ2SIA+’s in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.  Taking part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a signal event in his life.

He is survived by his wife Alice Croft, daughter Elise Burns (Allan Sweeney) and her children Laurie (Carlo Condarcuri) and Joseph Burns, and his son Justin.   He was predeceased by his first wife Carolyn (Zalman) Remus and his parents Gustav and Wilhelmina Remus, brother Leonhardt, sisters Adoline Seidler/Preputin, Edna von der Vor, and Lydia Marten, and nieces Lenora Lou Remus and Lynne Remus.  He is survived by nieces and nephews Leon Remus and Sharon (Frampton); Clark Marten, Nadeen Kovanda (née Marten), Faye Johnson (née Marten); Robert Seidler, Betty MerryLees (née Seidler), Gail Morhardt (née Seidler), and their children and grandchildren. 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, to attend the visitation and service for Harold, personal face coverings are required, and relatives and friends must register (RSVP) by calling the funeral home at 519-745-8445. Visitation will be held at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo on Monday, November 2, 2020, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  The funeral service will be held at Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow St, Waterloo on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at 10:00 a.m., with the Rev. Elina Salonen officiating. For those wishing to attend, Harold’s service may be viewed livestream by visiting the funeral home at www.erbgood.com

Burial will take place at a later date when family can gather.

Condolences for the family and donations to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives may be arranged by contacting the funeral home at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.