[Osta-board] Sad news

[Sue McWilliams]

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> Dear Sue,
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> Thank you for thinking of me for your retreat discussion.  Under any other circumstances I would gladly accept this opportunity.  Unfortunately we have just recently experienced an unimaginable tragedy, and I am unable to provide this assistance to OSTA at this time.  I am so sorry to have to share the sad tragic news about the death of our son.  Please share the information below with friends and colleagues at OSTA and know that I hope to be able to connect with OSTA again some time in the future when I have had more time to heal.
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> With love and gratitude,
> Cheryl
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> Our beautiful kind loving son, Sioen Roux, passed away on June 16, 2015 one week before his 43rd birthday.  Sioen's heart failed while he was at his beloved Tassajara Zen Buddhist Mountain Center in California.
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> Sioen had been a member of the Tassajara community for the past three years.  He just recently was officially accepted into the community as a Buddhist monk and was studying on the path to become a teacher and Zen Buddhist priest.
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> Sioen was an exceptional cook and helped run the kitchen and cooked for the community and the guests who came to Tassajara to practice and enjoy the incredible beauty and solitude of the wilderness.
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> Sioen was deeply loved by the students, the guests, the monks, his teachers, and the whole community.  They are celebrating his beautiful kind loving spirit and grieving with us at his loss.  The Tassajara community has provided support and loving care to help us through this most difficult time.
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> Sioen was so happy being part of such a wonderful community that was centered on sharing loving kindness and alleviating suffering.  Tassajara gave him a place where he felt he could make a positive difference in the world.  And he did that.
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> Although our hearts are broken, we are so comforted by knowing how happy and loved he was.  We had a most wonderful three week visit with Sioen at our home in Salem in April.  While he was at Tassajara, he called us every few days.  We shared love and good conversations and many happy laughs.  That is how we will remember him.
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> We will be holding private celebrations in memory of Sioen and scattering his ashes in his favorite places.  We ask that our friends remember our incredible beloved son Sioen by sharing loving kindness everyday.  If anyone wants to remember him beyond that, they can make a gift in his name, Sioen Roux, to the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center <http://www.sfzc.org/tassajara/>.  
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> On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 5:04 PM, Sue McWilliams <smcw at bendcable.com <mailto:smcw at bendcable.com>> wrote:
> Dear Cheryl,
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> Sorry we could not fit our recent strategy team meeting into your schedule recently, but it is difficult juggling schedules sometimes.  We had a good discussion and I will send you an  update with the opportunity to add your comments.
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> On another note, I am writing now to see of you would be able to help OSTA in a different way.  We holding our annual retreat July 1,2 at OMSI and I am involved in helping to plan the agenda.  We want to start the first day with three taped interviews with key people to address our work as we move forward. I am wondering if you would be one of those presenters to discuss Opportunities for Engagement through Leadership? The interview would take about 10-15 minutes and I do have key talking points to provide in advance for your consideration.
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> Please let me know if this is possible and I will call to work out the details.  Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.  I hope your workshops are going well and that you will then have time to relax and enjoy the summer.
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Sue McWilliams
smcw at bendcable.com
(541) 419-2357  cell




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