Harold Fred "Bud" Otis, Jr.

Harold Fred Otis Jr., “Bud,” age 86, passed away in Frederick, Maryland, on June 28, 2025. Bud was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on September 13, 1938, to his father, Harold Fred Otis, and his mother, Bernice Miller Otis. Raised in a Christian household and the Adventist Church, Bud and his three siblings - Donna, William, and Terry - learned the value of the gospel as well as a hard day’s work on the family farm. He carried those early lessons of Christ’s love and a strong work ethic from childhood and implemented them throughout his life through his endeavors as a pastor, missionary, politician, publishing house president, family man, and friend.

Bud married the love of his life, Rose Marie Niesen Otis, on March 1, 1959, in Manistee, Michigan, and together they had two children, Todd and Heidi, whom they loved dearly. As a young man, Bud attended Andrews University in Michigan, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and supported his family by spreading the gospel as Director of Literature Sales for the General Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church before becoming a pastor. During his 40 years as a pastor, the General Conference expressed a need for pastoral services at two churches in the Fort Worth, Texas area. Although he was a longtime, proud resident of Maryland, when the church expressed a need that he could fill, he never questioned the decision, even if it meant relocating to Texas for several years.

Bud was passionate about sports, particularly golf, baseball, and football, and, more specifically, the Orioles and the Cowboys. His connection to those teams was due to more than his love of the game, but also an illustration of his roots in Maryland and Texas. He took great pride in being a citizen of Frederick County, Maryland. He worked tirelessly to better his state and community through his role as Chief of Staff for Congressman Roscoe G. Bartlett, representing the Sixth District of Maryland for eleven years, his elected position as Frederick County Council President, Chair of the Ethics Commission of Frederick County, member of the Board of Elections of Frederick County, Business Development Director for Partners In Care, Inc., and Vice President of Supporting Older Adults through Resources, Inc. (“SOAR”). Similarly, Bud left an indelible impression on Texas communities during his time as a pastor for two churches, all while Rose was equally busy with the women’s ministries for the General Conference and writing Christian literature.

The love Bud had for the church was boundless, just as he loved his family. He felt a great honor to be entrusted as the president of the Review & Herald Publishing Association, where many of Rose’s books were printed. Bud was instrumental in relocating the Review & Herald to a new state-of-the-art facility in Hagerstown, Maryland, that employed 350 workers.

One of his most valued accomplishments in life was to bring the word of Christ to parts of the world where access to religion was restricted. In collaboration with Neil Wilson, he successfully opened a school and publishing house in Russia.

In a time when Russia was still under Soviet control and access to the Bible and Christian literature in the Russian language was nearly inaccessible, he worked directly with Mikhail Gorbachev to make the dream of a flourishing Christian community in Russia come to fruition; including personally facilitating the purchase and delivery of a printing press from Switzerland to Russia. Rose and Bud realized very quickly that the women of Russia were part of a system that did not allow for proper access to education. So, they developed a scholarship program to ensure that finances would not be a barrier to women’s education. The school and printing press in Russia are still running strong, and the word of Christ continues to spread in the hearts of the Russian people. To this day, it remains the only religious publishing house in all of Russia.

In addition to his work in Russia, Bud traveled to Australia, China, Africa, and England to further the reach of the Adventist Church. Rose joined Bud in Russia on many occasions, and she, too, spread the gospel to remote parts of the world such as Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Bud and Rose were elated to later return to Russia with their daughter, Heidi, and witness the ongoing impact of their work.

In his later years, Bud was happiest while spending time with family, friends, and his loyal dog, Gracie. Although he traveled throughout the world, his heart always pulled him back to Lake Anna, where he spent countless summers out on the water, captaining the boat with his wife, children, and four grandchildren: Ryan, Heather, Eric, and Clay. He taught Todd, Heidi, and his grandkids to waterski at Lake Anna, enjoyed lakeside camp-outs with Todd and Clay, and he named his red jetski “The RoseBud,” the joint namesake created from his and his wife’s names. The Thomas family, especially Bud’s best friend and fellow pastor, Dick Thomas, also spent countless times at the lake alongside the Otis family. Summers at Lake Anna with the Thomas family were treasured by Bud, and he was able to rekindle those memories by returning to the lake with Dick to enjoy one last boat ride together in their final years.

After retirement in his 80s, Bud continued his charitable efforts with SOAR and stayed ever-present in the lives of his loved ones. He joyously officiated the wedding of Ryan and his wife, Constance; was an immensely proud great-grandfather to the children of Heather and her husband, Brett; and was honored to deliver a reading of scripture for the wedding of Eric and his wife, Brooke.

Bud peacefully entered into eternal rest with his beloved wife, Rose, awaiting the second coming of Christ, while surrounded by family, friends, and his dog, Gracie, by his side. His legacy and impact on the world will be felt for generations to come, and he will be deeply missed by many.