Obituary of Rudolph Earl DePass

The Biographical Sketch of Celebration RUDOLPH EARL DEPASS was born on November 19, 1933, in Powhatan, VA, to Buleah and Harold DePass. He was the youngest of six siblings. His mother died when he was four months old, leaving him and his five siblings to be raised by their grandparents, Hattie and John Hobson. The siblings grew and matured on a small farm where they all worked harmoniously to provide subsistence for the family, as well as for several of the neighbors in the community. He and his siblings attended the local public school, Mohemenco Elementary School in Belona, VA, and nearby Pocahontas High School for their high school education. He gave his life to the Lord at an early age during a revival week at the Little Zion Baptist Church, under the pastorate of H. R. Enable of Green Bay, VA. During his childhood, he was an active member of the Green Briar Baptist Church Sunday school and the Little Zion Baptist Church in Trenholm, VA. In Sunday school, he actively participated by teaching classes, attending conventions and conferences with senior Sunday school leaders, leading the Sunday school devotion, and receiving the offering. He played lead roles in many of the Sunday school special event programs, such as imitating the Prophet Samuel hearing the voice of God and a wise man in the Christmas play. He and his brother, Gene, were active participants in the Saunders Youth Chorus under the leadership of their aunt, Mariana Saunders Hobson. In elementary school, his report card depicted him as the second highest academic achiever in his class. He also participated in his school's extracurricular activities, including annual May Day activities, spelling contests, and competitive sports events. In high school, he was vice president of his junior class and president of his senior class, graduating third of less than 20 students. He was on the school's only available sporting team, baseball. He was an active member of the New Farmers of America, where he participated in local and regional competitive activities, including testing students' knowledge of Roberts Rules of Order. Upon winning these contests at the surrounding county level, it resulted in him representing his school in several of the regional and national competitive events held at locations such as Virginia State College (VSC) in Petersburg, VA, and Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. The family's daily subsistence was derived predominately from their production of animals and crops, with pine trees as their source of "ready cash" when he or a family member found themselves in a financial bind. Particularly during the ailing years of their grandparents, he and Gene worked audaciously to supply the subsistence winter needs, i.e., wood for the three household stoves and snow removal along the path to the outhouse. Upon reaching his teen years, he and Gene left the farm and migrated to Long Island, NY, seeking summer employment—their first year they worked as potato graders; his second year he worked as a dishwasher at an affluent Boy Scout Camp; his third summer he was promoted to a salad man at the camp; the fourth summer, as a swing cook; and his fifth summer, as second cook. Upon completion of high school in 1952, he became the recipient of a $250 Sears & Roebuck agricultural scholarship, which enabled him to matriculate at VSC in the school of Agricultural Economics. At VSC, he was the president of the Scientific Agricultural Club which won, for the first time, the University's first prize in the college-wide float competition. Some of his additional involvements in college included waiter in the student dining hall and dormitory monitor. He also was the filing and record keeping assistant in the Dean of Men's Office. He met the requirements to be inducted into the advanced ROTC Program, where he served as the student Battalion's Adjutant. He voluntarily joined the ceremonial Pershing Rifles Precision Drill Team which performed at most of the major college events. In his senior year, he joined the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Upon completion of college, following rigorous Basic Officer's Training, including becoming a parachutist, he was assigned as Platoon Leader to the 19th Infantry Regiment in Seoul Korea for 13 months of his two-year mandatory active-duty obligation. He retired as a Captain in the Army Reserves in 1965. Upon completion of his tour of duty, he spent a semester at Cornell University studying farm management, after which he returned to New York City and resided with his oldest sister, Rema, while working as a children's counselor with the City's Department of Welfare. In 1960, he moved to Washington, DC, where, at least, he discovered part of what he had been searching for—tying the knot with his college sweetheart, Barbara Reese Trent. They joined in Holy Matrimony on December 26, 1959, and remained in a loving and holy relationship for almost 62 years. Fed up with being turned down for jobs that he felt fully capable of performing, led him to convince Barbara to co-partner with him in pursuit of an advanced degree at Penn State University, where he earned a MS degree in Agricultural Economics in 1961. His networking among the well-connected faculty spurred him to return to Washington, DC, to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an agricultural and regional economist for thirteen years. For three of these years, he worked part-time while pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Agricultural and Economic Development at The University of Maryland, which he completed in 1971. Shortly upon receiving his Ph.D., he was employed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Commerce Department as a regional economist; however, in 1975, he was offered a job by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) to serve as a member of a five-man IBRAD Team to develop the country's first Economic Development Plan. This assignment continued over a three-year period in Liberia, Africa. He and the team served as advisors to the President, in addition to performing his role as the Sector Planner. Upon his return to the U.S., he resumed his employment as a regional economist by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Commerce Department, for the next 13 years, from which he retired in June 1994. Rudy and Barbara were blessed with two sons, Michael born in 1971 and Curtis in 1972, and seven grandchildren. Upon retirement from 32 years of fulltime employment, he felt the call of God to enroll fulltime in Hope Christian Church Bible College. In addition to being a student, he was also tapped to concurrently serve as the acting dean of the college. Upon completion of Bible college and related duties, he was ordained a fulltime pastor in 1995. His pastoral roles included serving as director of the Evangelism Ministry, co-developer and overseer of the church's foundational training curriculum known as Antioch, co-leader of the church's major relational ministry known as Lifenet, leader of the church's morning prayer ministry, overseer of the church's prison ministry, and travel companion with the head pastor to several foreign countries as well as local churches. With an unofficial title as ambassador, he was responsible for maintaining a relational link with several local ministers, including Together in Ministry, Fellowship of International Churches, and Clergy United. He also participated in the morning radio talk show with Bishop Harry Jackson and other invited guests. At each of the churches that he felt lead to join, he soon gravitated into the ministry that most directly lived out his calling found in Matthew 25:35, "When I was hungry, you fed me, thirsty, you gave me drink, a stranger, you took me in, and all power in Heaven and earth is given to me to go into the world and make disciples of all men." Finally, he was very thankful to God for allowing him—having come from a family without the presence of a mom or dad—to have loving grandparents, caring aunts and uncles, and supportive community leaders. With this background, he was equipped to choose a lovely, caring, faithful woman of God, Additionally, he was thankful to Jesus for giving him two sons and the opportunity to be their hands-on dad from infancy throughout their high school years and to have been alive to change the diapers of his seven grandchildren. My Grandma's Favorite Hymn "A Few More Years Shall Roll" A few more years shall roll, a few more seasons come and we shall be with those rest asleep within the tomb: then, O my Lord, prepare my soul for that great day; Refrain: O wash me in thy precious blood, and take my sins away. A few more storms shall A few more storms shall beat on this wild, rocky shore and we shall be where tempest cease, and surges swell no more: then, O my Lord, prepare my soul for that calm day; A few more Sabboths here shall cheer us on our way, and we shall reach the endless rest, th'eternal Sabboth day: then, O my Lord, prepare my sould for that sweet day; 'Tis but a little while, And he shall come again Who died that we might live, who lives That we with him may reign: Then, O my Lord, prepare My soul for that glad day. WITH SINCERE Gratitude The greatest comfort during our sorrow has been your expressions of sympathy conveyed to us in many ways. We deeply appreciate every act of grace and kindness shown to us during this period of bereavement. We extend special thanks to Apostle Michele Jackson and the officers and members of Hope Christian Church for your prayers and visits that meant a lot to Rudolph and to our family. We are especially grateful to the excellent care he received at The Independent Living and Assisted Living at Bedford Court. Our gratitude is endless. May God continue to favor each of you with His sweetest blessings. ~The Family of Rudolph Earl DePass~