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Tom Mitsuyu Kelly
Tom Mitsuyu Kelly
Tom MitsuYu Kelly ~ September 18, 1948 – July 26, 2008
MitsuYu (Yu means "friend" Mitsu is "Secret") had been ordained as a Hinayana monk for some years, returned to lay practice and studied many forms of the Dharma before meeting Shodo Harada Roshi in 1989.
Years before meeting Roshi, while still a monk in robes, he walked barefoot from SeaTac airport to his home carrying only his bowl. Along with Wajun he participated in part of a year long Shamatha (single pointed concentration retreat) led by Tibetan monk Genlamrimpa in 1988, was actively engaged in studying and practicing the Dharma his entire life, and loved to talk about a wide number of topics ranging from Chan Buddhism to women’s rights to inherited genetic trauma. He had a special love and connection with children as well as nature.
Sokei remembers: "Tom was a character. Extremely learned about all forms of Buddhism and many other religions as well, he practiced Tibetan as well as Zen Buddhism, attending a Buddhist church in Seattle and other Tibetan Buddhist teachers (often with Wajun). He was an early american student of Roshi, sitting sesshin with us at Bastyr in the early 90s. When we bought One Drop land, he insisted on moving into a tent on the land to protect it. He had a sister. Toward the end of his life he lived on Dead Goat Road in Clinton, Whidbey Island, and his landlords were influential activists Marianne and Steve, leaders of WEAN the Whidbey Environmental Action Network- he took them canoeing on Tahoma lake. MitsuYu and Doyu lived sat and cooked together at Tahoma in the early days 1998 when the hermitage was the zendo. MitsuYu was dedicated guardian of the trees and wildlife at Tahoma and his pine is planted near Chisan's Yurt at entrance to the laundry path. I remember visiting the land in 1998 with Dairyo on a visit home from Sogenji, we whacked weeds together and he told me women should be more respected in the Buddhist lineage. He was a maverick gentle soul."
Tom MitsuYu Kelly was with Wajun when the earnest money was deposited for the 60 acre piece of land we now call Tahoma One Drop Sogenji Monastery, and he was the very first person to live on Tahoma's land in 1995, immediately after the land was purchased. MitsuYu lived in a tent, in the rain, without water, electricity, phone, bathrooms or structures of any sort. (One of the first actions MitsuYu & Wajun engaged in was posting “no trespassing” signs around the land as hunters came through there regularly. Wajun bought MitsuYu a bright orange hat so he would not be mistaken for a deer!) Books would mold in his tent (he probably did too), but he persisted.
One time MitsuYu went for sanzen with the Roshi and grabbed the Roshi’s bell and rang it and walked out before the Roshi could say anything !
Shōdō Harada wrote the following poem for MitsuYu on September 5, 2008 for his memorial:
Kaimyo
Thomas MitsuYu Kelley
layman
Pure Mind
Peak of Invisible Activity
Immeasurably Pure Mind
The miserably poor*, well ripened hermit
Suddenly dying! What?
Astonishing everyone, this
Abundant person of no rank,
Nothing happening, no mishap
Invisibly acting,
Intimate friend of wind and moon
One life of dropping away everything
Living and playing in the heavens’ truth
Completely Fallen Away
*from ancient Chinese – those of deepest merit are called “Miserably poor”- let go of everything, nothing extra
From the back of MitsuYu's memorial program:
Tom Kelley was the first monk to live on the land that became Tahoma-san Zen Monastery.
Mitsuyu’s Vow was deep and serious.
His love of the land, trees, nature was fierce.
Anyone who knew him knew that.
He was a scholar and a person who ‘walked his talk’ to the utmost of his abilities.
He had a special devotion to children and to all people in need.
His commitment was deep and his ways of actualizing that commitment were singular.
James "Tim" Jundo Williams
James "Tim" Jundo Williams
February 26, 1953 - December 19, 2011
Tim was born to Rolla Francis and Dorothy Jane Cluster Williams in St. Louis, Missouri. Tim married Jane Lago on March 30, 1990, in Columbia, Missouri.
He discovered he was an artist when Shodo Harada asked him to draw the illustrations for his first book in the early 90s, Morning Dewdrops of the Mind. Jundo assured Roshi he couldn’t draw, but then gave it a try anyway. He went on to pursue a degree in art and a career as a painter. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia and pursued a career as a visual artist and poet.
"Tim Williams was one of the finest painters I have ever known. His fundamentally cheerful but incisive wit showed in all of his work in a great variety of media. He was very much a modern abstract artist, though his work was always based on keen observation of the ever-changing landscape and of human character. Though he showed little interest in showing or selling his painting, the quality of his work could have made him an international reputation. He was, I think, one of the area's great cultural treasures." (Frank Stack , Professor Emeritus, Department of Art, University of Missouri, Columbia)
Tim’s dharma name was Jundo Koji, given to him by Shodo Harada Roshi.
He and his wife, Jane Shotaku Lago, maintained the Columbia (Missouri) Zen Center for many years, moving it to Boonville, Missouri, in 1990 as Boonville One Drop Zendo. Jundo inspired many people to attend sesshsin with Shodo Harada, either at Tahoma or at Sogenji.
Jundo and Shotaku continued to edit Roshi's books, snd Jundo continued the path of intuitive self taught artist, with incredible drawings he turned into postcards and shared generously with the sangha (see below). They worked together to edit Shodo Harada’s Moon by the Window and had begun work on the book that became Not One Single Thing at the time of Jundo’s death.
He is remembered for his talent, for his wit, and for his kind heart with which he befriended everyone he met.
He was a wildchild, antique map seller, book lover, and zen renegade. He spent many an autumn living at Sogenji alone in the pagado above the temple, only coming down for sanzen and returning for Rohatsu, the most rigorous sesshin of the year.
Sokei remembers: "Visiting him, seeing his floor to ceiling book stacks, and beside his bedside was I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta, writings by Sri Ramana Maharshi, and The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Jundo supported Tahoma and his tree is planted across from MitsuYu's, guarding the path to the Zendo."
Tim was preceded in death by his parents; and one brother, Rolla "Bill" Williams, Jr.
He is survived by his wife of the home; one sister, Donna Floyd of Brandon, Florida; and one brother, Chuck Williams of Columbia, Missouri.
Photo below of Jundo Koji, aka Tim Williams (in middle, flanked by Doken Zenji on left and ShoNen Zenni on right) - his tree is planted near Zendo and his wife is Jane Shotaku Lago. Together Jundo and Shotaku edited and did the illustrations for Roshi's books from 1991-2011. Shotaku is still helping edit Roshi's books anf getting them published. Jundo became an artist after Roshi asked him to do drawings for Morning Dew Drops of the Mind and he had never drawn before. Jundo and Jane headed One Drop Missouri (Booneville) leading sitting for years and Jundo would spend Sept- Dec solo in the hermitage above Sogenji coming down only in time for Rohatsu.
Beloved sangha friend, Tim Jundo Shitao Williams,
2/26/53 - 12/19/11, we offer a poem:
"True-Taoist, good friend Mêng,
Your madness known to one and all,
Young you laughed at rank and power.
Now you sleep in pine-tree clouds.
On moonlit nights floored by the Dragon.
In magic blossom deaf to the World.
You rise above - a hill so high.
I drink the fragrance from afar."
~ Poet Li Po
Roshi gave Jundo the second dharma name ShiTao at his funeral.
Jundo and his wife Shotaku Jane drove out from Booneville and stayed at our house (Sokei and Simon Dosho's) for the September 2011 Mountain Gate ceremony at Tahoma.
Visiting him, seeing his floor to ceiling book stacks, and beside his bedside was I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta, writings by Sri Ramana Maharshi, and The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Jundo supported and came to Tahoma and his tree is planted across from MitsuYu's, guarding the path to the Zendo.
Fred Soseki Olson
Fred Soseki Olson
https://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/obituaries/frederick-s-olson/
Frederick S. Olson
April 4, 1930-April 1, 2015.
Sokei remembers: "Fred Soseki and Carol Soki moved to Whidbey in 1985 and started a spiritual book club. They attended Roshi's first talk in America and earnestly invited him to visit their home on Whidbey for lunch and a discussion on the merits of zen. This was an early step in the creation of Tahoma. Fred was an avid photographer, a world traveler, served in the military, was astute about world economics, and was widely read. He served on the original building committee for Tahoma and his final resting place overlooks Ebey's Landing in Coupeville on his beloved Whidbey Island."
Fred was well known to many in our community, a member of St. Hubert Catholic Church who also attended Langley Methodist Church with his wife, Carol, who survives him. He is survived also by his daughter, Jennifer Olson; his son, Matthew Olson; his grandson, Alexander Olson; three stepchildren, Stanley Case, Marguerite Case and Charles Case; and five step-grandchildren.
Dear Family,
This is our American flag which covered Fred's coffin during the Navy Military service at the cemetery. At the end of the ceremony this flag was given to me by one of the honor guard-- "from a grateful nation for Lieutenant Olson's service to his country".
I have given it, via our very dear friend Tom Susanka, to the Thomas Aquinas College which Fred so admired and supported in his legacy.
Love always,
MGCNC
Hyakurei Ariana Florence Osho
Hyakurei Ariana Florence Osho
Houn Hyakurei (Ariana Florence)
Aug. 8th. 1943 - Dec. 24th. 2015
In 1969, in London England, Dessau Wheeler attended a talk on Zen by Houn Jiyu Kennett Roshi. Practicing zen with Kennett Roshi led her back to America and she moved to Shasta Abbey at Mt. Shasta in northern California to deepen her practice.
Hyakurei, was ordained an Unsui by Houn Jiyu Roshi in April 1971. Hyakurei received dharma transmission in October, 1973 and trained with Jiyu Roshi until December, 1976.
Hyakurei first visited Tahoma in 1998 when she, Gensho and Mitsu Yu Koji stayed on the land chanting sutras and sitting zazen each day in the hermitage. In 1999 Hyakurei attended sesshin with Harada Roshi and knew for herself she had found her true teacher. From that time forward she attended sesshin at Tahoma as often as she could.
Hyakurei would travel down to sesshin from her home in Vancouver, and Hyakurei often spoke of the energy she found in practice at Tahoma, giving her the strength to deal directly with her growing health problems.
Once her cancer was diagnosed Hyakurei had to reduce her work with others and focus on her own situation. Her power of practice give her extra years of life as her body weakened. At Tahoma Hyakurei was limited to working in the sewing and laundry room and her sanzen with Roshi.
Dainin Jack Jones
Dainin Jack Jones
Dainin Jack Jones was visited by Roshi Chisan Dokyo and Daiku Trowbridge in the Arkansas State Penitentiary.
Cherry blossom is something so very special for the Japanese people and as always, citizens of Okayama along with tourists have enjoyed the gorgeous Sogenji Sakura (cherry tree) from late March thru early April.
Roshi, in his April Bishamon talk, encouraged over one hundred participants to receive the special sweet tea and enjoy the Sakura. Viewing Sakura and being in nature is healing to us because there is nothing extra in nature he said. The flowing water does not rot, as our minds too, will always stay clear and clean, if it is always flowing, retaining nothing.
Roshi also mentioned his disciple in the death row, Dainin Koji in the U.S., who was announced to be executed this month and shared his commitment to be with Dainin Koji, in the last moments when the time should come.
Sakura is loved because of the way the petals leave the tree, so soon, while people are still wanting to see them so much. Each year, Sakura blooming is much waited for weeks in hopeful expectation. Once in full bloom, in such a short while, dance away in the wind.
Roshi once said: We are all in the death row. Live each day, each moment with this consciousness in mind.
Hank Myoshu Carey
Hank Myoshu Carey
Hank Myoshu was Chisan's best friend from Itaca NY, they were friends in high school and were anti war activists together, Hank thought he could help more by going to VietNam as a medic. He served years as a medic there and it took a toll. Chisan went to Japan in '71 and they lost touch, Chisan has many amazing stories about finding him again. Ed Gentoku Lorah helped Myoshu get into a better situation in Seattle, with Myoshu's younger sister Tehan helping and Myoshu began coming to see Roshi and Chisan regularly at Tahoma. Roshi said Myoshu was a monk and ordained him and Myoshu sat Zazen and visited Chisan and Roshi until his passing in 2018. Roshi did his funeral, and his ashes are on the altar and his tree is directly behind the Zendo bell and in view of Chisan's Yurt (dedicated to her mother) and Chisan's hermitage.
Jon Tanzan Sholle
Jon Tanzan Sholle
1948 - May 2018
When Jon took up zazen, his life seemed to click into place. I was so happy to see him find an ease of living. The practice of dharma has a mysterious harmonizing power. Family relations were healed. Old friends drew closer. Many people commented on this to me in his last days and after. I feel he carried this grace with him, even through the burning course of his illness.
In September of 2017 I flew with Roshi and Chisan to see Jon right after surgery in New York. What ensued was a three-hour “dokusan” in which all matters of life and death were on the table. I can picture Roshi and Tanzan leaning in towards each other talking, laughing, digging in. I cannot remember the details of these conversations. But the meaning lay in their two energies, merging and flashing like sparks in the night.
May 8th at 10 am sangha and family gathered in Tahoma Zendo to commemorate and share our love for Tanzan Koji. His wife Betty, son Evan, and lifelong friends Alan Hozan Senauke and Warren flew in from New York State and Berkeley Zen Center to attend. Roshi gave a poem and Hozan a eulogy:
Memorial Poem for Jon Tanzan Sholle by Shodo Harada Roshi
May 8, Tahoma One Drop Zen Monastery
In the most honest, spontaneous sincerity
He manifested his creative world.
Shocking, his sudden sickness and death -
Yet, accepting through it all, he went beyond it.
Living thoroughly and abundantly, he lived a life of essence
Expressed through his deep, feeling songs
Now, looking back at his whole life, at all he had experienced,
And how he had used all he had been given.
Hozan's Eulogy
Words for Tanzan (Enduring Mountain) Jon Sholle, Tahoma Zen Monastery, Washington 8 May 2019
It has been just short of a year since Tanzan Jon Sholle passed away at home. Jon was my brother in many ways. I’m sure if I searched our gene pool, we could even locate the genetic connection. We met in 1961, in 9th grade English class in the green suburbs of New York. That winter, when I began to play folk music, Jon was already on the scene as an electric guitar-slinger, a fellow-traveler in blues and bluegrass music. Along with music, we rode our bicycles together, and shared a taste for Mad magazine, beat poetry, and intellectual adventure. It is hard to be brief about all of this.
Jon was the most gifted and natural musician I have ever known. I watched him absorb entire genres of music in a week of listening and playing. Jon was also a consummate accompanist, a very rare talent. He had the ability to lift up anyone he played or sang with. His fluidity on guitar and other instruments was my model for what a musician should be. This reality was a constant, not always easy, reminder of my own modest but dogged musical abilities.
Jon’s gifts and sophistication have always astonished me. He had what appeared to be easy mastery wherever he turned his interest: music, cooking, coffee-roasting, calligraphy, and so on. In these areas, I often felt like the curious younger brother. To be honest, when he took up Zen, with his usual passion and intensity, sometimes I had to pinch myself and remember that I was the long-time practitioner who introduced him to Dharma practice.
But naturalness and genius do not always add up to happiness. Though he was known as a “musician’s musician” from the age of fifteen, the stellar career one might have expected never took shape. Jon lived more as a journeyman musician, touring and performing in support of wonderful artists, but scrambling to make a living at it, and to find gigs that satisfied his need for self-expression.
In earlier years, I often felt dissatisfaction gnawing at him. And, of course, at other times Tanzan’s great heart was wide open. People’s eyes lit up when he entered a room. From my point of view, what saved Jon and transformed him was family and Zen.
Jon’s marriage to Betty was something they both had to work at, but their love, and Betty’s intelligence, practicality, and warmth persisted through every challenge. They have a wonderful son, Evan, who presented his parents with fresh challenges. But Evan’s marriage to Sara brought their own children Nadia and Rami, and drew forth Tanzan’s “grandfatherly mind.”
In 2000, after Jon’s mother died, I was back east to lead a workshop at Zen Mountain Center outside Woodstock. Betty convinced him to go along with me. So Jon sat zazen next to me, stretching his fifty-year-old legs to sit cross-legged. I introduced Jon to my friend Susan Jion Postal at the Meeting House Zendo in New Rochelle. Jon gave Jon the dharma name Tanzan: Enduring Mountain.
Lisa Chiko Hardmeyer-Gray
Lisa Chiko Hardmeyer-Gray
April 11th, ? - March 14th, 2020
She was a bright light. One of the most enthusiastic and determined people one is likely to come across. She was dedicated to zazen even through a career as a documentary filmaker, a masters in counselling, raising twins Aiden and Antonia, and world travels with her husband Daishin. Sokei met Chiko as Lisa first in 1992 at Cloud Mountain in the kitchen the day after her first Osesshin. She was funny, fun loving, could be wild, loved to dance, crack jokes, cook, put on parties, eat, drink, and be merry. We had so much fun cocktail lounge hopping at her 50th birthday and my 50th was a dance party at her house. And no matter what the party still she'd get up and sit zazen religiously every morning. She was the youngest of 12 kids from a large Germanic family - 7 girls and 5 boys - from chilly North Dakota. She was a great mom, gorgeous, a deep seeker, and she made a mean gravy.
Carol Soki Olson
Carol Soki Olson
Soki Carol Olson
May 28 1930 -- March 3, 2021
As a sangha we honor the passing of Soki Carol Olson, one of the founders of Tahoma San Sogenji Zen Monastery. Soki first met Roshi and Chisan in September 1989 on Roshi’s first visit to America. A Dharma talk was held in Wallingford Seattle after the first American sesshin and Soki and her husband Soseki Fred attended. They invited Roshi to visit Whidbey Island for tea the following year and enthusiastically encouraged Roshi and Chisan to begin a zen practice center on their beloved Whidbey Island. Over the next three decades Soki and Soseki would remain steadfast and dedicated supporters, joining in Sesshin, attending teishos, participating on the Building Committee, attending teas, donating funds, and many other behind the scene supporting actions all with the goal of seeing a thriving Zen community flourish in America. Soki displayed a profound innocence, enthusiasm, love of wisdom and yearning for everything good. Her humor became more and more light and accessible as the years progressed, and her enthusiasm for spirit practice never waned.
Carol Stanleigh Truman was raised in Oakland in the San Francisco Bay Area, attended Stanford University in the late 1940’s early ‘50s, and as a young bride married Austin Case. They moved to London and raised four children. Returning to America, Carol met her second husband Fred Olson, and together they moved to Whidbey Island in 1985. Very involved in the spiritual life on the island, they organized a Spiritual Book Club, Carol attended Langley Methodist Church, while Fred returned to his Catholic roots. They continued to be deeply moved by Zen philosophy, reading and discussing zen ideas with alacrity.
Along with Wajun Brenda Lowe they facilitated the purchase of Tahoma land in 1995 and hosted many of the monks to their home for dinners and a hot tub soak. They were planning to sell their own home in order to build a home at Tahoma and move full time to the monastery. Soki and Soseki began, edited, and mailed early Monastery Messages, engaged in ongoing correspondence with Roshi and Chisan, attended landscape planning meetings, and never missed many a tea with Chisan and Roshi. They visited Sogenji and Japan many times over the decades and took Jukai, receiving their Dharma names at Sogenji. In the last six years since Soseski’s passing Soki valiantly carried on, moving to Freeland near the monastery, visiting Roshi and Chisan three times a year, and donating back to the monastery the many gifts they received from Roshi or found in Japan over the years as she carefully and conscientiously divested her belongings in her final years. At 90, she was fiercely devoted to world peace, meditation, spiritual practice, wisdom, learning, a wide community of friends, and her beloved children grandchildren and great-grandchildren around the world.
Making muffins at Sogenji with Shinjo
Soki and Sokei went to Tahoma to see Soseki’s ginkgo tree’s first buds in 2016. He passed April 2015. One of the three ginkos planted by Soki still survives by the garden shed. Soki’s home altar for Soseki and her ‘calligraphy wall”. She taped a shikishi into every window pane.
Greg krsna das Heil
Greg krsna das Heil
January 27th, 1948 - August 17th, 2022
Krsna das was a brilliant, gentle, individualistic soul, born in Nebraska, a citizen later of Canada, Harvard graduate in mathematics, spent time in India where he learned stick fighting. Above all, he considered himself a yogi.
In addition to his background in mathematics, biomedical engineering and computer science, krsna das (he preferred the lower case spelling of his name which meant “servant of Krsna, of Love”) had been a true spiritual seeker and practitioner of austerity his entire life, beginning with his teacher Baba Hari Dass (the silent monk who was followed by Allen Ginsburg, Ram Dass and others). krsna das in later years became involved with the Sufi Dances of Universal Peace tradition and Zen in the last decade of his life, everything uniting into one taste. He truly live on his own terms.
krsna das started sitting with Seattle One Drop just as we began leasing our 6th Ave NW space in Seattle. He was a bright, dear being, steadfastly showing up for zazen whether live or on Zoom, always there to help, assisting with technology, taking wonderful photos, a deep and broad thinker, a kind, playful and truly stalwart member of our spiritual family, always manifesting a unique essence. He loved tools and repairing his own things, designing structures for his use, but he also had made jewelry and learned other art forms. On the other hand he was deep into technology, building his own computer server and take classes at google that he was practicing with until the end. We hold him forever in our hearts.
Here are remembrances from his Dances of Universal Peace community, North America, Seattle:
Oh my Dear Brother KrisnaDas!
(Silence....................breathing together w/ALL of You)
How i love you & will keep on loving you.
One of the first souls to warmly & joyfully greet me in The Seattle Sufi Dance Circle @ Keystone Church nearly 25 yrs ago!
Re-membering your sweet spirit & bountiful kindness.
You are so very special to me.
You've inspired me with your humble devotion.
I always could count on you to listen....to help me laugh...to keep it real. To bring me back to Here & Now.
And Oh how Wonderful to receive your glance!
Hare' Krisna Hare' Krisna
Krisna Krisna Hare' Hare'
Hare' Rama Hare' Rama
Rama Rama Hare' Hare'
Hare' Bol!
Balaramdas🕉
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krsna das was a generous person whose company was ’sweetened’ reasonably with a box of bitter dark chocolate he would sometimes carry to Dances. Many’s a time we (Mark /Makhanacora Das & I) laughingly partook.
Bless you, krsna das, wherever you are. (& hopefully there is chocolate there, too)
Janette
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Besides showing up early and staying late to beautify at Keystone, offering tech PR in various forms, servicing the DUP website, taking splendid photos, etc... he was one of 4 single adults who fully integrated into the little cluster of families with small children 28 years ago. He enthusiastically participated in our Village Potluck gatherings (where the children chose our Dances) and was definitely in the uncle role with my family during their younger years.
His presence at Keystone and at dozens of outreach Dances all over the Pacific Northwest consistently added depth to our shared spiritual practice. We have much to be grateful for.
Metta,
Ka
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I will always remember KD's sweet smile. I first got to know him at the Babaji (Baba Hari Dass) gatherings. I can't remember if it was at Mt. Madonna Center or in Ganges, BC on Saltspring, or just at the Ravenna Babaji kirtans, but we definitely shared our love and appreciation for the most egoless teacher I have ever met- Babaji. Then our years of connecting at the Keystone DUP. Wish I had known about that dark chocolate he sneaked in... I would've shared some of my stash, too! Sweet, simple, sincere, a true seeker of the One. Blessings on your new journey, KD.... onward and upward.💜
Love,
Chandra Devi
Pictures taken by krsnadas, poetry and other creations by him can be found here
Memorial for krsnadas at Tahoma
Shingen
Shingen
March 1st, 1963 - October 14th, 2023
A very creative person who played the cello, and who was a Butoh dancer.
He died on a Saturday, a lunar eclipse day.
One story about him is that while a monk at Sogenji and while sweeping he made his companion sweeper laugh so hard that he had to move to another task.
Beloved of José and many.
More on his life will be added later.
Carol Ann 'Jokai' Perron
Carol Ann 'Jokai' Perron
Born December 1941 to Emma and Joseph Perron. Passed away March 9 at the age of 83 after a sudden illness. She is survived by her two daughters Misa Perron-Burdick (Jorah Wyer) and Anya Perron-Burdick (Matthew Zinkl) and three beautiful grandchildren Elias, Josephine, and Will Henry; her two sisters Joan Olson and Jeanne Adler, and many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her best friend of 77 years Margaret Jones.
Carol began to practice Buddhism in her early twenties while attending the University of Washington. In 1969 after graduating from University she decided Anchorage, AK would be her next adventure where she met Tony Burdick while hitchhiking. In 1972 they moved together to Nome, AK where they would have two daughters, Misa and Annie (Anya). After getting her Master’s Degree from the University of Hawaii, Carol returned to Nome where she helped establish The Nome Women’s Shelter - still in operation today. By 1984 Carol was back in Seattle, raising her two daughters, and working at Snohomish County to run programs for our unhoused neighbors. She then found her adoptive family in the S’Klallam Tribe of Port Gamble, WA. While running programs she helped win a nationwide grant to support the S’Klallam Tribe in reviving their language, songs, dances, and canoe building cultural heritage.
In the spring of 1998 Carol was itching to see the world and with her travel partner, Greg Peterson, would circumnavigate the globe in a 40’ sail boat. After returning to Seattle in 2006 she split her time between Guaymas, Mexico and her home on Mission Bay on Tulalip Tribal land. Every summer since 2006 Carol would support her S’Klallam family on their annual canoe journey hosted by the many Coastal Salish tribes of the Pacific Northwest and British Colombia.
In One Drop sangha we’re not exactly sure when Jokai showed, but it’s guesstimated at least 20 years ago. Already an experienced practitioner she slipped into our group as if she had always been there. She was a straightforward, no nonsense person who practiced with great dedication and spirit. She would visit and participate in sesshin regularly at Sogenji monastery in Japan and Tahoma monastery on Whidbey island.
If you needed to move a mountain Jokai was the person to ask, she got things done. Small in stature, big in energy, she was a formidable force. She was kind and generous in heart and always willing to help someone in need. Jokai will be deeply missed by the entire One Drop sangha and her spirit soaring high will hover in the wind of our Zendo.
- Korin and Annie
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