Anthony Russell White
Tony came into this world on April 20th, 1939 and left exactly 78 years later on April 20th, 2017. He was born in Abilene, Texas and always considered himself to be a Texan, though he moved with his family to Carmel, California in his teens. He graduated from Carmel High, and went on to get 2 degrees from Stanford; a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and math, and an MBA.
Tony was a true Renaissance man. His curiosity was boundless. He loved art, history, genealogy, architecture, music, and poetry. He described himself as a poet, a pilgrim, and a healer, who lived on a mountaintop. He had a love of cats, and was a feral cat savior. In his life he was a naval officer, a financial advisor, a friend and mentor to many, an art dealer, an art collector of both art and artifacts, an expert in the art of Western printmakers, and a poet. A poetic high point for him was a visit to the tomb of Jelaluddin Rumi in Konya, Turkey. He was awed by Rumi’s poetry. He was twice a Pushcart Prize nominee, and published eight chapbooks and his full-length book, The Faith of Leaping, won the 2007 Spire Press competition, and was published in 2008. His poetry and books can be found on his website: thepoetryofanthonyrussellwhite.com
In his earlier life he was an avid fly fisherman, skier, and backpacker. He loved hiking with his family and friends in the Sierras and was particularly happy when he could catch enough trout for everyone’s dinner. On camping trips he would get up earlier than anyone else and start a stew of dried apricots, which caused much coughing and hilarity. He continued to love hiking the mountain out his front door in Marin until the end of his life.
In 2000 Tony and Daphne moved to Marin where he became a beloved member of the board at Marin Montessori School, and was instrumental in the founding of their junior high program. He also became fascinated by the “out of the box” science that was being explored at the Institute of Noetic Science. He was an active circle member there for many years and enjoyed meeting many eclectic members, which broadened his world view. During this time he also went to the Nine Gates Mystery School, which he found deeply resonated with him. He went on to become a board member and also a staff member for many years. At Mystery School he met Baba Hariji from the Sonoma Ashram, a person and place that became very special to him. Tony used his artistic eye to find just the right items to stock the non-profit gift shop and ran the small business to benefit the Ashram. Tony said that he found his true calling doing service (seva).
Tony’s greatest joy in life was being with his family. Games of all kinds were a family tradition that he reveled in, creating many traditions and memories over the years. From raucous noun games to Babar Go Fish, Tony was filled with joy, delight and laughter when playing with his children and grandchildren.
Tony leaves behind his loving wife Daphne, his brother Phil and sister-in-law Susan, his two beautiful children, Alexis and Christopher and their spouses Pete and Amana, and his four grandsons, Dylan, Max, Zach and Jackson. The four boys were the light of his life.
Tony died from complications due to leukemia, but he outlived and exceeded all his doctors’ expectations. He lived with grace and dignity to the end, surrounded by his loving family and circle of friends.
In lieu of flowers please send a donation to the Sonoma Ashram’s website sonomaashram.org.