death of Taitetsu Unno

 

It's a bit late, but time and distance may forgive the oversight on my part:

EUGENE, Ore. - Rev. Dr. Taitetsu Unno, Feb. 5, 1929 to Dec. 13, 2014. Rev. Dr. Taitetsu Unno, of Eugene, Oregon, passed away peacefully at home with his family.

Jill Ker Conway Professor of Religion, Emeritus, at Smith College, and Shin Buddhist minister, he leaves a legacy of scholarship and ministry.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, August 2, 2015, at Helen Hills Chapel, Smith College, at 4 p.m.

In my life, Tai Unno was a gentle man and a gentleman. At a time when I was a fledgling news reporter, he became my go-to source when it came to backgrounding stories about 'eastern religions.' He answered my questions patiently, no matter how contrarian they might be. But I think he knew -- though he never mentioned it -- that anyone with so many questions was snooping the spiritual terrain on a far more personal quest.

I look back on 40-plus years of Zen Buddhism with a thank-you in my heart for Tai Unno. I am hard-pressed to describe how or why he encouraged me: I only know he did and that I am grateful to him. He was a small lotus on my small pond.

Gassho.