Issue Nº407-408 – In Memoriam

On May 2nd, Deborah Lawlor left her body in Los Angeles, California at the age of 84.

Deborah and her husband Robert started Forecomers community in 1968, where, on the barren fields and baked, eroded red laterite earth, they had built two huts, one for living quarters and one for a dance and painting studio. With a background in dance and theater, they presented a torchlit drama in the Forecomers canyons during the early years and built a check dam in the canyon by hand that was, however, soon washed out by a major cyclone. In 1972 they left Auroville for two years to recover their health, and held a summer immersion in upstate New York introducing a group of college students to the philosophy behind Auroville and taught yoga, dance, macrobiotics and organic farming. 

Upon returning to Auroville, Robert researched chlorella algae as a supplement to the local diet, as well as aloe vera and experimented with earth stabilization using natural materials. Together, Robert and Deborah made a deep dive into sacred geometry, aided by their friends Andre and Goldian Vanden Broeck in the US and Constance and Dhruva in Auroville. They started work on translating "The Temple of Man" by R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz from the original French with help from Lucie Lamy, de Lubicz's niece and Ehud Sperling, of Inner Traditions, who eventually published the book.

Alarmed by the revocation of the visas of Francis and Savitra by Navajata of the Sri Aurobindo Society, Robert and Deborah moved to Flinders Island, Tasmania, with the help of Joss Brooks, in order to hold a Commonwealth country passport and allow them better access to Auroville. The ensuing years of drama between the SAS and Auroville pushed them to create a home in Tasmania and focus on their research, making occasional trips to the US to be with friends and family and participate in the Lindisfarne Association.

Bob and Deborah parted ways as a couple with Deborah moving to Los Angeles and collaborating with director Stephen Sachs in founding The Fountain Theater and holding festivals of flamenco dance. Deborah’s love of flamenco and the cultivation of new flamenco artists created a lasting legacy in that community.

She and Robert returned to Auroville in 2018 for the 50th Birthday celebrations but by that time she was showing signs of memory loss due to Alzheimer's. But she was very happy to see many dear pioneer friends from Auroville’s early days.

On May 11th, German Aurovilian Volkher Eike Riech left his body in his Mahalakshmi Home apartment. He would have been 82 in June and had been suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis.

Having worked as an Ocean Scientist before joining Auroville, Volkher first arrived in Auroville in ’97 and became Aurovilian two years later. Being keenly interested in geological and environmental issues, he was drawn to Auroville’s green work, and worked and lived during his first years in Darkali, Discipline and Aurogreen.

He then moved to Vikas and started working at the Botanical Gardens, where he initiated and maintained the centre’s elaborate cactus gardens, which he kept up until health issues interfered four years ago. However, his interest remained and pretty soon Mahalakshmi Home would have its own cacti arrangements in gardens and balcony. 

On May 15th, Volkher’s body was buried at the Auroville Burial and Cremation grounds.

On June 3rd, Mirajyoti (Jyoti Sobel) left her body at her room at Arka at the age of 94. She had dual USA/French nationality.

Mirajyoti had a rather eventful life, about which she wrote some years ago:

“I was born on October 22, 1929, in Paris, France, from a French father and a Russian mother, and lived with my parents from 1931 to 1945 in Cambodia and Viet-Nam, while going back to the West to visit our families every two and a half years. 

In September 1939, we landed in South Vietnam with the last French boat to leave France, and were ‘stuck’ in Indochina during WWII, including during the Japanese occupation of the country from 1942 to 1945.

In 1945, we were repatriated to France and two years later my father decided to migrate to Montreal, Canada, where I studied one year in an English high school, then 4 years at the Mc Gill University, where I graduated from in 1952 with a B.A. in English and French literature.

In 1952, I returned to France and studied at the Sorbonne, Paris, towards a final English-teaching French degree, which I did not complete because my husband was posted in French-speaking Africa, at the University of Dakar, Senegal, and we had three children from 1957 to 1960. In 1962, I went back to France, and had a divorce in 1967.

In 1973, I came for the first time to Pondicherry and the Ashram just one month after Mother had left her body. I stayed only one month but returned in October 1974 and stayed in the Ashram till 1978 when I had to leave to make money in the USA. Two years later I came back, returning for good, first to the Ashram and then, after 12 years in the Ashram, Mother ‘called’ me to Auroville in 2001.

My main work has been editing the Ashram's compilations of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo in French, or English, and also working on my own music compilation -- what They have said and written about music, which would be useful to music teachers of both the Ashram and Auroville. I also helped, when requested, with receiving German groups who wished to meet an Aurovilian during their stay and hear about ‘The Integral Yoga’, and ‘Living the Integral Yoga’.”

Mirajyoti’s remains were buried at the Auroville Burial and Cremation grounds on June 11th.

On May 11th, Bernd Theilmann passed away in his home at Hermitage at the age of 74. He had been suffering from kidney failures and other physical challenges.

Before coming to Auroville, Bernd and his partner Agnes, both from Germany, stayed in Delhi from 1983 till 1989, with Bernd working as technician at the Max Mueller Bhavan. The couple then joined Auroville and assumed stewardship of the place called ‘Hermitage’, a large wilderness area west of Auroville, the development of which became the love of his life. Aided by his strong-willed and good-natured personality, all his energies went into the planting of lakhs of trees in his endeavour to transform the place into a paradise which, indeed, it gradually became. He was one of the dedicated green workers who added so much to Auroville’s natural wealth.

Bernd’s body was buried at the Auroville Burial and Cremation grounds on May 15th.

On May 23rd, Jules Arindam passed away at the age of 50 in JIPMER hospital where he had been taken some days earlier. Jules was born in Pondicherry in 1972 to Dawn (daughter of Dietra) and AuroArindam, who was one of the initiative takers of Auroville International. Jules was named by the Mother. He returned to be in his home Auroville in 2019.

Jules was active as a musician who taught music and worked at Unity Pavilion and everywhere else, helping out with the sound equipment. Jules was dedicated and professional in his work and carried on his duties cheerfully despite the health challenges he faced due to cancer.

Jules’s remains were cremated at the Auroville Burial and Cremation Grounds on May 28th.

Patha (Padmanaban Erichappan) of Fraternity passed away at JIPMER in the morning of May 30th where he had been taken due to liver failure. He would have been 55 this year.

Born in Kuilapalayam, with a quick and alert nature, Patha started working at the age of 20 at Aquadyn where he readily picked up on networking and other electronic activities. In 1991 he joined Aurelec as technical assistant to be soon promoted as service engineer, and remained working there, off and on, in various functions under various ADPS-based units till 2018.

Patha’s remains were cremated on May 31st at the Auroville Burial and Cremation grounds.

On June 5th, Gowri Raman of Service Farm (next to the Promesse community) passed away in JIPMER hospital due to kidney failure at the young age of 48. Having been on dialysis for the last 4 years, a week ago her situation worsened and she was taken to JIPMER.

Gowri was one of the bright and hardworking Aurovilians who will be missed at her various working places. She was born in Douceur (earlier known as Udayan community) and had four sisters Lakshmi, Kala, Vishwa and Rajeswari. She followed her education at Transition and Last School after which she worked and learned about farming at Discipline Farm. Later she became part of the Farm Group and Foodlink and actively ran the Service Farm for several years.

Gowri was married to Raman (earlier of Land Board) and has two children.

Gowri’s remains were cremated at the Auroville Burial and Cremation grounds on June 6th.

Leonard Anthony Meakin, better known as Tony, left his body at his Sincerity apartment on June 17. He would have been 86 in a few days’ time.

Having come from the UK with his wife Marion in 2014, he became Aurovilian in 2016, while working at Matrimandir at the time. Due to gradually developing Parkinson’s disease, in later years he mainly moved around with his wife Marion. When the latter passed away a year ago, Tony’s health steadily deteriorated.

Tony’s remains were cremated at the Auroville Burial and Cremation grounds on June 20th.

On June 24th, Mallika left her body at the age of 86. Mallika (Claude Leandre) was born in French Guyana in 1936. She grew up in France, living and working there until a chance viewing of a television program featuring Auroville called her to come and join in the “adventure of consciousness”. In 1973, she made the journey to Pondicherry and Auroville with her two young children, and taught French at both Auroville and the Ashram School for over a decade.

Officially joining Auroville in 1986, Mallika pursued studies in a variety of healing arts. With her ever-deepening exploration of the Integral Yoga and her special talent for quietly working on the subtle level, Mallika’s treatments benefitted countless Aurovilians over five decades.

Her dedication to Mother and Sri Aurobindo’s concepts of integral healing also made Mallika a valuable contributor to the establishment and development of various projects in Auroville’s health and healing sector, including Vérité, Quiet and Santé.

Mallika took a keen interest in the development of Matrimandir, supporting and participating in different aspects of work there over the years. She also maintained close connections at the Ashram, and always helped coordinate the Darshan day visits and tokens for Aurovilians.

Mallika’s other great love was for her children, Pascal, Abhipsa, and Subhadre, and their families. She delighted in being able to be actively engaged with her Auroville grandchildren, and also devoted herself to keeping a strong energetic bond with her family outside of Auroville.

Mallika’s small physical stature belied a huge spirit, full of youthful zest, humor, intelligence and care for the world and its future. Bon voyage to a remarkable woman whose presence will be greatly missed.

Mallika’s remains were cremated at the Auroville Burial and Cremation grounds on July 1st.

Mallika gave an insight in her life in the article ‘My life in Auroville at the Service of Truth’ which has been published on page 5 of this issue.

David Nagel passed away in his Aurodam home on June 23rd. He had been struggling with health issues since a number of years, and had just this year become 80.

Hailing from Brooklyn, USA, David came to Auroville in 1976 along with his brother Larry. He had the required 'wackiness', passion and the ability to work in diverse fields that was the need and hallmark of the early pioneering years of establishing Auroville.

After running the Nourishment restaurant in Pondicherry on rue Lally Tollendal, later known as ‘La Maison d'Auroville’, a place to eat, rest and recuperate for Aurovilians doing errands in Pondy before cycling back to Auroville, he ran the Bharat Nivas Kitchen, providing school lunches to generations of Auroville's children.

From 1978 onwards, David immersed himself in afforestation work which became his passion for the rest of his life. He must have planted thousands of trees, provided seedlings from his Aurodam nursery to many foresting people and places, and assisted greening efforts in many places outside Auroville such as the Palani Hills and on village land near the Madras Crocodile Bank together with the Irula Women's Society.

He taught how to raise nurseries with thousands of trees and then how to plant and care for them. His greening efforts are a visible legacy for the future. He can be heard speaking about his work at https://youtu.be/51npNzfj2zY&t=8m24s.

The cremation of his remains took place at Auroville’s Cremation Grounds in the afternoon of Tuesday June 27th.