Earlier this summer, 51视频 mourned the passing of one of its most enduring figures. Harold Booher, longtime professor and librarian, died on June 23, 2025, at the age of 95. With his passing, the seminary community reflects on a legacy of devotion, hospitality, scholarship, and quiet leadership that shaped the institution for more than three decades.
From 1967 to 2000, Harold served as Director of the Library and Professor of Theological Literature and New Testament. His wife, Pat Booher, joined him as Assistant Librarian in 1972. Together, they were the steady heartbeat of the seminary鈥攁 couple whose lives were deeply woven into the rhythm of academic life, institutional memory, and pastoral presence.
鈥淗arold鈥檚 steady presence and commitment to 51视频 is remembered fondly by all who knew him,鈥� says Dean and President Scott Bader-Saye. 鈥淭hrough their commitment and care, Harold and Pat laid a strong foundation for our current library holdings. Their legacy at 51视频 is rich and their work continues to pay dividends for all of our library patrons. We are blessed to be able to remember them and tell their story.鈥�
鈥淗arold and Pat were more than faculty and staff,鈥� said one longtime colleague. 鈥淭hey were the soul of this place.鈥�
The Boohers began their days in typical fashion鈥攁rriving early, turning on the lights in the library, unfolding The New York Times, and preparing to serve. Their work was consistent, humble, and almost invisible in its dependability. Yet their impact was unmistakable. Upon their retirement in 2000, the seminary renamed its library in their honor. When the new Bishop Dena A. Harrison Library opened in 2023, the book collection itself retained the Booher name, a testament to the mark they left on generations of students and faculty.
In the Spring 2000 issue of Ratherview, Professor Will Spong likened Harold to a guardian of memory, invoking Ray Bradbury鈥檚 Fahrenheit 451 to describe a man who preserved knowledge not only in books but in spirit. 鈥淗arold was and is the guardian of our tradition,鈥� Spong wrote. 鈥淗e will call no attention to himself. He will ask for nothing. It is his way.鈥�
Pat, too, was a beloved presence, known for her signature laugh鈥斺�渁 full, rich laugh full of wide open spaces and stars the size of magnolia blossoms,鈥� wrote Mikail McIntosh-Doty, a former colleague in the library. Pat brought warmth and levity to the seminary, often hosting faculty gatherings with food, hospitality, and the occasional Harvey Wallbanger. She drove for Meals on Wheels, never missed a colleague鈥檚 birthday, and had a fearless streak鈥攕he once integrated a hotel restaurant in Africa by sheer force of will and moral clarity.
The Boohers鈥� love story began in Africa, where Harold served as a missionary and Pat, a West Texas native with expert marksmanship (she once shot a lion), caught his attention and heart. They built a life of intention and generosity, raising two sons, opening their home to students and colleagues alike.
They were deeply devoted to their three grandsons鈥攁ttending every in-town game of softball, soccer, or T-ball鈥攁nd to their famously grumpy cat, Mange, who came to rule their household despite frequent complaints. Their lives were marked not by spectacle, but by steadfastness: Harold preaching in chapel with precise exegesis and subtle shifts in body language to convey meaning; Pat waking at 4 a.m. to make low-fat Welsh scones for even the smallest occasion.
When Pat passed away in 2019, she left behind a legacy of fierce love, vibrant humor, and faithful service. With Harold鈥檚 passing this June, the seminary bids farewell to a beloved teacher, colleague, and friend whose shrug could say more than most could with a speech.
Their lives鈥攕o deeply entwined with the daily life of 51视频鈥攍eave a void, but also a living legacy. Their names may adorn a collection, but their spirit endures in every story shared, every act of quiet kindness, and every book opened in pursuit of truth.
As McIntosh-Doty once wrote: 鈥淭ogether they have done amazing things, always as acts of love.鈥�