Harold Borchert

Waynesville, Harold Borchert left to meet his Lord and rejoin his wife Lois on August 16, 2015 at Asheville Specialty Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. Born somewhere between January 7 and 8, 1918, in a small house without a clock in Holland Michigan to Harold and Svaantje (Susan) Boven Borchert, Harold's zest for a life of adventure started early. Losing his father to illness when he was only six, he was raised by his mother. She certainly had her hands full raising Harold and his older brother Fred. When the Century of Progress International Exposition (the Chicago World's Fair) opened in 1933, Harold and his best friend hitchhiked their way to the fairgrounds. During their three-day stay in Chicago, they subsisted on one hamburger between the two of them. Harold's fascination with innovation and discovery, as evidenced in this adventure stayed with him throughout his life. As a centenarian he was adept at the computer, emailing family and friends around the world, and surfing the net in search of information to feed his lively mind. He was an avid reader, reading and absorbing the Bible many times over, and reading book upon book both for pleasure and knowledge. He always amazed his children and grandchildren with his wealth of information and sense of humor. A veteran of World War II, Harold graduated from Louisiana College and Columbia Theological Seminary on the G.I. Bill. Passing through Louisiana on maneuvers, he met and married the love of his life, Lois Aleen Wilson in 1942. When Harold was sent to Japan as part of what was to have been the invasion, he learned to love the Japanese countryside, its aesthetic and most of all its people. Lonely, separated by an ocean and a continent from his Loie and his mother, he was taken under the wing of a Japanese family hopefully awaiting their own son's return from the war. Harold was often invited over to the house and enjoyed playing harmonica duets with one of the children. This was a Christian home and Harold felt his own faith in God strengthening through this friendship. It was at this time that he committed himself to coming back to Japan as a missionary. In 1952, Harold, Lois and baby Sue sailed for Japan aboard the Lititia Lykes, a steamship. One of Harold's great memories was passing through the Panama Canal on their way to Japan. Harold and Lois served the Lord in Japan from 1952 through 1967. They were active in rural evangelism, and Harold was also active as prison chaplain at Gifu Maximum Security Prison. During typhoon season, the Borchert house could often be seen being boarded up for a storm by a number of former prison inmates, always eager to help their "Sensei", Teacher. In 1967, Harold left Japan to become the evangelist for the Central Mississippi Presbytery. Following his tenure in Mississippi, he pastored congregations in Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. In 1973, Harold was one of the founding ministers of the Presbyterian Church in America. Harold participated in the PCA's committee on Christian education and publications and the committee on administration. He has also served as director of church relations for Covenant College on Lookout Mountain in Georgia. Harold most recently resided at Creekside Villas in Waynesville, North Carolina where he impacted the lives of fellow residents, staff and the people of the community. There his beloved Lois preceded him in death in November of 2013. He is survived by three daughters: Susan Yozawa of Tokyo, Japan, Lois Wilson of St, Augustine, Florida, and Sarah Rydelek and her husband, Greg, of Waynesville, North Carolina; nine grandchildren, Fumi Yozawa and her husband, Shane McGee, Jill "Hope" Brouwer, Dan Hale, Corey Cagle, and her husband, Billy, Emi Hori, and her husband, Naoki, Jed Tate, and his wife, Teresa, Chris Tate, Tim Hale, Josiah Hale, and eleven great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at Hazelwood Presbyterian Church with Reverend Patrick Womack officiating. Military Rites will follow. A reception will be held in the fellowship hall following the service, where the family will receive friends.

Previous Events