Grahame Petchey's body was cremated yesterday, February 27, at Greenwood Cemetery in Mill Valley, California.
Reb Anderson officiated. Also there from Green Gulch were Linda Ruth Cutts, Reb’s assistant Sonja Gardenswartz, his Jisha Valerian and Kōgen Dito-Keith.
Also attending were Grahame's daughters Julia Petchey and Suzanne Petchey, and former wives Pauline Petchey and Hideko Oga who brought their disabled son Mark. Julia and Suzanne made statements. Julia brought Grahame’s okesa which was draped over the simple coffin box. There was a photograph set up, incense offerings, we chanted the Daihishin Dharani and the 10 names of Buddha. Reb made several different statements including the acknowledgment of the great pain Grahame had been in and his facing it. Then at the end Reb removed the okesa and we waited while the box was rolled into the retort (which is what the cremation chamber is called). The box had a spray of Mimosa in bloom on it. - thanks Eijun Linda Ruth Cutts
Photo - Sotan Tatsugami, Grahame Petchey, Phillip Wilson at Eiheiji 1964
Grahame Petchey cuke page
