Aug 10, 2023
Friends may visit with the family at Calvary Temple, 1111 Preakness Ave., Wayne, on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 from 3-5 PM. A funeral service will be held at 5 PM, immediately following the visitation. For those who were unable to attend the service in person, you are invited to click here to watch a recording of the service. A final resting place for Mrs. Pringle, post cremation, will be her birth country in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis at a date in the future.
Humie Carletto Pringle (nee Sebastian) was born on November 8, 1928 to Clarice Browne and Joseph Matthew Sebastian, in the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis, aka, St. Kitts and Nevis. where she spent almost half of her life until she retired, then left for the United States in the 1970’s. Humie had 13 siblings and grew up in the same household with two of them namely her late sister Violet Sebastian and her late brother Stanley Sebastian. She was the widow of Samuel Leopold Pringle (of St. Kitts) and was blessed with two children, Vincent Lloyd Pringle (deceased) and Carmen Patricia Wharwood (nee Pringle), with one grandchild Tara-Ann Wharwood. She has two remaining sisters; Bernice Sebastian of Philadelphia who turns 110 next month and who she would sing with on the phone, and Althea Rogers of Titusville, PA who regularly had long, long sisterly conversations on the phone as recent as a week ago. Humie was blessed to have many, many nieces and nephews and cousins, are all well loved by her, and simply too many to list.
To friends and family alike, she was their dear, dear sweet Auntie Humie. Humie was predeceased by eleven of her siblings. Some who passed within the last 5 to 10 years were the late Sir Cuthbert Sebastian retired Governor of St. Kitts and Nevis and whose dear friend Mildred Jacobs mourns her loss, Elise Marthol married to the late Dr. Francois Marthol of Haiti, Dorette McColman married to Roy McColman of Trinidad and Tobago who also mourns her loss and, Eudora Shaw married to the late Vernon Shaw the 5th President of the island of Dominica.
Humie just loved to sing to everyone around her and even when no one is around, she can be heard singing away in her room, kitchen, watering the plants and everywhere and anywhere. She enjoyed humming hymns if she didn’t have her hymnal handy or if she didn’t remember all of the words. She sang or hummed all the time! She was grateful to Jesus for being brought up in the Christian faith and for the many gifts and blessings of having a large and caring family. Her loving greeting or goodbye to all with whom she came into contact was always ‘my darling.
Her personal ministry was to share God’s grace with anyone with whom she came into contact, and she was always praying for those listed on her ever-growing prayer list! She would leave voice messages with individual prayers tailored for the person for whom she prayed and also sang for countless souls including many Pastors every day. She learned that some of the pastors would use her prayers and singing of hymns as their devotional for the day. In the early days of her ministry she would sing her favorite hymns while she played the piano. She was just a warm tender-hearted classy lady.
Her earliest church experiences were at the Zion Moravian Church in her home country in Basseterre St. Kitts in the Caribbean, where she first learned about God’s grace. Her passion and love for Christ was fueled by her Mother who ran a Sunday school for the Moravian Church. Humie inherited her mother’s sweet soul and who was a devoted Christian, well loved and respected in her little village of Newtown in Basseterre, St. Kitts. This love for Christ and people in general was made manifest in Humie who touched the soul of anyone with whom she came in contact . She continued to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ at Calvary Temple in Wayne for many, many years, where she considers everyone there to be among her beloved family. She would sit in the last few pews on Sundays and many we call her fans would head over to hug her and to see which hat she was wearing with a matching outfit, matching accessories shoes and hand bag. This classy lady will be dearly missed by the many whose lives she touched.
Humie adopted a nocturnal clock upon retiring from being picked up by car for work at 4 AM to be driven to the airport to her work. Her meals became breakfast at 4 and dinner later in the evening. Food played a big part of her life and her refrigerator was known as the annex to the local supermarket with its freezer shelves packed with her favorite meats. One of my cousins cherished being awakened at 1-2 am to the delicious aroma of well seasoned food cooking for her next day’s dinner. That time of the night often became the story telling time by sweet Auntie Humie to the influx of visiting guests and family in her home. Many of her nieces and nephew would find their way down to her kitchen to have dinner late at night and listen to their aunt tell life stories and the history of her family. The nuggets of information were indeed gold and music to the young ears of her nieces and nephews. Her legacy is rich with information on family history. She will be missed dearly.
She has been the widow of; Samuel Leopold Pringle of St. Kitts for many years, and she lost her son, Vincent Lloyd Pringle who passed in his thirties. Humie is predeceased by eleven of her siblings. Some who passed within the last 5 to 10 years were the late Sir Cuthbert Sebastian retired Governor of St. Kitts and Nevis and whose dear friend Mildred Jacobs mourns her loss, Elise Marthol married to the late Dr. Francois Marthol of Haiti, Dorette McColman married to Roy McColman of Trinidad and Tobago who also mourns her loss and, Eudora Shaw married to the late Vernon Shaw the 5th President of the island of Dominica.
Humie is survived by her devoted daughter; Pat Wharwood of Pompton Lakes, one granddaughter; Tara-Ann Wharwood of Daytona Beach, FL and Tara’s close friend Chris Storm, two sisters; Bernice Sebastian of Philadelphia who turns 110 next month and who she would sing with on the phone, and Althea Rogers of Titusville, PA who regularly had long, long sisterly conversations on the phone as recent as a week ago. To her nieces she was their dear, dear sweet Auntie Humie and a balm when they were hurting.
Friends may visit with the family at Calvary Temple, 1111 Preakness Ave., Wayne, on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 from 3-5 PM. A funeral service will be held at 5 PM, immediately following the visitation. For those who were unable to attend the service in person, you are invited to click here to watch a recording of the service. A final resting place for Mrs. Pringle, post cremation, will be her birth country in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis at a date in the future.
In lieu of flowers, donations would be
appreciated to the Caribbean Medical Services Association (CMS). This is a 501(c)(3)
humanitarian organization whose mission is to provide medical equipment,
services and supplies to developing countries in the Caribbean, with priorities
extended to St. Kitts in Honor of Humie Pringle’s brother, the late Sir
Cuthbert M. Sebastian, along with other dignitaries of the island. We thank you
for your thoughtfulness and generosity. Donations can be made online by
following this link; CMS Donation Link
or via
conventionally to:
Caribbean
Medical Services Association
75
Adalia Ave, Tampa FL 33606
Tel:
813-251-8500
TD
Bank
Routing
# 0670-14822
Account # 42793011