Passing of Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá'í, the leader of the Shaykhís, in Haddíyyih near Medina near the tomb of Muhammad, at approximately 75 years. He was buried in the cemetery of Baqí` in Medina. [B2,; M16; H20]
• At his passing Siyyid Kázim-i-Rashtí became his designated successor. [BBD12; DB9-11]
• BBD12 says it was 1828 and he was 81 years old
• See MH20 for three chief articles of faith of the Shaykhís.
• See BBRSM8 for a brief account of his life. Says he lived from 1753 to 1826.
• See DB1-18 for a brief history of his life.
• DB18 says he died in 1268 A.H. (4 August, 1826 to 25 July, 1827)
• See MH22 for a picture.
• KA239n171 says Shaykh Aḥmad-i-Ahsá'í lived from 1753 to 1831. He was the founder of the Shaykhí School and the first of the "twin luminaries that heralded the advent of the Faith of the Báb".
• See Sheikh Ahmad al-Ahsai by Moojan Momen for a brief history of Shaykh Aḥmad-i-Ahsá'í and the Shaykhí School and his continuing influence today.
• See Ahsá'í, Shaykh Ahmad by Denis MacEoin (Encyclopedia Iranica).
• See BBRSM8-13 for a history of Shaykhism.
• See GPB92 for his predictions regarding the Twin Manifestations. iiiii

Passing of Mírzá Muhammad Ridá, the father of the Báb.
• The Báb was placed in the care of His maternal uncle, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí, Khál-i-A`zam (the Most Great Uncle). He was a leading merchant of Shíráz and was the first, after the Letters of the Living, to embrace the new Cause in that city. He was one of the Seven Martyrs of Tihrán. [BBD14]
• In the household was an Ethiopian servant named Mubarak who nurtured and tutored Him throughout His later childhood and adolescence. "the Bab, in fact, places Mubarak on the same plane as his father." [The Ethiopian King by Nader Saiedi translated by Omid Ghaemmaghami Baha'i Studies Review, Volume 17 p181-186] This servant was not, in fact, the Hají Mubarak who later accompanied Him to Mecca.
• According to Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl-i-Gulpáygání, the Báb was still an infant and had not yet been weaned when His father passed away. [DB72]

Passing of Mírzá Buzurg. His body was taken to Najaf, Iraq where he was interred. [BBD49; BKG17; BNE23–4]
• In 1957 the remains of Mírzá Buzurg were located and transferred. [MBW175]

Birth of Ahmad, son of the Báb. He passed away shortly after he was born (or was still-born). [Bab46-47; DB76note4; 77; KBWB6-9]
• DB74 for a picture of his resting-place. Also see KBWB7.

Passing of Siyyid Kázim-i-Rashtí, the disciple and self-proclaimed successor of Shaykh Ahmad, in Karbalá. Because Siyyid Kázim designated no successor, within a short period of time the Shaykhí school was split into several factions. The two largest were grouped around Siyyid `Alí Muhammad and Hájí Mullá Muhammad Karím Khán Kirmání. The first faction moved away from the outward practice of Islám towards a development of inner realities and ultimately a new revelation. The second emphasized the continuing role of the Prophets and the Imáms and sought acceptance from the Shí'í majority which had formerly excommunicated Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kázim. [BBD126–7; MH26; SBBH1; TB6, Sayyid Kazim Rashti by Moojan Momen]
• The latter, Hájí Mullá Muhammad Karím Khán Kirmání, became an enemy of the Báb. [SDH165; RoB1p331-335]
• BBRSM9 for a brief account of his life and the Shaykhí school under his leadership.
• See MH28 for a picture.
• See DB43–5, MH46–7 for an account of a warning of his passing in a shepard's dream.
• Bahá'u'lláh condemned him in both the Kitáb-i-Íqán (p.184-186) and the Lawh-i-Qiná.
• See DB24-25, 40-42 for Siyyid Kázim's exhortations to his followers predicting the manifestation of both the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh.

The passing of Manúchihr Khán. His death had been predicted by the Báb 87 days earlier. The governor had made the Báb the beneficiary of his vast holdings, estimated to be 40 million francs, but his nephew Gurgín Khán appropriated everything after his death. [Bab116; DB212Note1, 213–214]
• Before the death of Manúchihr Khán the Báb instructed His followers to disperse throughout Káshán, Qum and Tihrán. [B115; DB213–14] Gurgín Khán, in his role as the new governor, informed the Sháh that the Báb wss in Isfahán and had been sheltered by Manúchihr Khán. The Sháh ordered that the Báb be taken to Tihrán incognito. The Báb, escorted by Nusayrí horsemen, set out for Tihrán soon after midnight. [Bab116, 118; DB215–116; TN11]

The birth of Mírzá Mihdí, `the Purest Branch', the son of Bahá'u'lláh and His wife Ásíyih Khánum (Navváb) in the family's rented house near the Shemiran Gate (Darvázih Shimrán) in northern Tehran. [BBD155]
• He was named after Mihdí, Bahá'u'lláh's elder full brother, who was dear to Him and who had recently died. In later years Bahá'u'lláh gave Mírzá Mihdí the title "the Purest Branch."
• In January of 1853 Bahá'u'lláh and His family left Tehran on the first stage of their exile. Mírzá Mihdí, who was unwell at the time and unfit to undertake three months of hard travel across the Iranian Plateau and the Zagros Mountains in severe winter weather, had to be left behind in the care of relatives. The Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, which has no definitive information on the topic, suggests that it is possible that more than one relative may have cared for Mírzá Mihdí over the seven years before he rejoined his parents in Baghdad. RoL165 says that he was left with his maternal grandmother, CH45 says it was his maternal great-grandmother, BKG13 says it was his paternal aunt, Hadrat-i-Ukht, identified as Sárih Khánum.
• He was reunited with his parents in 1860 after Bahá'u'lláh's return from the mountains of Sulaymaniyah and the family remained in Baghdad for another three years, until April 1863.
• Mírzá Mihdí accompanied Bahá'u'lláh in His successive exiles to Istanbul, Edirne, and, finally, to Akka.
• Despite his youth, Mírzá Mihdí was accustomed to hardship and was recognized as "a pillar of strength" among the exiles during the difficult period after their departure from Baghdad. He resembled 'Abdu'l-Bahá in appearance and character and was noted for his piety, gentleness, dignity, courtesy, and patience. Throughout his brief adult life, Mírzá Mihdí was Bahá'u'lláh's companion and served as one of His secretaries, recording the sacred tablets that He revealed. Many such manuscripts in Mírzá Mihdí's excellent handwriting are extant." [Bahá'í Encyclopedia]
• See also Mírzá Mihdí: The Purest Branch by Boris Handal published by George Ronald Publisher, 2017
• See 22 June 1870 and 23 June 1870

The passing of Hájí Mubárak, the servant of the Báb. He was born in 1823 and died at the age of 40. He was buried in the grounds of the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq.
• He had been purchased in Bushir at the age of 5 by Hájí Mírzá Abú'l-Qásím, the great-grandfather of Shoghi Effendi and brother-in-law of the Báb and was sold to the Báb in 1842, just prior to His wedding, at the age of 19 for fourteen tomans. [BP5, 18]

Mírzá Mihdí died from his injuries 22 hours after his fall. [BKG311–12; GPB188; RB3:208]
• See BKG313, GPB188 and RB3:210 for the prayer of Bahá'u'lláh for His son.
• Shoghi Effendi equate his death with the acts of atonement associated with Abraham's intended sacrifice of His son, with the crucifixion of Christ and with the martyrdom of Imám Husayn. [GPB188]
• He was interred in the cemetery next to the shrine of Nabí Sálih in `Akká. [GBP188; RB3:209]
• Also see BBD155, BKG311–14, RB3:204–20.

Marriage of `Abdu'l-Bahá to Munírih Khánum in the House of `Abbúd.
• DH45 says the marriage took place in late August or September 1872.
• See CH87–90, SES25-26, DH45–6 and RB2:208–9 for details of the wedding.
• For the story of Munírih Khánum's life see RB2:204–9.
• She was the daughter of Mírzá Muhammad-`Alíy-i-Nahrí by his second wife. [BBD165; GPB130; RB2:204]
• See BBD 166, BKG340–1, DB208–9 and RB2:203–4 for the story of her conception.
• See BKG344, MA112–13 and RB2:206–7 for the story of her first marriage.
• The marriage resulted in nine children, five of whom died in childhood: Husayn Effendi (died 1887, aged two), Mihdí (died aged two-and-a-half), Túbá, Fu'ádiyyih and Rúhangíz. Four daughters grew to adulthood. The oldest of these was Díyá'iyyih, who married Mírzá Hádí Shírází in 1895. Shoghi Effendi was their eldest child. The second daughter, Túbá Khánum, married Mírzá Muhsin Afnán. The third daughter of `Abdu'l-Bahá, Rúhá, married Mírzá Jalál, the son of Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan, the King of Martyrs. The fourth daughter, Munavvar, married Mírzá Ahmad. [ABMM]

The passing of Mullá Sádiq-i-Muqaddas-i-Khurásání entitled by Bahá'u'lláh Ism'lláh'l-Asdaq (In the Name of God the Most Truthful) in Hamadán. He was born in Mashhad in around 1800, the son of a cleric, he furthered his own clerical studies in Karbila under the Shaykhi leader Sayyid Qasim Rashti, eventually gaining the rank of mujtahid, and becoming known by the honorific title Muqaddas ('the holy one').
• As a young man he had been a disciple of Siyyid Kázim and had met Siyyid 'Alí-Muhammad in Karbilá. He was among the first believers who identified with the Message of the Báb. See DB100 and EB7 for the story of how he independently determined His identity when he met Mullá Husayn in Isfahán on his way to deliver a tablet to Bahá'u'lláh in Tehran. The very next day he left Isfahán for Shíráz on foot arriving 12 days later to find that the Báb had already departed for pilgrimage.
• He took up residence in Shíráz and received a Tablet from the Báb instructing him to change the Call to Prayer. See DB146-148, EB13-14 for the story of how he endured over 900 strokes of the lash on the command of Husayn Khán-i-Írva´ní, the Governor of the province of Fars, and remained indifferent to the pain. (6 August, 1845) He was expelled from the city and proceeded to Yazd. He had similar fate in that city and was banished. He, together with Quddús and Mullá Alí Akbar'-i-Ardistání, were the first three Bábís known to suffer persecution for the Faith on Persian soil.
• On the way to Khurásán he joined Mullá Husayn and those who would participate in the Tabarsí siege where he was on hand for the death of Mullá Husayn. (DB381) After the deception and massacre he was one of the few survivors and, as a prisoner, was taken to Mázindarán to be executed by the family Prince Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá who had commanded the royal troops and had been killed in battle. On route the party called on the clerics to interrogate him and his fellow Bábis and they became convinced that they were not heretics deserving of execution. The prisoners were to be sent to Tehran but escaped and made their way to Míhámí and eventually to Mashad.
• In 1861, after life in that city became impossible, he went to Baghdád where he attained the presence of Bahá'u'lláh. After 14 months he returned to his native province of Khurásán.
• He continued in his audacious teaching and as a result was taken to Tehran where he was kept in the Síhåh-Chál. He taught a number of fellow prisoners about the Promised One and converted Hakím Masíh, the Jewish physician assigned to attend to the prisoners. He was the first Bahá'í of Jewish background in Tehran (and was the grandfather of Lutfu'lláh Hakím, a former member of the Universal House of Justice.) After 28 months imprisonment he was pardoned but refuse to leave without his fellow prisoners. The Sháh released 40 of the 43 prisoners. (The remaining three were guilty of actual crimes.)
• After Tehran he went to Khurásán and returned to the capital some three years later to help in changing the hiding place of the remains of the Báb. Then he travelled to Káshán, Isfahán and Yazd where he convinced some of the Afnáns to accept the truth of their Nephew's claims. After returning to Khurásán he was given permission to make a pilgrimage to 'Akká where he remained for some four months, returning by way of Mosul and Baghdád. When he reached Hamadán he was exhausted. Twelve days after his arrival he passed.
• He had been the recipient of many tablets from Bahá'u'lláh including a Tablet of Visitation after his passing. One of the most well-know tablets was the Lawh-i-Ahbáb (Tablet of the Friends). It is thought He revealed this Tablet some time after leaving the barracks in 'Akká, about 1870-1871. [RoB3p258-260, List of the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh]
• He was the father of Ibn-i-Asdaq who Bahá'u'lláh appointed a Hand of the Cause of God. [EB19]
• 'Abdu'l-Baha posthumously referred to him as a Hand of the Cause of God.
• References [LoF32-41, MF5-8, DB381. EB7-23, BBR 69-70]

  Note: Other sources fix his passing, EB23 and LoF32: 1889, but Bahá'í Encyclopedia Project had determine his passing as 1291 A.H or 1874-1875. The source is a letter from the Research Department dated 25 July 2005.

The wife of Ḥakím Áqá Ján, Ṭúṭí Khánum, was a deeply faithful believer and his son, Mírzá Mihdí Khán, a doctor of medicine like his father, became the personal physician of Náṣiri'd-Dín Sháh.

In 1881, on his deathbed, Ḥakím Áqá Ján was reported to have seen Bahá'u'lláh standing in his room although He was in the Holy Land. In a tablet addressed to his son after his passing, Bahá'u'lláh said that He was with him at the moment of his ascension. [An Account of the Life of Ḥakím Áqá Ján translated by Adobe Masumian]

For more information on the enrolment of Persian Jews see Jewish Identities in Iran: Resistance and Conversion to Islam and the Baha'i Faith by Mehrdad Amanat as well as Arsalan Geula's Iranian Bahá'ís from Jewish Background: A Portrait of an Emerging Bahá'í Community.]

Bahá'u'lláh sent Sulaymán Khán Ilyás, Jamál Effendi, to India. [BW4:285; GPB195; MC155]
• See EB120–1, 122–8 and MF134–8.
• BBRSM90, 193 say he was sent in 1871 and left in 1878. BW18p246 says he arrived in 1872. EB122 says he reached Bombay in 1878 and stayed 11 years on the subcontinent.
• His work helped establish Bahá'í communities in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras as well as in Burma. [BBRSM91; GPB225]
• See Momen-Jamal Effendi for a map of his travels in India (1876-1879) and South-east Asia (1884-1886) as well as to Central Asia 1888-1896.
• Among those he taught was Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí, who later found the Bahá'í community of Burma. [BW10:517] iiiii

Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí arrived in Burma with Jamál Effendi.
• He married into a well-to-do Indo-Burman family of traders and settled in Rangoon, remaining in Burma to build up the Burmese community. [BW10:517; PH23]
• See BW10:517–18 and MC155 for his conversion of Daidanaw, the first all-Bahá'í village in the world outside Iran.
• See BW10:517–20 for an account of his life.
• See RoB4p181-182.
• He was named a Hand of the Cause of God by the Guardian after his passing. In the village of Daidanaw, Burma (Rangoon) there is a building they call "the Shrine of Siyyid Mustafa Rumí" in his honour. [CBN253Aug-Sep1971p5]
• Mustafá Rúmí and Daidanaw are mentioned in the film Exemplar (18:50-20:20). 'Abdu'l-Bahá called Daidanaw "My village".
• See Jamal Effendi and Sayyid Mustafa Rumi in Celebes: The Context of Early Bahá'í Missionary Activity in Indonesia by Jelle de Vries.

The passing of Fáṭimih Bagum, the mother of the Báb in Karbila. She herself was from a prominent Shírází merchant family; she could trace her background back to the Imám Husayn. The daughter of Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad Husayn, she married Siyyid Muhammad Ridá, and had several children with him, however only one survived; 'Alí-Muhammad. Widowed shortly after, she went to live with her brother Hájí Mirzá Siyyid 'Ali who served as a father figure to Siyyid 'Alí-Muhammad. On hearing that Siyyid 'Alí-Muhammad was making a pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbilá, she was distressed and arranged the marriage between Him to His second cousin once removed: Khadíjih Bagum.

Originally, Fáṭimih Bagum did not accept her Son's cause unlike her brother, however she kept an open mind. She was devastated on hearing the news of the treatment of her Son, and after His martyrdom her family kept it a secret from her for nearly a whole year. After hearing the news, the distraught Fáṭimih Bagum moved to Karbilá with her closest companions in December of 1851. She did not become a believer until some time later when Bahá'u'lláh instructed two of His faithful followers, Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá'í and the wife of Hájí 'Abdu'l-Majíd-i-Shírázi to instruct her in the principles of the Faith

• Shoghí Effendí pursued in trying to locate her grave, but it has not yet been found.
• The Báb referred to Fáṭimih Bagum as "Ummu'l-Mu'minin" (mother of the believers) and "Ummu'dh-Dhikr" (mother of the Remembrance). Bahá'u'lláh referred to her as "Khayru'n-Nisa" (the best of women) and forbad all others, except Khadíjih Bagum, from adopting this title. [Wikipedia]

The passing of Khadíjih-Bagum, the wife of the Báb, in Shíráz in the house of her Husband. [BBD127; EB235; KBWB35; DB191; RoB2p387] Note: KBWB35 states that she passed on the 15th of September, 1882 however MBBA112 suggests 16th of October. She died of dysentery.
• Within two hours of her passing her faithful servitor, an Ethiopian slave named Fiddhih, someone who had been a member of the household since the age of seven, passed away as well. Both were interred within the Shrine of Sháh-Chirágh. [BK35]
• Upon her passing Bahá'u'lláh revealed a tablet of visitation for her and later He composed a verse to be inscribed on her tombstone. [RoB2p387]
  • In accordance with Bahá'u'lláh's instructions, in 1308 A.H. [1891], Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí went to Bombay to publish some of the Holy Tablets. As the Blessed Beauty instructed, he purchased a gravestone for the resting place of the wife of the Báb. The following verse, revealed from the heaven of divine will, was engraved on it: He is the Everlasting. Verily this exalted leaf hearkened to the Call of the Tree beyond which there is no passing and winged her flight towards it. "Abú'l-Qásim Afnán informs the translator that this gravestone is safe in an undisclosed location in Iran." [MBBA117]

The passing of the wife of Bahá'u'lláh, Ásíyih Khánum, entitled Navváb (the Most Exalted Leaf) in the House of `Abbúd. [BBD170; BKG369; DH57, 213]
• See CB119–20 for comments on her nature and station and for Tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in her honour.
• See CH39-40 for a description of her by Lady Bloomfield.
• After her passing Bahá'u'lláh revealled a Tablet for her in which He called her his `perpetual consort in all the worlds of God'. [GPB108]
• See CB120–1 for `Abdu'l-Bahá's commentary on Isaiah 54, which refers to Navváb.
• She was interred in the Bahá'í section of the Muslim cemetery. [BBD170; DH57, 81]
• Muhammad-Yúsuf Páshá demanded that `Abdu'l-Bahá vacate the house of `Abbúd even during Navváb's illness. [BKG369]

Mírzá Músá, Áqáy-i-Kalím, Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh, the faithful brother of Bahá'u'lláh, passed away in `Akká. [BBD166; BKG369; DH57]
• He was buried in the Bahá'í section of the Muslim cemetery. [DH81]
• He was designated by Shoghi Effendi as one of the 19 Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh. [BBD166; BW3:80–1]
• See Bahá'í Chronicles for a brief biography as well as MoF86-90.

She said that when Husayn passed away, Bahá'u'lláh wrote the following:

"The knowledge of the reason why your sweet baby has been called back is in the mind of God, and will be manifested in His own time. To the prophets of God the present and the future are as one." [CH90]

Note that The Bahá'í Encyclopedia Project dates his passing 1874-1875.

The Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh  

Bahá'u'lláh passed away at Bahjí in His seventy–fifth year. [AB47; BBRXXIX, 233; BKG420; CB148; GPB221; RB4:411]

"The news of His ascension was instantly communicated to Sultán 'Abdu'l-Hamíd by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in a telegram which began with the words "the Sun of Bahá has set". [GPB222; AB47; BKG420]

• He cited these last words, two verses from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas:

  "Say: Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels."

  "Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth. We are truly almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me will arise and serve Me with such determination that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to defeat his purpose." [GWB137]

• For an account by Túbá Khánum see CH105–9.
• Bahá'u'lláh had spent 23 years, 8 months and 29 (or 30) days in the Holy Land. [DH12]
• He passed away eight hours after sunset. [GPB221; UD170]
• Shortly after sunset, on the very day of His passing, Bahá'u'lláh was buried beneath the floor of the northermost room in the house adjacent to the mansion of Bahjí, the house which had served as a dwelling-place for His son-in-law, Háji Siyyid 'Ali Afnán. This became the Qiblih of the Bahá'í Faith. [AB47; BBD211; BKG427; GPB222]
• See CB149 and RB4:149 for the effect of Bahá'u'lláh's ascension on`Abdu'l-Bahá.
• See ARG71-72 for `Abdu'l-Bahá's account of His attempt to convince Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí to be faithful to the Covenant.
• See CoC132-134; AB52–3, CB148–9, 152-153 and RB4:148–9 for the theft of Bahá'u'lláh's cases containing His seals, papers and other items. See as well An Epistle to the Bahá'í World by Mirza Badi'u'llah, page 13, written during his short-life period of confession/redemption.
  • One of the documents in these cases was the original Long Obligatory Prayer that had been mentioned in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Bahá'u'lláh had revealed the text but did not release it in order to avoid provoking conflict with Muslims. [Prayer and Worship by John Walbridge]
  • The box also contained a valuable ring and a rosary. "The ring was sold by Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí in the course of his journey in India and spent as travel money. And Mírzá Badi`u'llah wasted the rosary." [MBBA214
• See AB52–61, CB148–51 and RB4:148–54 for the Covenant-breaking activities of Bahá'u'lláh's family immediately following His death.
• For 'Abdu'l-Bahá's description of His Father see BWF220-224.
• See GPB222–3 for the mourning following the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh.
• In his book about Shoghi Effendi, Ugo Giachery recounted how that Guardian had asked him, "In the late forties" to bring to the Holy Land an alabaster sarcophagus that had been made by the believers in Rangoon, Burma. It was similar to the one they had made for the remains of the Báb. It had "reached the shores of the Mediterranean" but because of the unrest in the region, it had not been delivered.. He reported that "The sarcophagus is now in good hands waiting for the opportunity to be sent to its rightful destination." [SER117]
• See BBR234–6 for a list of Europeans who had met Bahá'u'lláh.

Anton Haddad departed Cairo en route to the United States. [An Outline of the Bahá'í Movement in the United States: A sketch of its promulgator [Ibrahim Kheiralla] and why afterwards denied his Master, Abbas Effendi by Anton Haddad]
• He was probably the first Bahá'í to reach American soil. [BFA1:26]
• He produced some of the earliest Bahá'í material to be published in English, including translations of the Writings including the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which was unpublished. He reportedly did not remain a member of the Bahá'í community but returned to Lebanon and became a Protestant minister. He passed away in 'Ayn-Zhalta in 1924. [Bahaipedia]

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Nabil-i-Akbar Áqá Muhammed-i-Qá'iní. He was born in Naw-Firist, Persia (Iran) on 29 March 1829. [Bahá'í Encyclopedia Project; MoFp1]
• "It has been claimed that no one within the enclave of the Bahá'í Faith has ever surpassed the profundity of his erudition." Bahá'u'lláh addressed the Lawh-i-Hikmat (Tablet of Wisdom) in his honour. [EB115]
• He was imprisoned a number of times in Iran for his Bahá'í activities and eventually moved to Ashkhabad ('Ishqábád, Turkmenistan). He died in Bukhárá, Uzbekistan. 'Abdu'l-Bahá designated him a Hand of the Cause of God. [LoF28-31]
• For details of his life see EB112–15 and LoF28-31.
• He was named as one of the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh.
• For a brief biography see "Nabil-e aʿzam Zaranadi, Mollā Mohammad," by Vahid Rafati, Encyclopædia Iranica

Nabíl, inconsolable at the death of Bahá'u'lláh, committed suicide by drowning himself in the sea. [AB56; BBD167; BKG265-268, , 427–8; MF32-37; DH81; EB268-270; GPB222; Rob1p201-206]
• He left a note paying homage to `Abdu'l-Bahá, writing the date of his death in the single Arabic word `Gharíq' (drowned), the numerical value of which is AH 1310 (AD 1892–3). [MF35; RB1:205]
• See OPOP86 for "Pilgrim's Note" concerning what Jináb-i-Fádil said that 'Abdu'l-Bahá said about Nabil's suicide.
• See DH81 for his own epitaph.
• He was buried in the Muslim Cemetery near `Akká. [DH81]
• He was one of 19 Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh designated by Shoghi Effendi in recognition of distinguished services that those nineteen loyal and devoted Persian Bahá'ís have rendered to their faith. [BW3p80-81]
• Nabíl was born in the village of Zarand on the 29th of July, 1831. He had become a Bábí around 1847 after over-hearing a conversation between two men about the Báb. He accepted the faith of Bahá'u'lláh in 1858. During his years as a Bábí, Nabil traveled to Lorestan, Kermanshah, Tehran, and Khorasan; he met with the Bábís and Bábí leaders in those provinces to foster the Bábí ideology and inspire the believers to arise, consolidate, and expand the new Bábí communities. He also transcribed and distributed Bábí literature among the rank and file of the society to promote the Bábí faith. He was jailed in Sāva for four months because of his pro-Bábí activities. In September 1854, he set out for Baghdad and Karbala, where he stayed until October 1856. During late 1856 to July 1858, he traveled to Hamadan, his hometown Zarand, and many major Babi communities in the capital province and returned to Baghdad on 19 July 1858.
  Nabil's life as a Bahá'í is summed up in his extensive travels throughout Iran, Iraq, Turkey, the Caucasus, Egypt, and Palestine. In his early travels as a Bahá'í, he met with the Bábí communities to invite them to the Bahá'í faith; he attracted the Bábi leaders to the recognition of Bahá'u'lláh as the fulfillment of the Báb's prophecies concerning the promised messianic figure and helped reinforce the belief of the new Bahá'ís in the teachings and principles that were being advanced by Bahá'u'lláh. Through these activities, Nabíl became an outstanding teacher, defender, and promulgator of the Bahá'í faith. [Dawn over Mount Hira, "The Poet Laureate" p19-104, or p85-98, "Nabil-e aʿzam Zaranadi, Mollā Mohammad," by Vahid Rafati, Encyclopædia Iranica, DB434-435]
• Although known primarily as an historian in the West he was a gifted and prolific poet who devoted most of his poetry to the historical events in the Bábí and Bahá'í faiths. His most famous poem in couplet form about the history of the Bahá'í faith was published as Maṯnawi-e Nabil Zarandi in Cairo in 1924 in 65 pages and reprinted in Langenhain in 1995. In this poem he describes major historical events from the early days of the Bábí movement to the year 1869. His second poem, in 666 verses, deals with Bahá'u'lláh's banishment from Edirne to Akka. Other historical poetry of Nabil consists of his poem titled "Maṯnawi-e weṣāl wa hejr" in 175 verses (pub. in Rafati, 2014, Chap. 6; Ḏokāʾi, p. 416) and his poem on the life of Āqā Moḥammad Nabil Akbar Qāʾeni in 303 verses (Ḵušahā-i az ḵarman-e adab wa honar 13, pp. 108-16). In addition to those poems, Nabil left behind a great collection of poetry in different forms, only a fraction of which has been published.
  His other works in prose included a treatise on the Bábí-Bahá'í calendar, a treatise on Bahá'í inheritance laws (Fāżel Māzandarāni, IV pp. 1, 214), and his account on the event of the passing of Bahá'u'lláh (Nabil Zarandi, Maṯnawi-e Nabil Zarandi, Langenhain, 1995, pp. 67-108). But Nabil's most celebrated work is Maṭāleʿ al-anwār, an extensive historical narrative of the Bábí faith, written in Akka in 1888-90, which was edited and translated into English by Shoghi Effendi as The Dawn-Breakers. The work was first published in the United States in 1932. ["Nabil-e aʿzam Zaranadi, Mollā Mohammad," by Vahid Rafati, Encyclopædia Iranica; DB434-435]

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Shaykh Muhammad-Ridáy-i-Yazdí (Mullá Ridá) while incarcerated in the Síyáh-Cháh. [RoB2p84-91; Bahaipedia; Wikipedia]
• He was born in Muhammad-Ábád in the province of Yazd into a well-known family in about 1814. He was provided a good education and he became a divine known for his piety, eloquence and courage.
• Mullá Ridá became a follower of the Báb in the early days of the Revelation. He recognized Bahá'u'lláh as the Promised One of the Bayan some time after 1855 upon reading Qasídiy-i-Varqá'íyyih, "Ode of the Dove". (Bahá'u'lláh had composed this ode while still in Sulaymáníyyih.)
• He was a fearless teacher who was outspoken and often suffered imprisonment and torture. "Other than seventeen-year-old Badí, no one has surpassed Mullá Ridá's unusual power of endurance. The rare combination of endurance, eloquence, courage and humour made him that unique hero who illuminated the pages of the history of the Bahá'í Faith." [Extract from a Persian book called Masabih-i-Hidayat, Volume I by Azizu'llah-i-Sulaymani]
• In one story of his courage in teaching and his endurance in withstanding abuse, he was found to be picking his teeth while being bastinadoed and, in another, while a elderly man he withstood a brutal flogging on his bare back in the prison yard. A witness to this flogging, Ghulám-Ridá Khán, a notable of Tehran who happened to be imprisoned at the same time, became a believer upon seeing his steadfastness under the lashing. [RoB1p84-91, EB89-111, LoF21-27]
• 'Abdu'l-Bahá referred to a few of the believers posthumously as being Hands of the Cause (see MF5 and BW14p446) Adib Taherzadeh points out that "since there are one or two others by the same name (Shaykh-Ridáy-i-Yazdí) it is not possible to identify him. However, some believe strongly that he is Mullá Muhammad-i-Ridáy-i-Muhammmad-Ábádí. [RoB4p186n]

Note: Balyuzi gives the date of August 20th with giving a source. Momen says that Jamál Effendi lived out the last days in Akka. He died on 9 November 1898. He was buried in the Akka cemetery near the grave of Mírzá Músá, the brother of Bahá'u'lláh. 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote a tablet of visitation for him and instructed that on his grave be written the following words:

Verily, Jamál ad-Dín, a traveller famous in every clime, the spreader of the fragrance of the love of God, has now become a traveller in those realms of God which are hidden from the eyes of the people of realm of veils. 1316 AH

Ethel Jenner Rosenberg accepted the Bahá'í Faith, the first English woman to become a Bahá'í in her native land. [AB73–4; ER39; GPB260; SBR20, 33; SEBW55-64, SCU17]
• For her biography see Rob Weinberg's, Ethel Jenner Rosenberg.
• She visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá several times in the first decade of the century. [SCU17]

In August 1932 he died after a brief illness and was interred at Cypress Lawn cemetery. The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of San Francisco expressed its "grief and sense of serious loss" and paid tribute to "the untiring services and inspiring leadership of their first Chairman, Dr Frederick W. D'Evelyn". [Bahá'í Council website]

'Aqá Jamál Burújirdí had been a member of the Islamic clergy in Burujerd and was widely known and revered across Iran as a gifted teacher of the Faith. He was a proud and egotistical man but during the lifetime of Bahá'u'lláh, he received much praise and various honorary titles such as Ismu'lláh'u'l-Jamál (The Name of God Jamál) due to his many services. During his visit to 'Akká following the passing of Bahá'u'lláh he made contact with Mírzá Muhammad-Alí with the goal of securing a prominent place in the administration of the faith under his leadership, all the while feigning loyalty to 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
• In God Passes By p247-248 Shoghi Effendi says of Mírzá Muhammad-Alí and those who tried to assist him in his nefarious efforts, "Closely-knit by one common wish and purpose; indefatigable in their efforts; assured of the backing of the powerful and perfidious Jamál-i-Burújirdí and his henchmen, Ḥájí Ḥusayn-i-Káshí, Khalíl-i-Khú'í and Jalíl-i-Tabrízí who had espoused their cause; linked by a vast system of correspondence with every center and individual they could reach; seconded in their labours by emissaries whom they dispatched to Persia, 'Iráq, India and Egypt; emboldened in their designs by the attitude of officials whom they bribed or seduced, these repudiators of a divinely-established Covenant arose, as one man, to launch a campaign of abuse and vilification which compared in virulence with the infamous accusations which Mírzá Yaḥyá and Siyyid Muḥammad had jointly levelled at Bahá'u'lláh."
• He was publically unmasked after the Covenant-breakers printed letters with falsehoods and misleading statements. believed to be about four years after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh. He became known in the Bahá'í community as "Hyena" or "Old Hyena" (pír-i-kaftár). He died in poverty and disgrace in Iran. The date of his death is not known. [M9YA6-7, 432, RoB2p118-9, 264-267, MMoB104-105, CB165-166, 209-15, Biographies of Jamal-i-Burujirdi]
• Shogi Effendi described 'Aqá Jamál Burújirdí as being "Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí's tablet lieutenant in Persia, "all trey to a fatal an loathsome disease". ]GPB319]
• He was the recipient of many tablets from both Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, one of which can be found in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh p5-9 and a more complete provisional translation of the original tablet can be found here.
• See also Tablet to Jamal-i-Burujirdi by Bahá'u'lláh translated by Khazeh Fananapazir.
• See ARG168 for mention of him relation to a refutation he received from Fádil-i-Shirází.

Thomas Breakwell died from tuberculosis in Paris. (b. 31 May, 1872 in Woking) [AB77; BBD46; SEBW70]
• `Abdu'l-Bahá appeared to know this without being told. [AB78-9; SEBW70]
• See AB79, SEBW71–2, SWAB187–9 and the Utterance Project for `Abdu'l-Bahá's eulogy.
• Shoghi Effendi designated him one of three 'luminaries shedding brilliant lustre on annals of Irish, English and Scottish Bahá'í communities', together with John Esslemont and George Townshend. [MBW174]
• See Wikipedia for an account of his life.
• For biographical information see The Early Years of the British Bahá'í Community 1898-1911 p82-83.
• See Cimetière de Pantin for the location of his resting place c/w photos.
  Thomas Breakwell died in relative obscurity, a victim of tuberculosis in a poor quarter of the city of Paris. His earthly remains now lie in the communal charnel house at the cemetery of Pantin. It was not until the summer of 1997 that a dignified but suitably modest monument to mark his resting place was finally unveiled to the world. [The Life of Thomas Breakwell by Rajwantee Lakshiman-Lepain p10-11]
• See The Life of Thomas Breakwell by Rajwantee Lakshiman-Lepain. iiiii
• See the narration of the Tablet of Visitation for Thomas Breakwell by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Arabic with English subtitles. The transliteration and recitation of the Tablet was by Adib Masumiam with the design and editing of the video by Violetta Zein.
  The original Arabic text can be found here and the English translation for the Tablet can be found in Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l‑Bahá No 158.
• For the story of the revelation of the Tablet see Memories of Nine Years in Akká by Youness Afroukhteh as translated by Riaz Masrour, p. 132-137)

The passing of Mullá Zaynu'l-'Ábidín, surnamed Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín (the Ornament of the Near Ones) in 'Akká. He is sometimes referred to as Jináb-i-Zayn (The Excellent Zayn), or Harfu'z-Zá (the Letter Z). He was born in the month of Rajab, in one of the villages of Najafábád near Isfahán to a family of Muslim clerics in May 1818. He had first heard of the Báb's claim while on pilgrimage in Karbilá in 1844 and became a believer in 1851. He met Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád after His return from Kurdistán in 1856. He was among the believers who were exiled from Baghdád in July of 1868 and under his leadership and guidance the believers in Mosul became a model community. He was invited by Bahá'u'lláh to come to 'Akká in Sep-Oct 1885 and shortly after that Baha'u'lláh asked that the community in Mosul be abandoned. [EB274-276; MoF150-154; TN412-425]

Jináb-i-Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín was well versed in Islamic jurisprudence. After the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, he was authorized to submit questions concerning the laws. The treatise, titled Questions and Answers, an appendix to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, is a compilation he made of Bahá'u'lláh's answers to questions concerning the laws of the Most Holy Book. It took more than two decades for "Questions and Answers" to be published in Persian and much longer to be published in English and other languages. [KA9]

• See Some Answered Questions" and Its Compiler by Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani published in Lights of Irfan, 18, pages 425-452. In this paper the author compares the similarities and differences of Questions and Answers and Some Answered Questions.
• For an image Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín see Picture Gallery (miniature by Ethel Rosenberg). This image can also been found in RoB1p78
• He was named as one of the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh.

Also written by him was a booklet called Proofs that was published in Arabic in Cairo in 1902. It is believed to be the first book published in Arabic about the Faith although unpublished manuscript written in Arabic were circulated in Russia and the UK prior to this time. [A posting by Rowshan Mustapha 17 February 2024 on the tk list]

L'implantation de la foi baha'ie en France et impact de la venue de Abdu'l Baha à Paris au début du XXème siècle Mémoire D.E.S. de Natalia Behnam includes him among the first Bahá'ís in France. iiiii

Àbdu'l-Bahá is reported to have said of him:

His value will be known in the future. He enkindled for you a lamp which shall never be extinguished. He laid for you a foundation which shall not be destroyed throughout centuries and cycles. He planted for you a tree whose root is firm in the ground, whose branches have ascended to heaven and its fruits are shared by all throughout all the seasons. Mr De Sacy was in reality a divine man. In Syria there was no one like him. He was like a torch. He was the essence of sanctity. Whenever a person looked into his face, if he was unhappy, he wold be made happy. [ABF355-356]

Russian poet Isabella Grinevskaya wrote the play "Báb" which was performed in St. Petersburg in 1904 and again in 1914 and once again in 1917. It was translated into French and Tatar (and later into German by Friedrich Fiedler) and lauded by Leo Tolstoy and other reviewers at the time. It is reported to have been Tolstoy's first knowledge of the Faith.
• In 1910-11 she spent two weeks in Ramleh as a guest of `Abdu'l-Bahá and after she returned to Russia she had several letters and Tablets from Him.
• Immediately upon her return from Egypt in January of 1911 she began work on the book "A Journey in the Countries of the Sun", an account of her visit with 'Abdu'l-Bahá. This work was not completed until 1914 because in the summer of 1912 she made a trip to Paris to work with the French translator of "Báb", Madame Halperin, and when she returned to Leningrad she began work on the drama entitled Bahá'u'lláh. It was published in Leningrad in 1912 but was never performed. "Journey", a book of some 550 pages did not get published because of the disruption caused by the advent of the war. See BW6p707-712 for the article "Russia's Cultural Contribution to the Bahá'i Faith" by Martha Root.
• For a photo see BW6p709 or here.
• Also see Notes on the Bábí and Bahá'í Religions in Russia and its territories by Graham Hassall.
• Isabella Grinevskaya (the pen name of Beyle (Berta) Friedberg), born in Grodno in 1864, died in Istanbul in 1944. [Revolvy] In His message to Isabella Grinevskaya, 'Abdu'l-Bahá praised her efforts to stage theatrical performances about the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh but cautioned her that people's attention at that moment was focused on "war and revolution." However, He added, "the time for staging it will come" and it will "have a considerable impact" in Europe.

  Ms. Grinevskaya's play about the Báb was first staged in St. Petersburg in January 1904. Mr. Tolstoy read the play and wrote Ms. Grinevskaya to praise her and share his sympathy with the Baha'í teachings, according to an article by Martha Root in the 1934-1936 edition of The Bahá'í World.

`Abdu'l-Bahá commissioned the second restoration of the House of the Báb in Shíráz under the supervision of Áqá Mírzá Áqá, an Afnán and a nephew of `Abdu'l-Bahá. He had closed his business affairs in Egypt and moved his entire family to Shiraz to handle the project. Having been raised in the House Áqá Mírzá Áqá was the only living person who remembered the details of the house as it had been before the first major renovation. [AB108; EB236; GPB300; MBBA154, 176-177]
• Mi`mar-Bashi began the renovation project. They demolished the whole structure. The ground under the building was excavated until the original foundation of the House was uncovered. The workers began to raise the walls and rebuild the House on the same foundation and following the original design. Each day, in this small area, over 30 construction crew laboured devotedly. Within two months, as `Abdu'l-Bahá had commanded, the structural walls were completed in exactly the same design as that of the time of the Báb. Soon the rooms were finished and the doors and windows added.
• Starting on the 23rd of October 1903 Áqá Mírzá Áqá fell ill and, day by day, his condition grew worse. However, until a week before his passing, he would come each day to the site of the construction and, although suffering from illness, spend the day supervising all the work. He passed away on the 15th of November 1903 after completing the task entrusted to him by `Abdu'l-Bahá. It was then that the wisdom of the Master's statement "delay will cause a colossal catastrophe" became clear, as Áqá Mírzá Áqá was the only one of all the kindred who knew the original design of the House. After his passing, the rest of the work, consisting of painting and decoration, was completed. [MBBA177]
• Also see MBBA219-222 for a "back-story".
• See MBBA177-185 for the story of how the Bahá'ís helped to renovate the mosque of Masjid-i-Shamshirgarha on the adjacent property.
• The House of the Báb was located on Shamshirgarha Street. [MBBA161]

Janet Ruhe-Schoenin in Champions of Oneness: Louis Gregory and His Shining Circle p77, noted that 'Abdu'l-Bahá recognized race amity matriarch Mrs. Amalie Knobloch and revealed a Tablet to be read when visiting her grave:

He is God! O, thou Pure Spirit, Amalie Knobloch! Although thou didst soar away from this terrestrial world, yet thou didst enter into the immeasurable, illumined Universe of the Almighty. While in this life thou didst hear the Divine Call, beheld the light of Truth, became alive by the Breaths of the Holy Spirit, tasted the sweetness of the Love of God, became the Maid-Servant of the Lord of Hosts and the object of the Bounties of His Highness the Desired one. Thou didst lead the erring ones into the Path of Truth and bestowed a portion of the Heavenly Food to those who are deprived. Thou didst consecrate the days of thy existence to the Service of His Highness the Clement and spent thy time in the diffusion of the Fragrances of the Paradise of Abha. There are many souls perfumed and many spirits illumined through thy services!

O, thou divine, beloved Maid-Servant! Although thou didst disappear from the mortal eyes, yet thou didst train and educate thy daughters, each of whom has arisen to serve the Kingdom like unto thee and is engaged in the guidance of the souls. In the Assembly of wisdom they are the lighted candles; they sacrifice their lives in the Path of God; they are gardening in thy orchard and irrigating thy rose-garden. Happy is thy condition, for thou art enjoying Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Everlasting Glory and hast left in this world kind and loving Remembrances. Happy are those souls who visit thy luminous resting-place and through thy commemoration receive and acquire spiritual Powers!

See Aflame with Devotion Chapter 9, "Loss of a Matriarch" pp99-109 for moving description of the passing a believer that was so beloved of Àbdu'l-Bahá.

The passing of Robert Turner (b. 15 October, 1855 or 1856, Virginia d. 1909 California)
• the first African-American Bahá'í and a member of the first Western Pilgrimage to Haifa in 1898, led by his employer Mrs. Phoebe Hearst. He was a butler in her household for more than 35 years. He was taught the Bahá'í Faith by Lua Getsinger in the process of serving tea and remained a devoted believer his entire life. "Such was the tenacity of his faith that even the subsequent estrangement of his beloved mistress from the Cause she had spontaneously embraced failed to becloud its radiance, or to lessen the intensity of the emotions which the loving-kindness showered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá upon him had excited in his breast." (GPB259) [A Vision of Race Unity, Ving p101, AZBF475, An Early Pilgrimage by May Maxwell]
• He received a Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Bahá while on his deathbed and a tribute after his passing. [AY60, 61, 339, AB72]
• He was one of the nineteen Western Bahá'ís designated as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
• A Tablet to him from 'Abdu'l-Bahá can be found in SWABpg114 #78 and 'Abdu'l-Bahá in America (website).
• See also Bahaipedia, Bahá'í Chronicles.
• Find a Grave. His grave was found in 1981 and identified with a gravestone placed by the National Spiritual Assembly. [Bahá'í News No 604 July 1981 p12]
• Ask a Bahá'í.

In 1912 Clement was a delegate to the 4th Bahá'í National Convention in Chicago and Leona was the alternate delegate representing the Bahá'ís of Saint Paul. At the end of the convention, on May 1st, 1912, they were able to attend the large gathering in Wilmette, Illinois when Abdu'l-Bahá laid the cornerstone for the House of Worship.

On September 20th, 1912, Abdu'l-Bahá spoke in the Woolson home on spiritual education. Dr. Clement Woolson was an eloquent speaker and as a result of their firesides, others were soon declaring their faith. By 1922 there were nine Bahá'ís in Saint Paul. Among those attending the gatherings at the Woolsons were the Abas, Kadrie and Hider families. These three families from Syria moved to New York in 1902 and on to Saint Paul in 1922. First Hassen Abas attended the gatherings and soon after Alex Kadrie and Kamel Hider were attending talks at the Woolson home. By 1930 or soon after all three had become Baha'is on fire with the Cause of Baha'u'llah. These were large families; Hassen Abas and his wife Madie had nine children of their own. Their daughter Gayle Abas accepted the Baha'i Faith in 1932 at the age of 19. Three years later, after Dr. Woolson's his first wife Leona died, Gayle Abas married Clement. Dr. Woolson passed away a few months later. In 1976 Gayle Woolson wrote a biography about the Abas, Kadrie and Hider families. [A Saint Paul Bahá'í Community History: The Early Years]

Dr Susan Moody, a famed American homeopathist, arrived in Tihrán. She and four Persian Bahá'í doctors started the Sehat Hospital. Because the hospital was only accessible to the wealthy she established a private practice that was open to all women regardless of their ability to pay. [BFA2:359-360]
• She spent two days in 'Akká en route to Persia and 'Abdu'l-Bahá conferred upon her the title Amatu'l-'Alí (Handmaid of the Most High). [BFA2:358]
• Dr Sarah A. Clock arrived from Seattle in 1911 to assist her followed by Miss Elizabeth Stewart (nurse). [BFA2:361]
• In 1925-1926, after the murder of Robert Imbrie, she travelled the United States from the east to the west coast, raising awareness of the needs of the work in Iran.
• Dr Sarah Clock sailed from New York for Iran on 8 December 1910. She served the Bahá'í community of Iran with great sacrifice for years. While her main task was treatment of the sick, she never ceased educating the youth. She was an energetic tolerant and contented woman. Very often needy people were not only exempted from paying her meagre honoraria, but also received medicaments for free. She was highly respected by the Bahá'í community and non-Bahá'í alike. Finally after twelve years of devoted service, she died of pneumonia in Tehran. [OLOMp43-44]

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Hájí Mullá 'Alí-Akbar-i-Shahmírzádí, (Hájí Akhund). He was born in Shahmírzád around 1842/3. [Bahaipedia]
• Bahá'u'lláh had entrusted him with the sacred task of moving and hiding the remains of the Báb. In Tehran he transferred the remains to Hand of the Cause Amínu'l-Bayán who moved them through innumerable dangers to a safe hiding place in the Mosque of the Imámzádih Zayd in Tehran, where they lay concealed until the time when, at the behest of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, they were transferred to the Holy Land to be laid in their permanent resting place on the slopes of Mount Carmel. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 25 March, 1985]
• He was appointed a Hand of the Cause by Bahá'u'lláh. [LoF3-8]
• He was appointed as one of the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh.
• Hand of the Cause of God `Alí-Akhar-i-Shahmírzádí (Hájí Ákhúnd) passed away in Tihrán. [BBD14; EB266]

Ghodsea Khanoum Ashraf (Qudsíyyih Ashraf) (b. 22 November 1889 in Majidābād, d. 16 April 1976 in Tehran) arrived in the United States together with Dr. Lutfullah Hakim and four others. On the final leg of her journey from Southhampton to New York City aboard the RMS Mauretania, she was accompanied by Louis Gregory. She was the first Persian woman to travel to the country and as such, received considerable press coverage. [BFA2:358]
• She remained in the United States until 1919. Her return to Iran was delayed due to travel restrictions during the war. During this time she obtained a high school certificate, a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree. She was asked by ʿAbdu'l-Bahá to represent the women of the East at the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the Temple in Wilmette on the 1st of May in 1912 and met Him again in Washington during November of the same year.
• Upon her return to Iran she produced her academic credentials to the Education Minister and declared her readiness to serve her country. Despite her many outstanding qualifications he refused to hire her because she was a Bahá'í. Despite being denied the opportunity to serve as a teacher she found ways to render service in the field of education. With the passing of Lillian Kappes, the principal at the time of the Tarbiyat Girls' School of Tehran (Tarbiyat al-Banat), she took over as principal. In that capacity she took significant initiatives, notably offering monthly conferences and adult literacy classes.
• She became further qualified by obtaining a diploma in nursing and then another in midwifery and subsequently opened clinics that offered services to the poor and the disadvantaged.
• In 1956 Ms. Ashraf initially joined her nephew Mr. Abdollah Sahihi, a pioneer in Brazil. She then served in three more countries; Brazil, Ecuador and Columbia. In 1963 she attended the World Congress in London and then returned to Iran to continue her service to her native country.
• See Ahmad Sohrab's letter to her in SW6, 10:77–9.
• For short biographies see SCF55-85; Encyclopedia Iranica and Iran Press Watch.

Mishkín-Qalam (b.1826, Shiraz, Iran) passed away in the Holy Land. He was buried in the Bahá'í Cemetery Bahjí. [BBD157; EB272]
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.
• See Memorials of the Faithful #38.
• He was appointed as one of the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh.

`Abdu'l-Bahá arrived in New York. [AB172; GPB281; APD3-5; SoW Vol 3 No 3 p3; Mahmúd's Diary p38-39]

As the ship that finally brought "'Abdu'l-Bahá to the shores of the American continent passed by the Statue of Liberty, He threw His arms wide open in greeting, saying "There is the new world's symbol of liberty and freedom. After being 40 years a prisoner I can tell you that freedom is not a matter of place. It is a condition. Unless one accept dire vicissitudes he will not attain. When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed a release." ['Abdu'l-Bahá in Their Midst p.56; SYH54]

• He remained on board doing interviews with a number of newspapermen. Edward Kinny was called to come on the ship and the rest of those awaiting were told to leave the pier, proceed to the Kinney residence and wait for Him. [Mahmúd's Diary p38-39; DJT233-234]
  • See World Order Summer 1973 p45 for the story of disobedient Juliet Thompson and her friend Marjory Morton who remained behind on the quay to get a glimpse of Him.
• One of the newspapermen to interview Him was Wendell Phillips Dodge who boarded the SS Cedric at quarantine and interviewed 'Abdul-Bahá coming up the bay. The article he wrote was given to all of the New York newspapers, and, through the Associated Press, was sent, though boiled down considerably, to newspapers throughout the world. See SoW Vol 3 No 3 April 28, 1912 p3 for the article.
• When asked why He had come to America He said that He had come at the invitation of the peace congresses. [SYH53; MD8]
• He stayed at the Ansonia Hotel at 2109 Broadway. [Luminous Journey 14:37, SYH55]
• Talk at the home of Mr. Edward B. (Saffa, or Serenity) Kinney and his wife, Carrie (Vaffa, or Certitude), 780 West End Avenue, New York to some 200 people. This was the first private home in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave a talk on His American tour. [PUP3]
• One of the Persians in the Master's suite had cabled Alice Ives Breed in New York City, about the Master's arrival date. Thus alerted, Ali-Kuli Khan directed the Persian Consul, Topakian (an Armenian businessman), to officially greet 'Abdu'l-Bahá with full courtesies. Mr Topakian carried this out, and the Master was much pleased with his services. [AY85]
• During His tour `Abdu'l-Bahá visited 49 cities and made approximately 400 addresses of which 185 were recorded. The combined audience for His talks is estimated to be 90,000 people. [SBBH1:110; Luminous Journey 1:37; 'Abdu'l-Bahá in America 1912-2012]
• For a chronological list of talks given by `Abdu'l-Bahá while in North America see PUP473–8 or Index.
• For details of His journey see AB171–339.
• Ward, 239 Days; Balyuzi, `Abdu'l-Bahá; The Diary of Juliet Thompson; many editions of Star of the West and numerous biographies of Bahá'ís of the time as well as other books carry information about `Abdu'l-Bahá travels and talks.
  He was accompanied by:
  • Sayyid Asadu'lláh Qumí
  • Dr Fareed Amin Ullah, He was a nephew of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and served as his translator during His tour of the West. Because of his disobedience, both he and his father were expelled from the Faith. See AY102-103 and AB230.
  • Mírza Mahmúd-i Zarqání. He was a member of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's entourage for both the Western and European tours. He wrote an account of the travels in a book entitled Kitáb-i Badáyi'u'l-Áthár and called "Mahmúd's Diary" in the English translation. [APD151]
  • Mirza Ahmad Sohrab. He had originally come to the West to assist Mírzá Abú'l-Fadl Gulpaygání in 1901. He remained and worked at the Iranian Consulate until 1912 and during this time he translated much of the correspondence between 'Abdu'l-Bahâ and the Western believers. After the American tour, he returned to the Holy Land. After the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá he rejected the authority of Shoghi Effendi and was expelled. [APD155]
• See video entitled 'Abdu'l-Bahá and New York City.

She was an extremely educated woman for the time, she studied piano, pipe organ, and voice culture at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and in 1889. Marshall was the first African American to complete the program and earn a Mus.B. degree (Bachelor of Music degree). In 1903 she founded the Washington Conservatory of Music. According to blackpast.org "Marshall's conservatory was a landmark in the history of black education. The Centre sponsored regular concerts for the black community, trained many prominent musical professionals and attracted the nation's most talented musicians as teachers. It remained in operation until 1960." [blackpast.org; Bahá'í Chronicles]

Mírzá Yahyá died in Famagusta. [BBD243; BBR312]
• He was the younger half-brother of Bahá'u'lláh and a follower of the Báb who conferred on him a high station and leading role in the Bábí community. Later he became an opponent of Bahá'u'lláh. Shoghi Effendi described him as "the arch-breaker of the Covenant of the Báb." GPB165
• He was known as Azal (Eternity or Pre-eternity) and Subh-i-Azal (Morning of Eternity) and his followers become known as Azalís.
• He had been deserted by most of his followers and was given a Muslim funeral. [BKG426; GPB233]
• Years later the sons of Mírzá Yahya and their relatives reconciled themselves to the authority of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [CH237-238]

Thornton Chase, the first American Bahá'í, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in California before 'Abdu'l-Bahá'í and His retinue arrive. He was buried at Inglewood. He had been named Thábit (Steadfast) by the Master. [BBD71; BFA2:XVII]
• See SoW Vol 3 No 12 16 October, 1912 p1-7 for a tribute to him upon his passing.
• For a brief biography see Bahá'í Chronicles.
• See as well Bahá'í Encyclopedia.
• See "Disciples of 'Abdu'l-Bahá" . [BW3p84–85; BW4p118–119]
• See the article Chase, Thornton: The First Bahá'í from the Western Hemisphere by Richard Francis.
• For a biography see Thornton Chase: First American Bahá'í by Robert H Stockman, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2002.
• During the early years of the Faith in North America the Bahá'ís were unclear about the station of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. There were those who thought Him an ordinary man who had applied the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh flawlessly through His effort. Others believed Him to be the return of Christ. See ABF244-246 for his letter to Wellesly Tudor-Pole on the station of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
• And a draft of a portion of the Stockman book, Love's Odyssey: The Life of Thornton Chase.
• Upon hearing of his passing 'Abdu'l-Bahá is reported to have said, "This revered personage was the first Bahá'í in America. He served the Cause faithfully and his services will ever be remembered throughout ages and cycles." [SoW Vol 4 No 11 p.189]
• Photos of the grave of Thornton Chase in Inglewood Park Cemetery.
• Directions to his grave. Find a grave.
• His publications:
  • A number of pamphlets, See Bibliography of English-Language Works on the Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths, 1844–1985 by William Collins, George Ronald, Oxford, 1990 page 66-67.
  • In Galilee and In Spirit and In Truth, first published in 1908. This was a record of his pilgrimage. [Collins7.634]
  • The Bahai Revelation, first published in 1909. This book was an introduction to the Faith intended for a Christian audience. [BEL7.629]
• See the trailer for a film entitled Steadfast-The Thornton Chase Story by Mithaq Kazimi and produced by Sam Baldoni.
• See the Thornton Chase Website created by the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Inglewood, California and The Thornton Chase Committee to honour the legacy of Thornton Chase.

`Abdu'l-Bahá visited Oxford at the invitation of Dr Thomas Kelly Cheyne to address a meeting at Manchester College. [BW4p384-385, AB352–354, ABIM284, Journey West 20130210; Ahmad Sohrab's Diary - The Great Tour p99; The Dawn Vol 1 No 2 October 1923 p2]
• In 1886, Cheyne was appointed Oriel Professor of Interpretation of Scripture at Oxford University, and, as an ordained Anglican priest (1864), was installed as Canon of Rochester Cathedral (Church of England) that same year. An advocate of "higher criticism" as applied to biblical scholarship, Professor Cheyne was the first at Oxford University to teach students how to apply the methods and tools of higher criticism to the Hebrew Scriptures. See An Oxford Scholar on the Spirit of Truth by Christopher Buck.
• For biographical information see a paper by Crawford Howell Toy entitled Thomas Kelly Cheyne.
• See Hurqalya Publications for a translation by Stephen Lambden of a Tablet to Dr Cheyne as well as the address to Manchester College.
• After the visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá the elderly and infirmed professor, who was unable to walk and had difficulty speaking, went on to write the book, The Reconciliation of Races and Religions. See BWXp483 for an excerpt regarding Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
• His second wife was the poetess Elizabeth Gibson Cheyne (1869-1931) whom he married (aged 69) on August 28th [19th] 1911 about four years after the death of his first wife. Elizabeth Gibson was the sister of the `War Poet' Wilfred Wilson Gibson. A paper by Judy Greenway, a grand niece of Elizabeth Gibson entitled "From the Wilderness to the Beloved City: Elizabeth Gibson Cheyne", pays tribute to the woman whom 'Abdul'-Bahá lauded during His visit. This paper was given at the invitation of the Oxford Bahá'í Community in December 2012, as part of the celebration of the centenary of Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to Oxford.
• See an article by Christopher Buck on Cheyne's interpretation of Isaiah's prophecies

A short biography: Blance Rachel Mirra Alfassa (b. 21 February 1878, d. 17 November 1973 Pondicherrry, India). She was the daughter of Sephardic Jews from Turkey and Egypt. She studied art at the Academy des Beaux Arts in Paris. In 1897 she married the French painter Henry François Morisott and they had a son (b.1898). They divorced in 1908 and she married the French lawyer Paul Antoine Richard. Around 1905 she became involved with the occult movement, first in France and from 1906-10907 in Algeria. In 1914 she and Paul left for India and met the Indian mystic Sri Aurobindo at Pondicherry. They returned to France briefly 1915-1916 and from 1916 to 1920 she and Paul were in Japan. In 1920 they returned to Pondicherry and from then until the end of her life she was associated with Sri Aurobindo's ashram. After his passing in 1950 she became the head and was know as "the Mother". [ABF339n815]

Three of her books are: Words of Long Ago by The Mother (Mirra Richard), Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publications 1994, The Mother-Collected Works Vol 2-Words of Long Ago and The Mother (Questions and Answers 1950-51.

Paul Richard's biographical book was called Without Passport: The Life and Work of Paul Richard covers the period from his birth to 1919. He was a lawyer in the Paris Court of Appeals and it is likely that he learned of the Faith from Hippolyte Dreyfus.

Mr Husayn Uskuli and two Bahá'ís friends arrived in Shanghai from 'Ishqábád. His family joined him later. [PH28-29, BW13p871-872]

The war years 1937-1945 were difficult for him and the conditions following the victory of the Chinese Communist Party made it impossible to have contact with the local people yet he remained.

• He spent all his remaining years but for a few in Shanghai where he passed away on the 25th of February, 1956 and was laid to rest in the Shanghai Kiangwan cemetery. [Video Early History of the Bahá'ís of China 6min 33 sec]

Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl-i-Gulpáygání, Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh, passed away in Cairo. [AB404; BBD67]
... learned apologist . .. (one of the) successive messengers despatched by 'Abdu'l-Bahá (who) succeeded in rapidly dispelling the doubts, and in deepening the understanding of the believers, in holding the community together, and in forming the nucleus of those administrative insitutions which, two decades later, were to be formally inaugurated through the explicit provisions of'Abdu'l-Bahá'ís Will and Testament. Shoghi Effendi
• He became a believer in 1876. [RoB3p91-107]
• He was named as an Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh.
• For biographical information see EM263–5; SDH113; RoB3p433-441; SBNB208-225
• See BW17p625 for Highlights in the life of Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl based on an article by R Mehrabkani
• His resting place is now next to that of Lua Getsinger in the Bahá'í cemetery in Cairo. [BW9p87]
• His numerous works include Fará'id (The Peerless Gems) 1898; The Brilliant Proof; 1912; Bahá'í Proofs, 1902; and Al-Duraru'l-Bahíyih (The Shining Pearls, published in English as Miracles and Metaphors), 1900. [BBD7]
• Find a grave.
• See AY103, Star of the West, vol. IV, no. 19, pp. 316–7 and Bahá'í Proofs p17-18 for the story of how Ameen Fareed entered and secretly remained in Mírzá's house, between the time of Mírzá's death and his burial, and removed precious manuscripts which, slightly changed, he would spread among the believers in an attempt to undermine their unity at a later time.
• 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke of Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl in His home in Haifa on 21 and 22 January, 1914 as reported in SoW Vol 9 No 3 April 28, 1918.
Among his works are:
• Borhān-e lāmeʿ, translated and published as The Brilliant Proof (1912),
• al-Ḥojaj al-bahīya, translated and published as Miracles and Metaphors (1981).
• A selection of his shorter works, entitled Letters and Essays (1985), is also available in English.
• His other works such as al-Farāʾed, Šarḥ-e Āyāt-e Mowarraḵa, Kašf al-ḡeṭāʾ, and a few collections of his shorter works exist in Arabic and Persian.
• See the Wikipedia page for links to his works.
• See Bahá'í Library for a list of works by or about him.

Arthur Pillsbury Dodge, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Freeport, New York. [SBR15]
• He had become a Bahá'í in 1895 just before moving to New York City. He visited Haifa in 1900 and Dr. Edward Granville Brown in Cambridge. He was a lawyer, publisher and self-made man. In 1898 he held the first Bahá'í classes in his home and the first public meetings on the Faith with talks given by Dr. Ibrahim Kheiralla. The first person to become a Bahá'í in NYC was Mr. James F. Brittingham, then of Weehawken, NJ who first heard the message from his sister, Mrs. Dixon of Chicago. Mrs. Mary H. Tousey organized the classes at Dodge's home. Later that year, Mr. Howard MacNutt received the message. [Highlights of the First 40 Years of the Bahá'í Faith in New York, City of the Covenant, 1892-1932 by Hussein Ahdieh p3]
• For biographies see Bahá'í Chronicles; BFA1:116-17, SBR1-16 and SW6, 13:100-1.
• For his obituary see SW6, 19:161-7.
• Dodge's books include The Truth of It (1901) [SW6, 13:101] and Whence? Why? Wither? (1907). [SW6, 13:101; Collins7.821]

Louisa Aurora "Lua" Moore Getsinger, (b. 1 November, 1872 in Hume, Allegany County, New York) Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, "Mother teacher of the West" died of heart failure in Cairo. [BBD87; Find a grave; Bahaipedia; GPB257]
• 'Abdu'l-Bahá's appointmented of Lua as "Herald of the Covenant" in the June 19, 1912. [LGHC157]
• For an her obituary see [SoW Vol 7 No 4 May 17, 1916 p29-30].
• She was buried in the Protestant Cemetery in Cairo. In 1939 a court ruling enabled the Bahá'ís to reinter her in the first Bahá'í cemetery established in Cairo, El Qahira, Egypt. Her grave was now beside that of Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl. [GPB344]
  • For a photo of the reinterment see BW9p87.
• See Lua Getsinger: Herald of the Covenant by Amine DeMille. [USBN No489 December 1971 p1-5]
• See also Sears and Quigley, The Flame.
• See as well Lua Getsinger: Herald of the Covenant by Velda Piff Metelmann.
• For a brief biography see 239Days as well as The Shining Lamp and Beyond Foreignness. iiiii

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Hájí Mírzá Muhammad-Taqíy-i-Abharí (Ibn-i-Abhar). He was born in 1853/4 in Abhar.
• For four years he suffered in Síyáh-Chál wearing the very same chains as Bahá'u'lláh had worn in 1852.
• On being informed that the friends in Tihrán had arranged to observe the commandment of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Bahá'u'lláh revealed, in one of His Tablets to Ibn-i-Asdaq (later named as a Hand of the Cause), the following well known Words:
  Blessed is the spot, and the house, and the place, and the city, and the heart, and the mountain, and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island, and the meadow where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified. -Bahá'u'lláh
  [Some Bahai Sacred Spaces for Community, Slide presentation by the UK Community, Slide #74]
• His services during the time of the Master included teaching journeys through Persia, the Caucasus and India. He also made some eleven journeys to the Holy Land with the permission of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
• A special service rendered by Ibn-i-Abhar was the promotion of the education of women. He and his wife played an important part in the advancement of women in Persian society.
• In 1886 Bahá'u'lláh appointed him a Hand of the Cause. He died in 1917. [LoF13-16, BBD114, EB268; Bahaipedia]
• Shoghi Effendi designated him as an Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh. [LoF12]

Shaykh Kázim-i-Samandar, Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh, passed away early in the year.
• For the story of his life see [EB191-215].

The passing of Phoebe Apperson Hearst (b. 3 December, 1842) in her home in Pleasanton, California during the worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918-1919. She was buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, California. [AY49, Find a grave, Bahá'í Chronicles]
• See AY55-> for a brief history of her life and her contribution to the progress of the Faith. She had learned of the Faith through Lua Getsinger and members of her group in the early days of the Faith in California.
• 'Abdu'l-Bahá called her 'the servant of Bahá, the "Mother of the Faithful"'. He writes that she had 'sincerely turned unto her Master... completely faced toward the Kingdom of God ... [she] shall surely have a firm and steady footing in the Cause of God, her face shall shine forth from the Horizon of Loftiness, her fame shall be spread in the Kingdom of God, and [she] shall have a ringing voice ... and the light of her glorious deeds shall beam forth during cycles and ages.' [AY54-55; 106-107]
• See Some Early Bahá'ís of the West pp13-19.
• See Two Letters of Mrs Phoebe A Hearst in BW7p800-802.

The passing of Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan Táliqání, Hand of the Cause of God, entitled Adíbu'l-'Ulamá, know as Adíb (Educator) in Tihrán at the Shah's College established by Násirii'd-Dín Sháh. He was born in Talaqán in 1848 and became a Bahá'í around 1889. [BBD98, SUR29]
• Bahá'u'lláh appointed him a Hand of the Cause of God. [SDH138-140]
• He was appointed as one of the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh.
• He was one of the founders of the Tarbíyat Schools in Tihrán. [LoF17-18]
• For a brief history of his life see EB272-3.
• EB273 says he died on 2 September 1919.

It was Joseph Hannen who served as a note-taker for many of the talks of 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His tour in the United States. A number of the entries in Promulgation of Universal Peace have been accredited to him. [The Washington Times 28 January, 1928]

'Abdu'l-Bahá sent the first Tablet of the Divine Plan to the southern states in care of Joseph. He and his wife Pauline taught the Faith to African Americans; among those they taught were Louis Gregory and Mrs. Pocahontas Pope. [Bahá'í Chronicles, Alain Locke: Faith and Philosophy pp 38-39 by Christopher Buck, Kalimat Press]

He was buried with his wife, Pauline Amalie Knobloch Hannen (b. 29 August, 1874 d. 4 October, 1939) in Prospect Hill Cemetery, in Washington, DC. iiiii

Clara and Hyde Dunn arrived in Sydney, Australia. [AB445] SBR158 says this was 18 Apr 1919.
• They are thought to be the first Bahá'í pioneers to have arrived at their post after the release of the Tablets of the Divine Plan. [G. Hassel]
• Within three years they had visited 225 towns. [Keynote address by Dr. Vahid Saberi at the Heroes Teaching Conference 6-7 April, 2019]
• By the time Hyde passed away in Sydney in 1941 the Bahá'í Teachings had been taken to every State; Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established in Auckland, Sydney and Adelaide; the National Spiritual Assembly had been established in 1934 and the Yerrinbool Bahá'í School had been inaugurated in 1938. [Spiritual conquerors of this wide, brown land by Graham Hassall]
• In 2020 the Australian community commemorated the centenary this event.
• A 26-page booklet called A Vision of Unity was published.
• See Outpost of a World Religion: The Bahá'í Faith in Australia 1920-1947 by Graham Hassall in SBBH14 p201 and in Journal of Religious History, 16:3, pages 315-338 1991-06.

Charles Greenleaf, (b. 6 May, 1857 in Wisconsin), Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away at the home of William Harry Randall in Boston. He was interred in Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA Show Map Section K Lot 42. [SBR105; Find a grave]
• For details of his life see SBR97-105.
• For his obituary see SW11, 19:321-2.

The passing of Hájí Mírzá Haydar-Alí Isfaháni known as 'the Angel of Mount Carmel' in Haifa. He was buried in the Bahá'í Cemetery on Mount Carmel. [BBD98; EB250]
• Acting on the request of 'Abdu'l-Bahá he wrote Bahá'í Martyrdoms in Persia in the Year 1903 AD. It covered the events from March to September and was published in English as a 28-page book in 1904 and 1917.
• For the story of his life see RB2:438–50.
• For his biography see EB237-50.
• His autobiography was published as Stories from the Delight of Hearts - The Memoirs of Hají Mírzá Haydar-Alí, was translated by A Q Faizi and published by Kalimat in 1980.

Lillian Frances Kappes,(b. 1878 in Hoboken, New Jersey), died of typhus fever in Tihrán. [BFA2:361; SW11, 19:324-5, AY211-212]
• She had gone to Tihrán nine years previously to help set up the Tarbíyat School for Girls. [SW11, 19:3 24]
• She was buried next to the tomb of Varqa.
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.

Ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá

`Abdu'l-Bahá passed away at about 1:00 a.m., in Haifa. [AB452; BBD4; BBR347; GPB311; UD170]
• For details of His passing see DOMH210-216, AB452, BW1:19-23; BW15:113-15 and GPB310-11. Westerners who were present in the Holy Land at the time included: Grace and Florian Krug, Louise and John Bosch from the USA, Ethel Rosenberg from London and Fräulein Johanna Hauff from Stuttgart as well as American Curtis Kelsey who was in the Holy Land to attend to the electrical installations in the Shrine of the Báb at the time. [AB462-463]
  Note: In fact, Ethel Rosenberg was en route to visit the Master when He ascended. She arrived from Port Said by train on the 2nd of December having learned of His ascension from a member of the staff on the train. [EJR182]
• Sir Herbert Samuel and Sir Ronald Storrs led the funeral procession. [CH226]
• This marked the end of the Apostolic, Heroic or Primitive Age of the Bahá'í Faith and the beginning of the Transitional Formative or Iron Age. [BBD35-6]
• For a photograph of the cable sent announcing His passing see SW12, 15:245.
• See The Passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá by Shoghi Effendi and Lady Blomfield.
• For a pen portrait of 'Abdu'l-Bahá see The Oriental Rose by Mary Hanford Ford pg 158-159
• Also see AB452-83; HLS93-100.
• This date marks the beginning of the First Epoch of the Transitional, Formative or Iron Age of the Faith.
• See an account of the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá compiled by David Merrick.
• See Part IX of The Utterance Project by Violetta Zein.
• See WMSH26-52 for an account by John and Louise Bosch of the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the funeral, the reading if the Will, their subsequent time in the Holy Land and Egypt, and their teaching trip to Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. They arrived in New York on the 23rd of April and proceeded to Chicago to attend the National Convention. Shoghi Effendi had entrusted them with eight passages from the Will to be presented to the North American friends.
• See The Station and Titles of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in The Bahá'í World on line.

William H. Hoar, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Fanwood, New Jersey. [SW12, 19:310]
• For his obituary see SW12, 19:310-12.

Helen Goodall, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in San Francisco. [SEBW33]
• See SEBW21-33 for details of her life.

The passing of Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Zarqání (b. c1875).
• He was 'Abdu'l-Bahá's secretary on his western trip and is the author of Mahmúd's Diary. In his youth he travelled and taught around Iran and from 1903 he began travelling to and in India, learning Urdu. He also made a pilgrimage to Haifa where he transcribed Tablets and from there accompanied 'Abdu'l-Bahá on His journey to Europe and to America. [Ahmad Sohrab's Diary Edinburgh p.5]
• He was appointed as one of the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh.

Isabella Brittingham, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away at the Revell home in Philadelphia. [SEBW138]
• For her life see SEBW131-8.
• See Brittingham, Isabella by Robert Stockman.

John Esslemont, Hand of the Cause of God, Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Haifa. [BW3p84-85, BBD81, SETPE1p108-110]
• For letters of Shoghi Effendi announcing his death and giving details of his life and funeral see BA97–8 and UD40–3.
• For an obituary see BW1:133–6 and BW8:929–35.
• He was buried next to the grave of Vakílu'd-Dawlih, the chief builder of the House of Worship at 'Ishqábád. [DJEE37]
• Shoghi Effendi elevated him to the station of Hand of the Cause of God on his death. The announcement was made on November 30th. [BA7-98; BWT3:333; DJEE40; PP92; UD403, MoCxxii
• See also Moojan Momen, Dr John E. Esslemont (BPT UK 1975) and BW8p929-935 for "John Ebenezer Esslemont: His Life and Service" by Jesse E. Revell.
• In addition to the publication of Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era in Britain by George Allen and Unwin in 1923 he also published a booklet called Bahá'u'lláh and His Message in New York by the Bahá'í Publishing Committee in 1921. (32 p). It was reprinted in London by the National Bahā'i Assembly of England, 1924. (23 p.), and a revised and edited publication was done by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles. London, 1938.
• The Message of Bahá'u'lláh: (Based on "Bahá'u'lláh and His Message") was published in London by the Bahá'í Publishing Trust in 1945. (30 p.). [DJEE28; RG77; The Story of J. E. Esslemont and his Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era: Bibliography by Jan Jasion]

The passing of Professor Edward Granville Browne, (b. on the family estate in Gloucestershire, 7 February, 1862. d. near Cambridge). He is buried at Elswick Cemetery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Find a grave.

Browne was a British orientalist who published numerous articles and books of academic value in the areas of Persian history and literature. He had a number of private interviews with Bahá'u'lláh at Bahjí in 1890. He was the only Westerner to have met Bahá'u'lláh and to have left a description of the experience (see Scholar Meets Prophet: Edward Granville Browne and Bahá'u'lláh).
In 1912-13, while `Abdu'l-Bahá was in Europe, Browne visited him in London and Paris. These visits were supplemented by some correspondence between the two. Other Bahá'ís, including Montford Mills, also visited and corresponded with Browne from time to time. When `Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in 1921, Browne penned a sympathetic obituary. He also wrote a pen-portrait of Àbdu'l-Bahá. [Bahá'í Tributes]

• Charles Melville, Professor of Persian History at Pembroke College in Cambridge headed the Browne Archive Project to digitize Browne's diaries and notes.
• See Encounter with Bahá'u'lláh, a short video about Browne's life and his famous interview.
• See MCS529-545 for a discussion of Browne's lack of objectivity and his partisanship as a researcher that lead to his committing some serious errors in his work on the Bábí-Bahá'í Faith.
• He himself a professor of Arabic, found the Báb's style of writing very difficult and said of his works: "...some are so confused, so full of repetitions, extraordinary works and fantastic derivatives of Arabic roots, that they defy the most industrious and indefatigable reader." [SBBH5p227]

  Browne's Publications
  

  • Religious Systems of the World: A Contribution to the Study of Comparative Religion (1889)
    
  • A Traveller's Narrative Written to Illustrate the Episode of the Báb (1891) A history by`Abdu'l-Bahá which Browne translated and extensively annotated.
    
  • Tarikh-i-Jadid or New History of Mirza`Ali Muhammad the Báb (1893) by Mirza Husayn Hamadani translated by E.G.Browne.
    • Hájjí Mírzá Jani Kashani wrote a substantial history of the Bábi Faith sometime between 1850-1852. (He was martyred in 1852.) These memoirs as they were copied and re-copied and spawned a great many versions which differed particularly in their portrayal of Subh-i-Azál and Bahá'u'lláh, depending on the editor's loyalty.
    • In about 1880 Mírzá Husayn Hamadani with the support of Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl took some version of Mírzá Jani's 1851 account and worked it up into a new history, The Tárikh-i-Jadíd. He did this at the request of a Zoroastrian, Manakji, who then added a preface, an epilogue, and an unknown number of amendments to the text and then published it under his own name.
    • Nabil-i-Akbar, in response to a commission by Bahá'u'lláh, made a revision of this work somewhere between 1880-1883 which is known as The Táríkh-i Badí'-i Bayání.
    • Browne used two these two manuscripts, The Tárikh-i-Jadíd and The Táríkh-i Badí'-i Bayání to write the single volume The New History (tarikh-i-jadid) of Mírzá Ali-Muhammed, the Báb. In referring to Mírzá Jani's history throughout the footnotes, he was not aware of the problems of discerning what represents the original memoirs and what others have added.
  • A Year Among the Persians (1893) Vividly describes his adventures, including his encounters with the Bahá'ís and Azalís during his time in Persian from October 1887 to September 1888. The memoir of his sojourn did much to familiarize English readers with the Báb, His gentleness and patience, the cruel fate which had overtaken him, and the unflinching courage wherewith he and his followers, from the greatest to the least, had endured the merciless torments inflicted upon them by their enemies. [Tales of Magnificent Heroism by Robert Weinburg.
  • A chapter from the history of Cannabis Indica (1897)
  • A Literary History of Persia From Firdawsí to Sa'dí (in four volumes) (1902-24)
  • The Persian Revolution of 1905–1909 (1910) About the Persian Constitutional Revolution, of which Browne was an ardent supporter.
  • He published, in Persian, the text of The Kitab-i-Nuqtatu'l-Kaf, being the earliest History of the Bábís compiled by Hájji Mírzá Jání of Kásgán between the years 1850 and 1852, edited from the unique Ms. Suppl. Persan 1071. (1910) This was a work that he had done at an earlier date. It was published at the instigation of Mirza Muhammad Qazvini, a well-known Iranian literary critic and Azalí sympathizer, who wrote the Persian Introduction to this volume. After the publication of this work, `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote to a number of Iranian Bahá'ís, urging them to compile material to refute its contents. One such work was Dashf al-Ghitá by Mírzá Abul-Fazl Gulpáyigání. [RR232] [See The History and Provenance of an Early Manuscript of the Nuqtat al-kaf dated 1268 (1851-52) by William F. McCants and Kavian Sadeghzade Milani and Nuqtat al-Káf by Kavian Sadeghzade Milani as well as Nuqtat al-Kaf and the Babi Chronicle Traditions by Juan Cole; The Bab's Stay in Kashan: A Historiographical Analysis of the Kitab-i-Nuqtatu'l-Kaf Based on the Kashan Pericope by Kavian Milani; MCS517; 541]
    • When E.G. Browne published the Nuqtatu'l-Kaf with its Persian and English introductions that contained much material hostile to the Bahá'í Faith, a number of Bahá'í scholars worked on refutations of this book. [Mirza Abu'l-Fadl] Gulpaygani also began to work on such a book, but when heard that work on a similar book in Iran under the guidance of the Hands of the Cause had reached an advanced stage, he suspended work on his book awaiting a manuscript from Iran. Unfortunately he never got back to this book and at his death the manuscript was incomplete. When Mirza Abu'l-Fadl's papers were sent to his cousin Sayyid Mahdi Gulpaygani in Ashkhabad, the latter undertook to complete the work. The final work was published in Ashkhabad. Of the 438 pages of the book some 132 are attributed to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl. The final work, however, has a tone and vehemence completely uncharacteristic of Mirza Abu'l-Fadl and `Abdu'l-Baha instructed that it should not be distributed. [from a post by Adib Masumian to the [bahai-library.com/tarikh] list 25 April 2021]
    .
  • It is reported that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was "deeply annoyed" with Browne over the publication and dissemination of the Kitáb-i Nuqtatu'l-Káf as reported by Áqáy-i-Taqízádih in ´Ábdu'l-Baha's Meetings with Two Prominent Iranians introduced and translated by Ahang Rabbani. [World Order Vol 30 No 1 Fall 1998 p46]
  • It would appear that Browne loved the Bábi movement however as the religion changed into the Bahá'í Faith, he insisted on calling it the Bábi religion. Browne did not understand the the claims of Baha'u'lláh and the transitional and the historical factors at work. He saw the early Bábi movement as the beginning of the Faith and thought that the Bahá'í Faith was a sect of Bábism. This was largely due to the influence of Bahá'u'lláh's half-brother, Azal. Browne was disappointed that the Bahá'ís did not take up the cause of constitutional reform but he was well aware that 'Abdu'l-Bahá had forbidden participation in political struggles, and that had they supported the Constitutionalists, it would the brought that wrath of the persecution of the Bahá'ís down upon them.
  • 'Abdu'l-Bahá is reported to have said, "They tampered with the contents of the history of Hájí Mírzá Jání by removing some of its passages and inserting others. They sent it to the libraries of London and Paris and through such falsehood induced him [Browne] to translate and publish the document. In order to achieve his own selfish desires, he had it printed." [MD24]
  • Also from 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "I wrote to him, saying, `You are the first European teacher and author to have attained His Blessed Presence. Do not lose this distinction.' He did not understand me and his loss will be known when the lights of guidance shine in England with supreme brilliancy." [MD278]
  • From GPB81, Browne's testimony, "One of those strange outbursts,"..."of enthusiasm, faith, fervent devotion and indomitable heroism … the birth of a Faith which may not impossibly win a place amidst the great religions of the world." And again: "The spirit which pervades the Bábís is such that it can hardly fail to affect most powerfully all subjected to its influence.… Let those who have not seen disbelieve me if they will, but, should that spirit once reveal itself to them, they will experience an emotion which they are not likely to forget."
  • The Persian Constitutional Movement (1918) [MCS544]
  • Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion (1918) The book represented no great amount of original work on Browne's part since it was mainly documents that he had collected.
  • Arabian Medicine (1921) [Browne, Edward Granville by Moojan Momen] iiiii
  • For scholarly works on the life of Browne see Selections From The Writings of E.G. Browne - On The Babi And Baha'i Religions by Moojan Momen and Edward Granville Browne and the Baha'i Faith by Hasan Balyuzi. Both have been published by George Ronald.

Howard MacNutt, Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, (b. 13 July, 1858 in Philadelphia) passed away in Florida after being struck by a motorcycle while walking to a meeting in a "Coloured" area. [Bahaipedia]
• He died as a result of injuries sustained from a collision with a motorcycle while walking to a meeting in the Coloured section of the city. There was speculation that the traffic mishap was not accidental. See the newspaper article written by Beatrice Cannnady.
• See AY321-323 for an account of his death and his funeral.
• He had lost his beloved wife Mary about one month earlier. He had been a student of Ibrahim George Kheiralla in New York and became a Bahá'í in 1898. He had learned both Persian and Arabic to better understand the Writings. Howard MacNutt was elected to the Bahá'í Board of Counsel for New York when it was established on December 7th 1900 and served on the body for many years. [SEBW42]
• In 1905 Howard and his wife went on pilgrimage and attended a Nineteen Day Feast held by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Who encouraged him to establish the practice in America. MacNutt consulted with the New York Board of Counsel after returning and a Feast was held in New York on May 23, 1905.
• Howard wrote a booklet consisting of what he learned while on Pilgrimage titled Unity Through Love.
• MacNutt also edited Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl's Bahá'í Proofs before it was first published in 1902 and revised Ali Kuli Khan's manuscript translation of the Kitáb-i-Íqán for publication in 1904.
• He held a belief that `Abdu'l-Bahá had no extraordinary spiritual station and he did not regard Him as being different in Spirit from other men, that through works and service and overcoming all He attained to His station. This opinion resulted in MacNutt failing to appreciate the Bahá'í teaching that Covenant-breaking is a spiritual disease. When `Abdu'l-Bahá came to the United States in 1912 He assigned to MacNutt the task of meeting with a group of potential Covenant-breakers in Chicago and warning them. He also ordered MacNutt to break all communication with Ibrahim Kheiralla and other Covenant-breakers. When MacNutt failed to do as directed, `Abdu'l-Bahá advised him that he had violated the Covenant himself and commanded him to repent before a group of New York Bahá'ís, which he did on 18 November 1912.

  The matter was not resolved; `Abdu'l-Bahá cabled Ali Kuli Khan on 16 April 1913, "MACNUTT REPENTED FROM VIOLATION OF COVENANT BUT WAS NOT AWAKENED." After several months of correspondence between MacNutt and `Abdu'l-Bahá via Ali Kuli Khan, MacNutt satisfied `Abdu'l-Bahá that he had come to understand and had repented for his earlier errors. Even though `Abdu'l-Bahá recognized MacNutt as a Bahá'í his reputation in the Bahá'í community remained tarnished. To redeem himself he took on the task of compiling `Abdu'l-Bahá's talks in the United States and Canada and editing them. It was published as The Promulgation of Universal Peace, the name chosen by 'Abdu'l-Bahá himself, in 1922. MacNutt's preface contains a long and important statement about `Abdu'l-Bahá's station. His redemption was complete. [PUPxx]

• See his "A Statement of Belief" written January 4, 1926 and published in Star of the West Vol 16 No 11 February 1926.
• His obituary was published in Star of the West Vol 17 No 10 January 1927 p301.
• For further details of his life and his brush with Covenant-breaking see SEBW35–42.
• Also see "In Memoriam: Arthur Pillsbury Dodge, 1849-1915", SoW, Vol. 6, No. 19 (2 March 1916) p165 as well as BFA1p125, 168-17, DJT369-372, AOY111-133 and FMH35.
• See BW2p218 for a photo.
• HIs crowning achievement was the publication of The Promulgation of Universal Peace (1922) which was a compilation of the public talks given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá while in America.
• See Bahaipedia.
• He was posthumously appointed as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.

Dr George Augur, (b. 1 Oct 1853 New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA d. 13 Sep 1927 Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA), Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Hawaii. He was buried in the O'ahu Cemetery in Honolulu. [SBR198]
• Find a grave
• For the story of his life see SBR187–98.

The third Trustee of the Huqúqu'lláh was Hájí Ghulám-Ridá (entitled Amín-i-Amín) (Trustee of the Trustee). He had been Hájí Amín's assistant for several years and so was chosen to succeed him. He had been born into the wealthy merchant class in Tehran. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 25 March, 1985]
• During his tenure steps were taken to register Bahá'í properties and endowments in Iran.
• He died due to an illness. [BW8p659]
• Photo of his grave. [BW9p77]

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Mírzá 'Alí-Muhammad, known as Ibn-i-Asdaq. He was born in Mashhad in 1850/1851. [Bahá'í Encyclopedia Project]
• His father was Mullá Sádiq-i-Muqaddas-i-Khurásání (also known as Ismu'lláhu'l-Asdaq of Khurásán), referred to as a Hand of the Cause of God by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. While still a child he suffered imprisonment with his father in Tehran. [EM19]
• In 1880 he begged Bahá'u'lláh permission to be a martyr. Bahá'u'lláh said that if one lived right he might attain martyrdom. In 1882 Bahá'u'lláh conferred the station of martyr on him calling him "Shahid Ibn-i-Shahid" ("Martyr, son of the Martyr")."
  
  Today, the greatest of all deeds is service to the Cause. Souls that are well-assured should with utmost discretion teach the Faith,lll this martyrdom is no confined to the destruction of life and the shedding of blood. A person enjoying the bounty of life may yet be recorded as a martyr in the Book of the Sovereign Lord. [OLOMP46N12]
  • He was the first of the Hands of the Cause of God named by Bahá'u'lláh.
  • 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave him a special mission to teach members of the "ruling class" the Faith.
  • He was deeply involved in the planning and construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in 'Ishqábád.
  • Ibn-i-Asdaq, Mírzá 'Alí-Muhammad, Hand of the Cause of God, Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh, passed away in Tihrán. He was one of the few Apostles to live into the time of Shoghi Effendi as the Guardian. [BBD115, EM176, LoF9-12, RoB4p286]
  • For details of his life see RoB1P92-93; RoB2p 293; RoB3p62-63, 253-260, 265-268; EB2-23; MF5-8; DB100-101, 145-148, 185-187; EB171–6; BW6p103; Bahaipedia; LoF9-12.
  • His daughter, Ruha Asdaq wrote a book about her pilgrimage experiences with her father titled One Life One Memory: Memories of Pilgrimage in 1914. The book was translated to English and published by George Ronald in 1999. For a book review by Paul Mantle.
  • For more details of his life see EB171-176; RoB4p 301-304, Tablets to him RoB4 254, 275, 277, 2966,315-328, Photos RoB4 277-278, 281-286, 292.

Hájí Amín, Abu'l-Hasan-i-Ardikání, Hand of the Cause of God and Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh, passed away in Tihrán at the age of 92. [BBD7; EB263]
• For his biography see EB263.
• He was named a Hand of the Cause of God posthumously by Shoghi Effendi. [BBD7; EB263]
• See BBD7 and UP-Guardian PtVIII for a picture accounts of his life.

Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney, (b. 12 Apr 1873, Paris, France, d. 20 Dec 1928, Paris, France), Disciple of Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Paris. He was buried in Cimetiere de Montmartre in Paris. [UD84–5; BN No 29 January 1929 p2]
• See Find a grave for a succinct biography.
• For Shoghi Effendi's eulogy of him see BW3:210–14 and UD84–5.
• Shoghi Effendi's letter to his widow.
• See Biography of Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney by Laura Clifford Barney and Shoghi Effendi, edited by Thomas Linard.

William 'Harry' Randall, (b. 1863), passed away in Medford, MA. After his death, Shoghi Effendi named him one of the 19 Disciples of Abdu'l-Baha, a "Herald of the Covenant". [BBD71]
• For his obituary written by Shoghi Effendi see BW3:213.
• For his biography see William Henry Randall: Disciple of Abdu'l-Baha by his daughter Bahiyyih Randall-Winckler, with M. R. Garis.

He, like Sutherland Maxwell and Mason Remey, had studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. These three and four others submitted designs for the Wilmette Temple for consideration. Other buildings designed by Louis Bourgeois include the Chicago Tribune Building, Evergreen Cabin in Englewood NJ where 'Abdu'l-Bahá hosted a Unity Feast, the Savoy Hotel in Chicago.

He became a Bahá'í in New York sometime during the winter of 1906. In April of 1909 the National Spiritual Assembly called for design proposals for the first Bahá'í Hours of Worship in the West and he submitted is design proposal in October. It was finally accepted at the National Convention in 1920. [DP76-100]

Louis Jean-Baptiste Bourgeois, (19 March, 1856, Saint-Célestin, Quebec, Canada) designer of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette, passed away in that city. He was buried in East Lawn Memorial Park Sacramento, Sacramento County, California, USA [DP145; Find a grave]
• He had learned of the Faith in Boston through the efforts of Mary Hanford Ford. [Wikipedia]
• For details of his life see DP76–86.

Ethel Rosenberg, (b.6 August, 1858, Bath) Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 'England's outstanding Bahá'í pioneer worker', passed away in London. She was buried in Gap Road Cemetery, Wimbledon, England. [BW4:118–119, 262-263; EJR274–5; Find a grave]
• She became a Bahá'í around 1899 and went on her first pilgrimage in 1901.
• While 'Abdu'l-Bahá was in London, Ethel Rosenberg was His social secretary, arranging appointments for the Master.
• 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked Ethel Rosenberg and a number of other people to form a committee to decide what to do about collecting funds and publishing Bahá'í books. Their first published book was 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London.
• She made her third pilgrimage in November 1921, but arrived just after 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing. Shoghi Effendi sent her home with instructions to call for the election the first National Spiritual Assembly of England. She served on this body for a number of years. Shoghi Effendi named her an 'Apostle of 'Abdu'l-Bahá'. [In the Footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Bahá p9]
• For her obituary see BW4:262–3.
• For her biography see Weinberg, Ethel Jenner Rosenberg and SEBW55–64 as well as The Early Years of the British Bahá'í Community 1898-1911 p70-75.

Consul Albert Schwarz, (b. December 14, 1871, Stuttgart, Germany), Disciple of Abdu'l-Bahá, 'Germany's outstanding Bahá'í pioneer worker' passed away. He was buried in Pragfriedhof – Stuttgart. [BW4:118–19, 264; Find a grave]
• For his obituary see BW4:264–6.
• See as well Bahá'í Chronicles.

Mr Refo Capari (Chapary), the first Albanian Bahá'í, arrived in Tirana, Albania from New York where his family had immigrated.
• He became a Bahá'í in America some time before 1931.
• In 1983 account were found in the International Archives of the pioneering work done by Mr. Capari. He had stayed in Albania and died alone and of starvation. [BW20p198]

The passing of Mrs Claudia Coles in London. (b. 1863 or 1866 in Charleston, South Carolina). She accepted the Faith in Washington DC and moved to London in 1920. She was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles many times and often served as secretary. [BW4264-265]
• See tribute from Shoghi Effendi.
• See Portraits of Some Bahá'í Women by O.Z. Whitehead, GR, Oxford, 1996 pages 29-48.
• See a brief biography in The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1844-1963 p462-464 and for the story of his learning of the Faith, p441.

Swiss Bahá'í Auguste Forel, (b. 1 September, 1848 Morges, Switzerland, d. 27 July, 1931 Yvorne Switzerland) world-renowned psychiatrist, entomologist, anatomist, social reformer and peace worker, passed away. [FGM2]
• For the Good of Mankind: August Forel and the Bahá'í Faith by John Paul Vader, (published by George Ronald, Oxford, 1984) was originally written as a doctoral dissertation in the field of the history of medicine at the University of Lausanne on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Dr Forel's passing. The book documents Dr Forel's activities as a Bahá'í.
• "The famous scientist and entomologist, Dr. Auguste Forel, was converted to the Faith through the influence of a Tablet sent him by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, one of the most weighty the Master ever wrote." [GPB307-308, 316, 375; AB448-449]
• The Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Dr Forel can also be found in The Bahá'í World Vol. XV, pp. 37–43.
• See The Life and Times of August Forel by Sheila Banani published in Lights of Irfan, Volume 6, pages 1-20 Wilmette, IL: Irfan Colloquia, 2005
• See as well Auguste Forel; His Life and Enlightenment by A. M. Ghadirian, M.D.
• August Forel Defends the Persecuted Persian Bahá'ís: 1925-1927 by John Paul Vader published in Bahá'í World, Vol. 18 (1979-1983), pages 970-974 1986 (the pdf)
• See Shoghi Effendi's mention of Dr Forel in Lights of Divine Guidance Vol 2 page 5, and his letter to his daughter, Mrs. Marta Brauns-Forel, regarding his status as a believer on pages 18-19.
• See Auguste Forel and the Bahá'í Faith published by George Ronald in 1978. It was translated from Brief An Forel originally published by Bahá'í Verlag GmbH. It contains Forel's letter to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, His reply, and a commentary by Peter Mühlschlegel.
• His autobiography, Rückblick auf mein Leben (1935) has been translated as Out of My Life and Work by Bernard Miall and published by Allen & Unwin Ltd in 1937.
• See the article The World Vision of a Savant by Dr Auguste H Forel. [BW3p284—287]
• See Wikipedia article.
• Find a grave.

The Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahíyyih Khánum, 'outstanding heroine of the Bahá'í Dispensation' passed away in Haifa about one hour after midnight. [BW5:169; GPB108]
• Her passing marked the end of the Heroic Age of the Faith. [BBD102; WOB98]
• She was comparable in rank to Sarah, Ásíyih, the Virgin Mary, Fátimih and Táhirih. [GPB347] And from the publication in her honour by the World Centre in 1982 p34...
  the brightest embodiment of that love which is born of God and of that human sympathy which few mortals are capable of evincing.
• Shoghi Effendi was in Switzerland and immediately went to Italy to commission a memorial for her grave. [DH156]
• Shoghi Effendi asked the Bahá'í World to observe a period of mourning for her of nine months. [This Decisive Hour #3]
• For Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá revealed in her honour see BW5:171–3; by Bahá'u'lláh; by 'Abdu'l-Bahá; and for tributes by Shoghi Effendi as well as by Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhiyyih Khánum.
• See BW19 pg39-74 The Greatest Holy Leaf, The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Passing of Bahiyyih Khanum.
• For Shoghi Effendi's tribute to her see BW5:174–9.
• For Marjory Morten's obituary of her see BW5:181–5.
• The design of the monument for the resting place of the Greatest Holy Leaf is a symbol of the Bahá'í administrative order. [CB298]
• See also Bahíyyih Khánum published by the World Centre in 1982 and Khánum, The Greatest Holy Leaf by Marzieh Gail published by George Ronald in 1982; BBD42; CB121–2, 305; DH156–61; GBF65–8; PP144–8.
• See A Gift of Love; Offered to the Greatest Holy Leaf by Abu'l-Qasim Faizi.
• Meditation on Passing of Bahíyyih Khánum from Bahíyyih Khánum, compiled by the Research Department pp23-30
• See The Greatest Holy Leaf's Unparalleled Role in Religious History and the Significance of the Arc, the Site of Her Resting Place by Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani. The paper was presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #121 [English], Louhelen Bahá'í Center: Davison, Michigan, USA, October 10–13, 2013 and has been published in Lights of Irfan, volume 15.

The passing of George Adam Benke (b. Fredericksfelt, south Russia in 1878) in Sofia, Bulgaria. Shoghi Effendi declared him to be "the first European martyr. [BW5:416–418, LDG1p263]
• He had become a Bahá'í as a result of the visit of Harlan and Grace Ober to Leipzig in 1920 and the further efforts of Miss Alma Knoblock. [BW5p416]
• He translated the works of Bahálláh that had been translated into Russian by Thomansky and Rosenberg.
• In June of 1931 he was called upon to help Marion Jack in Sofia where is knowledge of Russian facilitated his efforts. He stayed for three months.
• Again in 1932 he was asked to go to Sofia where he passed away after a very short period of discomfort.
• Shoghi Effendi called him the first European martyr. [LDG1:263; MC359]
• Photo 1 of his gravesite in Sofia.
• Photo 2 of his headstone.

Keith Ransom-Kehler died of smallpox in Isfahán after a year of intensive travel around Iran. [BW5:24, 398; BN No 80 January 1934 p11]
• For her obituary see BW5:389–410.
• She was buried near the grave of the King of Martyrs. [BW5:398]
• For a picture of her grave see BW5:399.
• Shoghi Effendi named her America's 'first and distinguished martyr'. [BW5:398]
• Shoghi Effendi elevated her to the rank of Hand of the Cause on 28 October, 1933. [BW5:398, MoCxxii]
• See message from the Guardian dated 30 October 1933.
• For her mission in Iran see BW5:23–7.
• See also PP306–7.
• See Other People Other Places by Marzieh Gail (pages 176-181) for a pen portrait of Keith Ransom-Kehler.
• See FMH51-52]
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.
• Photo of her grave. [BW9p68]

Agnes S. Parsons died after an automobile accident. [BW5:410; SBR96; BN No 82 April 1934 p4]
• She is primarily remembered for her contribution to the cause of race unity in North America. [BW5:413]
• For her obituary see BW5:410–14.
• See also Diary of Agnes Parsons; SBR76–96.
• See as well FMH47-49 for the story of how she came to accept the Cause through three supernatural signs during her pilgrimage in 1910.

Dr Susan Moody (b. Amsterdam, NY 20 November 1851) passed away in Iran. She had become a Bahá'í in May 1903 as a result of an intense study of the Faith with Isabella Brittingham. [BFA2:359, 361]
• See Susan Moodie by R Jackson Armstrong-Ingram.
• For her services in Iran and an obituary see BW6:483–6.
• See her biography Dr. Susan I. Moody's Travels to Iran: 1909-1934: Courageous Odyssey by Dr Hoda Mahmoud. Published initially by Routledge 2 April 2024 with plans for a printing by Kalimat Press.
  "This book explores the Industrial Revolution, the rise of the women’s movement, advances in medicine and healthcare, and the start of a new religion – The Baha’i Faith – of which Moody became a devoted member. Susan Moody was a pathbreaking artist and educator who became a physician later in life. She made the bold decision to leave the United States and travel to Iran in 1909 to serve women who effectively had no access to medical care. In examining Dr Susan Moody’s story, this volume seeks to reflect on our own changing moment and the ever-present possibilities of improvement and advancement. By tracing her own courageous odyssey, we are invited to more deeply understand our own."
• She was buried near the graves of Lillian Kappes and Sarah Clock in the Tihrán Bahá'í cemetery. [BW6:486]

The passing of Jinab-i-Fádil-i-Shírází (Shaykh Muhammad Ibráhim) (b.1863) in Tehran. [ARG109, M9YA418, 433]
• A biography of this learned servant of Bahá'u'lláh has been written by his grand-daughter, Houri Faláhi-Skuce entitled A Radiant Gem: A biography of Jinab-i-Fadil-i-Shirazi.
• Note: ARG164-166 gives his passing as August 1935. The date given by the Persian calendar, 27 Shahrívar 1314 converts to 19 September 1935. He passed at 1:30 AM on the following day.

The passing of Dr. Howard Luxmoore Carpenter (b. 1906, d. 24 November 1935). He was buried at the Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito, California. [Find a grave]
• A graduate of the Stanford Medical School in 1932.
• He married Mardiyyih Nabil (later Marzieh Gail) in 1929, and in 1932 he and his wife left San Francisco for Vienna, where he took a medical course, and afterward at the Guardian's direction traveled through Central Europe and the Balkans. With Martha Root in Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade, he then spent five weeks in Sofia, Bulgaria, assisting Miss Marion Jack, after which he stopped briefly in Saloniki and went on to Tirana, Albania, to visit Refo Chapary. He then left for Haifa, where he stayed three weeks on his way to Tihran.
• In Iran, notwithstanding the efforts of the Assembly, he was prevented for more than one year from obtaining a medical license. His health failed, and he was bedridden for many months. At last his physical condition improved, he resumed activities as a member of the Unity of the East and West Committee, and the authorities granted him a license to practise medicine. At this time he was stricken with paralysis. He lay seven months in a hospital, after which Mr. and Mrs. Rahmat 'Alá'í invited him to their home, surrounding him with the same loving care which they had given Keith Ransom-Kehler the year before. His doctors advised a return to the United States as his only hope for recovery; he braved the long journey across the desert by motor, the presence of the 'Ala'is, who escorted him to Haifa, helping him to survive it.
• After nine days in Haifa, during which the Guardian visited him daily, he took a ship for New York where he was greeted by the National Spiritual Assembly, and then left by way of the Panama Canal for San Francisco. Here he had recourse to the best medical authorities, but was pronounced incurable. He passed away November 24, 1935 . He is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Berkeley. The Bahá'í service held for him was conducted by Leroy Ioas of San Francisco; Bahá'ís of Berkeley, Oakland, Geyserville, San Francisco and Santa Paula were present, and the words of Bahá'u'lláh on immortality radiated such power as to efface all thought of death. [BW6 p491-493]
• See Shoghi Effendi's tribute to him where he said:
  
  Next to the late Mrs. Ransom-Kehler he may, indeed, be well considered as the foremost American believer who has, in the last few years, been assisted in rendering invaluable help to the Persian believers in their efforts for the establishment of the Administration in their country… . ["Uncompiled Published Letters"]

Khusraw Bimán (Thábit) passed away in Bombay at the age of 103 or 104. [Imm:56]
• He is the first Zoroastrian to accept the Faith in India. [Imm:44–6]
• For the story of his life see Imm:39–60.

The passing of Mary Hanford Finney Ford (b. 1 November, 1856, in Meadville, PA) in Clearwater, FL. She was buried at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Kansas City, MI.
• She was active in the sufferage movement throughout most of her life.
• She found the Bahá'í Faith through Sarah Farmer, Green Acre, and Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, and helped form the first community of Bahá'ís in Boston where Louis Bourgeois, future architect of the first Bahá'í House of Worship in the West, then joined the religion.
• In 1907 she went on pilgrimage where, it is said, 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave her access to teachings not universally given and to Tablets that were not to be copied. [FMH72]
• In 1910 she published The Oriental Rose: The Teachings of Abdul Baha Which Trace the Chart of "The Shining Pathway"
• She traveled with `Abdu'l-Bahá during some of his journeys in various places in Europe and then in America.
• She published The World of Abdul Baha first in 1921 and then three subsequent printings.
• In the latter part of her life she often traveled to Europe for some months of the year and during this period introduced the Faith to Ugo Giachery. [Wikipedia]
• Find a grave.

The passing of Dr. Zíá Bagdádí (b. February 9, 1882, Beirut, Lebanon) in Augusta, Georgia. He was buried in Westover Memorial Park, Augusta, Georgia.
• Dr. Bagdádí attended the American University of Beirut and graduated as a physician. In September 1909, on 'Abdu'l-Bahá's advice, he moved to Chicago to further his medical studies and soon emerged as a pillar of the Chicago Bahá'í community. A major translator of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's tablets into English and the editor of the Persian pages of Star of the West, he accompanied 'Abdu'l-Bahá on much of His North American travels in 1912. In the year 1929, Dr. Bagdádí wrote a book telling of his birthplace and travels in the Orient under the title, Treasures of the East. He wrote of his experiences in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh as a child.
• He married Zeenat Khanum who was the daughter of Hasan Aqa Tabrizi, aunt of Ali Nakhjavani who went to the Holy Land to give information relating to the restoration of the house of 'Abdu'llah Pasha. Zeenat's sister was Fatimih Khanum (Ali Nakhjavani's mother) who spent her youth in service to the Greatest Holy Leaf. These two sisters, when they were young girls in 'Akka, nine and eleven years old, were accepted into the household of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. They were married in the first Bahá'í marriage in Montreal, Canada which took place on April 30, 1914. [Bahá'í Chronicles] iiiii

Muhammad-'Alí, half-brother of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Arch-breaker of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, died. [CB355; GPB320; MA11]

During Bahá'u'lláh's ministry, Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí was known by the title Ghusn-i-Akbar (the Greater Branch). After he broke the Covenant, believers referred to him as the Naqid-i-Akbar (the Arch-Covenant-breaker).

"The Hand of Omnipotence has removed the archbreaker of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant, his hopes shattered, his plottings frustrated, the society of his fellow-conspirators extinguished. God's triumphant Faith forges on, its unity unimpaired, its purpose unsullied, its stability unshaken. Such a death calls for neither exultation nor recrimination, but evokes overwhelming pity at so tragic a downfall unparalleled in religious history." [Cablegram December 20, 1937 MA11)

      This perfidious man, consumed by a "soul festering jealousy" toward Abdu'l-Baha, behaved in a way that "…agitated the minds and hearts of a vast proportion of the faithful throughout the East, eclipsed, for a time, the Orb of the Covenant, created an irreparable breach within the ranks of Bahá'u'lláh's own kindred, sealed ultimately the fate of the great majority of the members of His family, and gravely damaged the prestige, though it never succeeded in causing a permanent cleavage in the structure, of the Faith itself." [GPB246]

      He had changed the text of at least one tablet of Bahá'u'lláh to make it appear that Bahá'u'lláh was condemning the wicked deeds of'Abdu'l-Bahá. He plotted to murder 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He made repeated false allegations about 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the Ottoman authorities so that the Master came perilously closed to being exiled to a remote part of the Libyan desert. In addition, from 1892 to 1929, Muhammad Ali and his relatives occupied the mansion of Bahji, where Bahá'u'lláh's tomb was located, and it was not until 1952 that the property surrounding the Shrine was finally owned, without hindrance, by the Bahá'í community. [CoB153; PP231-233]

      He "was stricken with paralysis which crippled half his body; lay bedridden in pain for months before he died; and was buried according to Muslim rites, in the immediate vicinity of a local Muslim shrine, his grave remaining until the present day (1944) devoid of even a tombstone—a pitiful reminder of the hollowness of the claims he had advanced, of the depths of infamy to which he had sunk, and of the severity of the retribution his acts had so richly merited." [GPB319-320]

• For details of his death and funeral see DH117 and GPB320.

The fourth Trustee of the Huqúqu'lláh was Jináb-i-Valíyu'lláh Varqá, the third son of Varqá the martyr. He was born in Tabriz and after the death of his father and brother he was raised by his grandmother, a fanatical Muslim. At the age of 16 his uncle removed him from the home and taught him the Faith. He attended the American University at Beirut and spent summers with 'Abdu'l-Bahá and accompanied the Master to America and served as His interpreter. He returned to Iran where he served on local and national assemblies and was made a Trustee of the Huqúqu'lláh in 1938 at a time when the observance of the law spread throughout Iran. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 25 March, 1985]
• He was elevated to a Hand of the Cause of God in 1951 and passed away in Tubingen, Germany in 1955 while taking a treatment for an illness. [BW13p831-834]

Mary Virginia Thornburgh-Cropper (Maryam Khánum), the first Bahá'í of the British Isles, passed away in Kensington, London.
• Find a Grave.
• She was known to her friends as Minnie and first heard of the Bahá'í Faith in 1898 when she was 41.
• She was an American living in London and had been married to an Englishman.
• Shortly after reading about the Báb in an encyclopedia, by coincidence, she was invited by her friend Phoebe Hearst to be part of the first group of Western Bahá'í pilgrims to visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the Holy Land.
• She is considered to be the first person to become a Bahá'í in the UK and throughout her life was a very active member of the community.
• She was a member of the first elected National Spiritual Assembly of England (later Great Britain).
• She made her motor-car available to 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His visits. [SBR30, BW4p375, In the Footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Bahá p9]
• For details of her life see BSR17–30.
• For her obituary see BW8:649–51.
• Notes: It is possibly she, rather than her mother, Mrs Thornburgh, who is referred to as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in BW3:84–5. The picture is not that of Mrs Thornburgh-Cropper.
• For biographical information see The Early Years of the British Bahá'í Community 1898-1911 p70-75.

GRACE ROBARTS OBER was the aunt of John Robarts. She was introduced to the Cause by Lua Getzinger and Grace, at once, recognized Baha'u'llah and became a Baha'i in 1906. Grace met Harlon Ober when she was working at Lanier Camp on River Road in Eliot, Maine. He was at Green Acre.

During the time of the visit of Àbdu'l-Bahá, Grace went with Lua to prepare a place for Àbdu'l-Bahá in Chicago and then, after subletting her cottage at Green Acre she made arrangements for His visit to New York City.

It was the wish of Àbdu'l-Bahá that she marry Harlan Ober. Lua came to her to give her this news. She had only met Harlan a few times and was unprepared to contact him so Lua wrote to Harlan - and Harlan, radiant at the thought that he was obeying a suggestion of his beloved Master, took the next train to New York from Boston where he lived. He came at once to see Grace and together they went walking through Central Park where he proposed and Grace, still. dazed.and uncertain, accepted - because it was the will of Àbdu'l-Bahá.

Grace and Harlan were married by Àbdu'l-Bahá at the home He was staying in in New York City. Later that same day they were married again by the laws of New York when Howard Colby Ives performed the legal ceremony.

In 1938 Grace went on an extensive teaching trip through the Southern states. She had been very ill previous to this. The teaching trip ended in time for her to reach Wilmette and attend the Convention in the spring of 1938.

It was a very radiant Convention and the report Grace gave of her teaching trip was one of the high points of it because Grace herself was so radiant and filled with the glory of the great privilege of teaching. She stood there, before the crowded hall in the Bahá'í House of Worship, filled with the great glory that shone from her and, closing her report, she uttered a tremendous clarion call for pioneers and for teachers. Then she walked down to resume her seat amongst the delegates but on her way she paused beside Harlan, who had just been reelected to our National Spiritual Assembly. "I want to congratulate you now" she whispered, "I may not have time later", They smiled at each other with the perfect understanding that had always existed between them. Then Grace slipped into her own seat.

As she sat down her head drooped slightly and those glancing at her assumed she was lost in prayer. But when she made no movement for many moments someone touched her and realized something was wrong. Edris Rice-Wray and Katherine True both moved forward - and Grace was gone - gone through her Open Door - gone on her beautiful journey to the arms of Àbdu'l-Bahá. [Ref: Find a Grave]

Munírih Khánum, the Holy Mother, wife of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away. [BBD166; BW8:260; CB358; DH161]
• Note: UD119 records this was 28 April.
• She died while the American National Convention was in session in Chicago. Shoghi Effendi cabled the Convention to say that all Ridván celebrations were to be suspended and that the delegates should devote a special session to her remembrance. [SEPE1p266]
• Shoghi Effendi interred her body just west of the Shrine of Bahíyyih Khánum and erected a simple monument over her grave. [DH161]
• For excerpts from her autobiography see BW8:259–63.
• For tributes to her see BW8:263–7.

The National Convention was held in Chicago. Those elected to the National Spiritual Assembly were: Dorothy Baker, Allen McDaniel, Horace Holley, Roy Wilhelm, George Latimer, Seigfried Schopflocher, Amelia Collins, Harlan Ober, and Charles Ioas. [BN Issue 116 June 1938 p4]
• Grace Roberts Ober, who had just given a report on a travel teaching trip to Louisville KY and on her work in Toronto where she had been the previous Fall, collapsed into the arms of the Convention chairman, Harlan Ober in view of the assembled delegates while ending her address. She was removed from the convention hall and passed away shortly thereafter. See TG75-76 and FMH273-274 for the background to this story.
• Born in Thorold, ON of Sarah E. Wilson and the Rev Thomas Tempest Robarts, a cannon in the Anglican Church, Grace's life's work was that of a teacher.
• During 'Abdu'l-Baha's tour of America she served as his household manager, going ahead to secure an apartment for him and acting as His housekeeper and hostess.
• On July 17, 1912 she married Harlan Ober at 'Abdu'l-Bahá's suggestion. The legal marriage was conducted by Howard Colby Ives. [BW8p656-660]

The passing of Queen Marie of Romania. [BBD144; GPB395]
• For her services to the Bahá'í Faith see GPB389–96.
• For tributes paid by her to the Bahá'í Faith see BW8:269–71.
• For her relationship with the Bahá'í Faith see BW8:271–6.
• For tributes to her see BW8276–82.
• See Renouwned First Royal Believer by O Z Whitehead. [Bahá'í News Issue504 March 1973p2]
• For her biography see Her Eternal Crown - Queen Marie Of Romania And The Baha'i Faith by Della Marcus and published by George Ronald Publisher.
• In 2018 a film was made about her life titled Maria Inima Romaniei (Maria Heart of Romania) by John Florescu of Chainsaw Film Productions. Trailer.

On the 30th of April, 2018 the Bahá'ís of the Washington, DC Metro Area unveiled a grave marker for Pocahontas Pope, the city's first African American Bahá'í, in National Harmony Memorial Park. Another ceremony was held on the 19th of May to honour her. A history of her life and accomplishments was read and a monologue in her voice was performed. [DC Bahá'í Community website; Bahá'ís of the US website]

Pocahontas Pope was employed by Alma Knobloch to help her as a seamstress in her dressmaking business. In 1906 she became a Bahá'í and wrote a letter of declaration to 'Abdu'l-Bahá. In His reply He wrote in part,

"Render thanks to the Lord that among that race thou art the first believer, that thou hast engaged in spreading sweet-scented breezes, and hast arisen to guide other… [T]he pupil of the eye is black, it is the source of light. Thou shalt likewise be."

The complete Tablet can be found at Bahá'í Chronicles, In Alma Sedonia Knobloch p392 by Jennifer Redson Wiebers and in Aflame with Devotion p.67-68 by Judy Hannen Moe.

From that point until at least 1918 she hosted talks in her home, and one of the people she led to the Faith was Alain Locke, "Father of the Harlem Renaissance" among many others who would go on to render service to the Cause. [ Bahá'ís of the US website]

See as well The Bahá'í Faith in America Vol 2 p 225-226 by Robert Stockman, Alma Sedonia Knobloch p27-29, 33 by Jennifer Redson Wiebers.

The passing of Louis Alphonse Daniel Nicolas, signing A.L.M. Nicolas , (b. March 27 , 1864 in Rasht, Iran) in Paris. He was an historian and French orientalist, official interpreter of the Legation French abroad, and France's consul general in Tabriz.
      After reading Gobineau's Trois ans en Asie, 1855-1858 he checked all the information Gobineau had written in his book, corrected some of it, and then began to translate the writings of the Báb. Attracted by this young doctrine, he converted to Bábism and thus became the first Western Bábí. He was the first to translate works of the Báb into French: The Arabic Bayán and the Persian Bayán, and wrote various works, including Seyyed Ali Mohamed dit le Báb (1905), an Essai sur le Chéikhisme (1911) and several articles in newspapers such as Review of the Muslim World. Nicolas became knight of the Legion of Honour in 1909.
• Moojan Momen says of him, "No European scholar has contributed so much to our knowledge of the life and teachings of the Báb as Nicholas. His study of the life of the Báb and his translations of several of the most important books of the Báb remain of unsurpassed value." [BBR36]
• His important collection of manuscripts were auctioned and the items relevant to the Bahá'í and Bábí Faiths were purchased by the Bahá'í World Centre.
• See BW8p885-887 for An Interview with A. L. M. Nicolas of Paris by Edith Sanderson.
• See a short biography by Nader Nasiri Moghaddam in Encyclopaedia Iranica Online.
• A chronological list of his publications:
  • Le Livre des Sept Preuves [Dalá'il-i-Sab'ih translated from Persian into French], Paris, 1902, 68 pp.
  • A propos de deux manuscrits 'Bábís' de la Bibliothèque Nationale, Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, Paris, volume 47, 1903, pp. 58-73
  • Le Béyan Arabe [Bayán al-'arabiyya translated from Arabic into French], Paris, 1905, 235 pp.
  • Seyyed Ali Mohammed dit le Báb [biography of the Báb, selections translated into English in this volume], Paris, 1905, 458 pp.
  • En Perse: Constitution [translation by A.L.M. Nicolas], Revue du Monde Musulman, Paris, volume 1, 1907 (décembre 1906), p. 86-100
  • Sur la Volonté Primitive et l'Essence Divine d'après le Báb, Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, Paris, volume 55, 1907, pp. 208-212
  • Essais sur le Chéïkhisme, 4 volumes :
  • Cheïkh Ahmed Lahçahi, Paris, volume 1, 1910
  • Séyyèd Kazem Rechti, Paris, volume 2, 1914
  • Le Chéïkhisme. La Doctine, Paris, volume 3, 1911 [extract from Revue du Monde Musulman]
  • La Science de Dieu, Paris, volume 4, 1911
  • Le Club de la fraternité [translation of an article by Atrpet by A.L.M. Nicolas], Revue du Monde Musulman, Paris, volume 13, 1911, pp. 180-184
  • Le Dossier russo-anglais de Seyyed Ali Mohammed dit le Báb, Revue du Monde Musulman, Paris, volume 14, 1911, pp. 357-363
  • Le Béyan Persan [Bayán-i-fársí translated from Persian into French], four volumes, 1911-1914
  • Abdoul-Béha et la situation, Revue du Monde Musulman, Paris, volume 21, 1912, pp. 261-267
  • Le Béhahis et le Báb, Journal Asiatique, Paris, volume 222, 1933, pp. 257-264
  • Qui est le successeur du Báb? Paris, 1933, 16 pp.
  • Quelques Documents relatifs au Babisme, Journal Asiatique, Paris, volume 224, 1934, pp. 107-142
  • Le Báb astronome, Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, Paris, volume 114, 1936, pp. 99-101
  • Massacres de Babis en Perse, Paris, 1936, 42 pp.

  [A Short Biography of A. L. M. Nicholas by Peter Terry 2008]

Martha Root, 'foremost Hand raised by Bahá'u'lláh', passed away in Honolulu. (b. 10 August,1872 Richwood Union County Ohio, USA) [BBD198–9; GPB388; MRHK486; PP105]
• Photos of her gravesite 1, 2 and 3.
• Directions to her gravesite.
• For Shoghi Effendi's tribute to her see GPB386–9 and MA30.
• Shoghi Effendi called her the 'archetype of Bahá'í itinerant teachers', the 'foremost Hand raised by Bahá'u'lláh since 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing', 'Leading ambassadress of His Faith' and 'Pride of Bahá'í teachers'. [GPB386]
• From the Guardian...her "acts shed imperishable lustre American Bahá'í Community". [PP106]
• For her obituary see BW8:643–8.
• She was buried in the Nuuanu Cemetery, Honolulu.
• See also Garis, Martha Root: Lioness at the Threshold and Martha Root: Herald of The Kingdom.
• See Other People Other Places by Marzieh Gail (pages 170-175) for a pen-portrait of Martha Root.
• She was designated a Hand of the Cause of God on the 3rd of October, 1954. [MoCxxii] iiiii

Mathew Kaszab, arrived in Nicaragua, the first Bahá'í pioneer to that country.
• In March 1942 he was arrested and imprisoned for 23 days; he was again arrested in September 1942; he was sent back to the United States very ill, where he died in January 1943 from the effects of his imprisonment. [BW9:614–16]

The passing of Grace Crossman Krug (b. 1870 Brooklyn, d. 30 December 1939 Chester, NY). [Find a Grave]
• She had been predeceased by her husband, Dr Florian Drug in 1924. ["Abdu'l-Bahá in America 1912-1912]
• After speaking in the Krug home 'Abdu'l-Bahá summoned their son Carl Krug to ride home with Him. Seated in the taxicab, He instructed Carl to write what He was about to say. Then 'Abdu'l-Bahá said: "You must be very grateful to your mother—you must appreciate her greatly—you do not realize her station now or what a great honour she has bestowed on your household. She will be one of the famous women of America. You must appreciate and love her very much. All will know of her servitude." [BW8p676]

Lady Sara Louisa Blomfield, entitled Sitárih Khánum, (b. County Tipperary, Ireland 1859) passed away at 40 Belsize Grove in London. She was buried in Hampstead Cemetery, Borough of Camden, London. She was one of the first Irish people to become a Bahá'í. [BW8:651; SEBW109; Find a grave]

In Century of Light, the Universal House of Justice recognized the contributions of “…Sara Lady Blomfield, whose social position lent added force to the ardour with which she championed the teachings…”
Lady Blomfield used her social position in the English aristocracy to reach others in her circle and to teach them about the Bahá'í Faith. The following guidance from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá shows the importance of doing so, and Lady Blomfield’s example is a source of inspiration for us to reach all those in our own circles.
I hope that thou wilt ... endeavour to teach some high-ranking and influential persons, for the hearts of the people have become attracted to the Cause of God and their minds bewildered and enthralled by its awesome grandeur. Those who occupy high positions, too, have become profoundly receptive to its message. The loved ones of God should therefore make a determined effort and guide these distinguished souls to the Cause. From the Writings of 'Abdul-Bahá, Teaching Prominent People, The Bahá'í Publishing Trust, London, 1990, page 1.

• See The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1944-1963 p86-89 and various other chapters.
• For details of her life see SEBW101–110, Daily Note from Bahá'í History and Bahá'í Chronicles.
• For her obituary see BW8:651–6.
• See Wikipedia.
• See First Obligation-Lady Blomfield and the Save the Children Fund by Rob Weinberg on the UK Bahá'í Heritage site.
• See the short film An Irish Star.
• See her book The Chosen Highway. It was published by George Ronald in 1940.
• See her biography, Lady Blomfield - Her Life and Times by Robert Weinberg.

Ruth and Ellsworth Blackwell were the first Bahá'í pioneers to move to Haiti, where they spent more than half of the next thirty-five years. The book, White and Negro Alike. Stories of Baha'i Pioneers Ellsworth and Ruth Blackwell tells the story of the victories and the challenges they experienced in Haiti and in periods when they returned to Chicago between 1940 and 1975. It was written by Audrey Mike and published by Our Life Words.
• See the story of Ellsworth Blackwell, NSA member, ABM, pioneer to Madagascar and to Zaire (DRC) where he passed away in 1978. [Bahaipedia]

May Bolles Maxwell (b. 14 January 1940 in Englewood, NJ) passed away in Buenos Aires. [BBD153; TG49]

Shoghi Effendi called her "the spiritual mother of Canada" and Montreal the "mother city of Canada". [OBCC35]

• Shoghi Effendi awarded her the honour of a 'martyr's death' and designated her as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [BW8:631; MA38]
• She was the first Bahá'í on European soil and the "mother" of both the French and the Canadian Bahá'í communities. [PP149]
• For her "In Memoriam" and tribute written by Marion Holley see BW8p631-642.
• Hooper Dunbar quoted Shoghi Effendi in his cable to the friends in Iran announcing her passing:
  
  May Maxwell, the severed teacher firebrand of the love of God and spreader of the fragrances of God Mrs Maxwell, forsook her native land and hastened to the most distant countries out of love for her Master and yearning to sound the call to the Cause of her Lord and her inspiration, until she ascended to the highest summit attaining the rank of martyrdom in the capital of the Argentine. The furthermost boundary the countenances of paradise invoke blessings upon her in the glorious apex saying, may she enjoy with healthy relish the cup that is full and brimming over with the wine of the love of God for the like of this should the travaillers travail. Inform all the friends of the announcement of this mighty victory. [A talk] given by Mr Dunbar 28:08]
• Shoghi Effendi asked her husband, Sutherland Maxwell, to design her tomb, which was to be a 'historic centre' for 'pioneer Bahá'í activity'. [BW8:642]
• For an account of the erection of the monument to her see PSBW83–6.
• Haik Kevorkian's family had come to Argentina from Syria in 1937. When Mrs Maxwell arrived he contacted her by phone just before her fatal heart attack. After her passing, he devoted himself to caring for her grave. [KoB225]

There is evidence to indicate that Margaret Stevenson was not the first believer in New Zealand. Dr Robert Felkin arrived in New Zealand in early 1912 while Margaret Stevenson became a believer later in that same year. [BCIB119-120]

John Henry Hyde Dunn, passed away in Sydney. [BW9:595; SBR166]
• Shortly after his passing Shoghi Effendi appointed him to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God. (26 April, 1952) [MoCxxii]
• For the story of his life see SBR153–68.
• For his obituary see BW9:593–7.
• For a biography see The Bahá'í Encyclopedia Project
• Photo of his grave. [BW9p72]
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.

The passing of Urbain Joseph Ledoux (b. August 13, 1874 in Ste Hélène de Bagot, Quebec). He was buried in Saint Joseph's Cemetery Biddeford, Maine.
• He is believed to be the third French-Canadian to become a Bahá'í outside of Canada. [OCBB94]
• He gave an address to the National Convention at the Hotel McAlpine on the 28th of April, 1919 entitled The Oneness of the World of Humanity. [SoW Vol 10 May 17, 1919 No 4 p58] "This talk 'sounded so French-Canadian' that later francophone believers could still be moved to tears in reading its text." [OCBB94]
• He received widespread publicity for his opening of bread lines in New York (The Stepping Stone) in 1919, and for "auctions" of the jobless to employers in New York and Boston during the Depression of 1921. He was received by President Warren Harding shortly after arriving in Washington, D.C. in September 1921. Ledoux spent a little over three months in Washington, D.C. 1921-22 campaigning for a public works program funded by a tax on companies that made excessive war profits during World War I. His tactics included setting up a hotel housing the unemployed on Pennsylvania Avenue, an auction of the jobless, speaking before the unemployment conference, calling for the arrest of international arms conference delegates. He walked around the city carrying a white umbrella, a lighted lantern and a Bible or a copy of the Sermon on the Mount saying he was like Diogenes searching for an honest man.
• Urbain Ledoux is shown in Boston in 1921 auctioning off an unemployed man. He conducted these auctions in New York and Boston in order to garner publicity for the plight of the unemployed and to find work for the jobless. He called himself "Mr. Zero" because he said he didn't want any publicity for himself.
• "Mr. Zero" returned to Washington in 1932 with the Bonus Expeditionary Force, leading an unauthorized march on the White House July 16, 1932 that resulted in his arrest along with two others. The march frightened President Herbert Hoover who set in motion the eviction of the bonus marchers from the city — a move that backfired on Hoover and helped to cement his reputation as someone uncaring about the plight of the nation's unemployed. Photos. [Wikipedia]
• Find a grave.
• His obituary in the New York Times April 10th 1941.
• He is reported to have "rescued" 85 year-old Sarah Farmer in Portsmouth where she was being held in a sanatorium against her will. [Boston Post 4 August 1916]
• See a story from Ephemeral New York.
• There is a short description of Urbain LeDoux in He Loved and Served: The Story of Curtis Kelsey p 33-34.

The passing of Howard Colby Ives (b. 11 Oct 1867, Brooklyn, New York, d. Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA). He was buried in Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum, Alexander, Saline County, Arkansas. [BW9p608-613; Find a grave]
• He and his wife Mabel spent nearly the last twenty years of his life as itinerant teachers. (Often teamed up with the Obers and the McKays) For example they came to Toronto in November of 1938 and stayed for about 10 months. During that time Mabel gave more than 150 lectures in Toronto and about 70 in Hamilton, Toronto's expansion goal. Howard, who was had had heart problems and who was rapidly losing for sight and hearing at the time, complemented her abilities by doing personal deepening with receptive souls. [TMLF62-67, SEBW139-154]

  Some of his works were:

  • The Ocean of His Utterances Unpublished study course in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh using the books of Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l‑Baha, and Shoghi Effendi, compiled and with commentary by Ives. Not yet formatted.
  • Portals to Freedom (1937) A collection of anecdotes and history of Abdu'l-Baha's travels to the United States, as told by one observer. [Collins7.1313 to 7.1320]
  • The Song Celestial (1938) A mystical book about Mr. Ives' search for God, in which a seeker asks God various questions, and God responds. [Collins7.1321-1322]
• Also see Mother's Stories: Recollections of Abdu'l-Baha by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall (Daughter of Howard and Mabel Ives)

The passing of Elizabeth Roemer Greenleaf (b. 1863) in Eliot Maine. She was buried at the Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum. [BW9p608]
• She and her husband became active in the Chicago Bahá'í community after completing Kheiralla's class on the 5th of October, 1897.
• She had a dream in which Kheiralla was represented as a white ram behaving destructively. After he returned from pilgrimage and began sowing seeds of discontent she and her husband were able to understand the meaning of the dream. [FMH50]
• She served as secretary of the Chicago Bahá'í women's organization in 1905. After the passing of her husband she began to travel extensively to lecture about the Bahá'í Faith. She also moved to various cities that needed Bahá'ís, remaining there until the community was strong enough for her to move again. In 1924 she was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada for one year. She went on pilgrimage in 1926, meeting Shoghi Effendi. He eulogized her as a "veteran and outstanding teacher" and described her qualities of "deep knowledge of the teachings, profound human sympathy, a heart which mirrored the Master's love, and a winning sweetness and friendliness." [The Greenleafs: An Eternal Reunion by Emeric Sala published in Bahá'í News, 510, pages 8-9, 23 1973-09]

The passing of Carole Lombard Gable (b. 6 October 1908 in Ft Wayne, IN) near Las Vegas. She was buried at the Forst Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. She was a second generation Bahá'í, her mother, Elizabeth Peters, had been brought into the Faith my Mrs Orol Platt. Carole, at the age of 14, wrote to 'Abdu'l-Bahá to ask for His permission to pursue a career in Hollywood. His Tablet came, praying for her success. She accepted the Faith in Los Angeles in about April of 1938. Her closest Bahá'í friend was the well-known teacher, Mrs. Beulah Storrs Lewis.
• She became an icon of cinema, the American Film Institute named her one of the greatest American female screen legends.
• She died in a plane crash while on a bond-selling tour. [Bahá'í Chronicles; Bahá'í Teachings; Bahá'í Arts Connection; BW9p635-637]
• Images.
• Her biography was entitled Carole Lombard: A Bio-Bibliography by Robert D. Matzen.
• See documentary videos on You Tube, Carole Lombard (Part 1) and Carole Lombard (Part 2).

'Abdu'l-Jalíl Bey Sa'ad died in Egypt and Shoghi Effendi appointed him to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God on the day of his passing. [LoF57-59; MoCxxii; BW9:597]
• For his obituary see BW9:597–9.
• 'Abdu'l-Jalíl Bey Sa'ad was, for many years, the president of the National Spiritual Assembly and a judge in the Civil Courts in Egypt. Through his sustained effort the Declaration of Trust was recognized as valid and legalized in 1934.
• He made an important contribution in translating into Arabic. Among his accomplishments were The Dawn-Breakers, Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Laws of Personal Status and Rules of Procedure.
• In 1941 he employed the Declaration of Trust as an instrument to induce the Ministry of Civil Defence to grant permission to build the Hazíratu'l-Quds in Cairo. While supervising this project in the intense heat he fell ill and died suddenly after an operation.

The passing of Narayanrao Rangnath (Shethji) Vakil (b. Navsari, 1866) in Poona. He was the first person from the Hindu community to identify himself with the Bahá'í activities in India and the first chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma. He learned of the Faith through Mírzá Mahram Isfáhání in about 1908. [BW9p637-641]
• For the story of his life see PH17–25.

The passing of Mabel Rice-Wray Ives (Rizwanea) (b. in St. Louis, MO in 1878) in Oklahoma, OK. She was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery. [BW9p616; Find a grave]

She first heard of the Faith at the age of 21 in 1899 under miraculous circumstances. [Mable Ives & The Mysterious Trolley Car Ride]

In 1903 she married Theron Canfield Rice-Wray and had three children. They lived in California from 1909 to 1914 where her marriage ended and she returned to the East.

In 1919 she met Howard Colby Ives and they married in 1920 and she became known to many who loved her as "Rizwanea". For nearly twenty years they traveled and taught the Faith often teaming with Grace and Harlan Ober as well as Doris and Willard McKay in both business and the teaching work. It was their entire life. They traveled through the New England states, through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, New York and many many more in Canada as well-always teaching, always leaving an established Assembly behind them." For example they came to Toronto in November of 1938 and stayed for about 10 months. During that time Mabel gave more than 150 lectures in Toronto and about 70 in Hamilton, Toronto's expansion goal. Howard, who was had had heart problems and who was rapidly losing for sight and hearing at the time, complemented her abilities by doing personal deepening with receptive souls. [TMLF62-67, SEBW139-154]

• See Fires in Many Hearts - Memoirs of an early American believer by Doris McKay.

See the story of how Mabel resolved the situation when she could no longer tolerate the itinerate lifestyle in the story When Mable Ives Could Endure No More, She Prayed .

See the tribute paid to her in the Canadian Bahá'í News No 202 November 1966 p4.

The passing of Sydney Sprague (b. Oshkosh WI in 1875) in Los Angeles. He was buried in Inglewood Cemetery. His grave is beside that of Tom Collins, husband of Amelia Collins, and lies just across the road from the grave of Thornton Chase, "First Bahá'í of America." [BW9p633-635]
• During a pilgrimage in late 1904 'Abdu'l-Bahá suggested he visit the Bahá'ís of the East. He toured India and Burma from December 1904 until the summer of 1905 becoming the first Western Bahá'í of go to the far Orient fulfilling Bahá'u'lláh's prophecy the "The East and West shall embrace as lovers". [YBIB6] iiiii
• See YBIB55-60 For the story of Kai Khosroe, the Zoroastrian Bahá'í from Bombay who gave his life while nursing Sprague in Lahore when he was deathly ill with typhoid fever.
• In 1908 he became a resident of Tehran, first teaching in the Bahá'í school and, when he returned the following year, he became principal.
• He married a niece of 'Abdul'-Bahá and became a brother-in-law of Ameen Fareed. When Fareed was expelled from the Faith in 1914 Sprague and his wife as well as his father-in-law followed. Fareed's father was Mírzá Asadu'lláh-i-Isfahání, the emissary who had taken the remains of the Báb from Iran to the Holy Land [Efforts to preserve the remains of the Bab]. Sprague applied to be reinstated in 1931 (or 1937) and was finally accepted in 1941, two years before his passing. [BW9p633-635]
  • He married Farahangiz Khanum on the 20th of July, 1910, a day selected by 'Abdu'l-Bahá so that Stanwood Cobb could attend. The Bahá'í wedding was performed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the legal ceremony was conducted by a mullá four days later. [BN Vol 1 No 12 October 1910 p 7]
• He made a teaching trip to South America and died soon after his return to the United States. [AB409]
• He was the author of The Story of the Bahai Movement published in London in 1907 and A Year with the Bahá'ís of India and Burma in May of 1908. [YBIBxi] iiiii

The passing of Disciple of Àbdu'l-Bahá Alma Knobloch (b. 1864 Bautzen; Germany d. 23 December 1943 Cabin John MD). She was interred in the family plot in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Washington, DC.
• Her association with the Faith began in 1903. She first heard about it from her sister Pauline who taught both Alma and Pocahontas Pope, her seamstress, who became the first African American believer in the Washington area. [AWD24, 67]
• At the request of 'Abdu'l-Bahá she went to Germany too help Dr Fisher departing in July of 1907 and settled in Stuttgart. Assemblies were formed in Stuttgart, Esslingen, Zuffenhausen, Leipzig, and Gera. She stayed in Germany for 13 years.
• During this time, in 1908, Alma and Fanny went on a pilgrimage to meet 'Abdu'l-Bahá and they developed a lasting friendship with the women of the Holy Family.
  • See pilgrim's notes Flowers Culled from the Rose Garden of Acca.
• She elected to remain in Germany when the war broke out in 1914 and gave up her American citizenship so that she would be free to travel around the country in the service of the Faith.
• She returned to the United States after the tragic death of her brother-in-law, Joseph Hannen. [Find a grave; BW9p641-643] (Note: The picture in Bahá'í World is not Alma but rather that of her sister, Fanny.)
• See her biography Alma Sedonia Knobloch by Jennifer Redson Wiebers.

The murder of Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí (b. Baghdad 1846 d. Mandalay Region, Myammar). He became a Baha'i in 1875 through the teaching of Jamal Effendi. He was nearly 99 years old at the time of his death. [Find a grave]
• He was born of a noble family from Iraq who had settled in Madras, India where he encounter Jamal Effendi. Together they journeyed to Burma in 1878 and he married and settle in Rangoon. In 1899 he and some others carried the marble casket made by the Bahá'ís of Mandalay to the Holy Land for the Holy Remains of the Báb. After the loss of his wife and his business interests in 1910 he was free to devote his full time to the Faith. He was instrumental in establishing a new centre in Daidanaw in the township of Kungyangoon.
• Among his many services for the Faith he translated the Writing to Urdu and to Burmese.
• Shoghi Effendi in a cable dated 10 November, 1945, written on his behalf, described the condition of the Burmese Bahá'ís at the end of World War II. The cable stated:
  . . . the Burmese Bahá'ís . . . have lost almost everything, including Bahá'í institutions destroyed and, above all, their wonderful pioneer-teacher, Siyyid Mustafa Roumi, was cruelly murdered by Burmese villagers together with a number of other Bahá'ís. But they have gathered in their ruined village, and with the utmost faith and devotion are seeking to rebuild their Baha' institutions; they have already started their school and elected their Assembly. Such evidences of the deep attachment of Bahá'ís to their religion are, indeed, inspiring! . . .
• The Guardian announced his elevation to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God on the 14th of July, 1945 and made a donation for the construction of his tomb. [MoCxxi, BW10p517-520i]
• For his obituary see BW10:517–20.
• For Shoghi Effendi's tribute see BW10:519–20 and DND216-217.
• Picture of his resting place.
• See Lights of Fortitude p123-128,
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.
• See his biography, Siyyid Mustafa Rumi: Hand of the Cause of God, Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh by Iran Furutan-Ali Muhajir.

The passing of John David Bosch (named "Núraní by 'Abdu'l-Bahá) at his home near Geyserville, California (b. August 1, 1855 at Neu-St Johann, Canton Gall, Switzerland) He had become a Bahá'í in 1905. His teachers being Mrs Beckwith, Mrs Goodall, Mrs Cooper and Thornton Chase. He was buried in the Olive Hill Cemetery, Geyserville. [BW11p488]
• He and Louise Stapfer married on the 19th of January 1914 in San Francisco. 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent a Tablet. [WmSh21]
• He, along with George Latimer and Leroy Ioas, were appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly to find a location to establish a "Western Green Acre". John donated his 35 acre estate.
• For a pen portrait and biography of John and Louise Bosch see Other People Other Places by Marzieh Gail pages 182-194 or Bahá'í News page 705.
• For pictures of John and Louise Bosch see the Bosch Bahá'í School site.
• For Shoghi Effendi's tribute to him see MA106. See When the Moon Set Over Haifa by Angelina Diliberto Allen pages 11-52 for an account of the Bosch's time in Haifa during the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.

The passing of Orcella Rexford (b. Louise Cutts-Powell, 12 Jun 1887 in Tracey, Minnesota) in Los Angeles. She was buried near the grave of Thornton Chase in the Inglewood Park Cemetery. [BW11p495-498; Find a grave]
• Orcella first heard of the Bahá'í Faith from Mrs. Myrta Sandoz of Cleveland, Ohio, and was later confirmed by Dr. Edward Getsinger in Boston, Mass. She became a believer in 1918-1919. [BW11p495]
• For a brief biography see Bahá'í Chronicles.
• For a more extensive biography see Bahaipedia.
• See her article, Alaska, Our New Frontier. [BW9p918-922]

The passing of Muhammad Taqí Isfahání. He had been born in Persia and was horrified by the behaviour of Mullá Muhammad Báqir (The Wolf) and Imám-Jum'íh who had killed the two brothers Muhammad Husayn and Muhammad Hasan so he left for Egypt and encountered many believers on his way. He passed through Akka and met both Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'-Bahá.
• His name is closely associated with the early progress of the Faith in Egypt. His house was the centre of activity and was were both Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl and Lua Getsinger spent their last days. He received 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His visit to Egypt. He was the chief member of the Publishing Committee and helped to translate many books into Arabic such as the Iqán and Some Answered Questions.
• The Guardian announced his elevation to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God two days after his passing and donated a sum of money to be used for his tomb. He is buried in the Bahá'í Cemetery. [MoCxxii, BW11p500-502]

The passing of Haji Mahmúd Qassabchí. In 1933 Qassabchí had suffered a severe attack of paralysis which he narrowly survived and as a result of which he could hardly move or speak for the rest of his life. He was buried at Salman Pak, about thirty miles southeast of Baghdad. [BW11p502-503]
• He had become a Bahá'í in 1911 after reading accounts of the travels of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the Star of the West. Prior to that he had made the acquaintance of Músá Banání and had been impressed with the young man's honesty. With regard to his service to the Faith, after WWI he undertook the restoration of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad. A few years later he played a leading part in the purchase and the establishment of the Hazíratu'l-Quds of Baghdad and he participated in no small measure to the erection of the Hazíratu'l-Quds in the village of Avasiq, the first built in Iraq.
• His most imperishable service was the construction of three rooms at the rear of the Shrine of the Báb that were temporarily used as the International Bahá'í Archives before the construction of its permanent seat. [BW11p502-503]

One of his daughters, Dame Robin White, is a New Zealand painter and printmaker, recognized as a key figure in the regionalist movement of 20th-century New Zealand art. Her art is the subject of a book called Robin White: Something is Happening Here by Dr Sarah Farrar, Dr Nina Tonga and Jill Trevelyan.

The passing of Montfort Mills.
• He had been a believer since 1906 and by 1909 he had made two pilgrimages to 'Akká as well as a third in early 1921.
• In 1922 he and Roy Wilhelm were invited to Haifa to discuss the possibility of calling for the formation of the Universal House of Justice.
• He was the first chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada when it first formed in 1922 and was elected to that body seven times between 1922 and 1937 and was responsible for the final draft of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws adopted in 1927.
• One of his most outstanding achievements was his role in the case of the appeal for possession of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád. He made two trips to Baghdad and had audiences with King Feisal. During one of these trips he was brutally assaulted and suffered the effects for many years.
• He met with Professor E. G. Browne and, after hearing Mr. Mills explanation of the evolution of the Faith and of the Covenant, Mr. Browne realized he had been veiled by conflicting claims and disturbances following the martyrdom of the Báb and expressed a desire to translate later Bahá'í works but died before this contribution could be made. [BW11p509-511]

The passing of Lilian Vaughan McNeill (b.1 December, 1879). In May, 1931 she and her husband, Brigadier General Angus McNeill had taken a lease on the abandoned property at Mazra'ih where they lived until her passing. They had restored the house and property respecting the fact that Bahá'u'lláh and His family had lived there from June 1877 until September, 1879. In 1981 the staff at the Bahá'í World Centre discovered her simple grave in the Commonwealth Cemetery in Haifa and, with the permission of her family, erected a befitting and dignified memorial. She had been a childhood friend of Marie Alexandra Victoria (Queen Marie of Romania). During her latter years at Mazra'ih she wrote a series of short stories, some of which were published in the local English-language newspaper. [BW19p779-782]
• Brigadier General Angus McNeill died in Cyprus in June 1950, nearly one year after Lilian's passing, and was buried on 21 June 1950 in Wayne's Keep, the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery now located in the buffer zone, under the control of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Anita Graves, archivist for the Cypriot community, discovered he grave in 1994. [from a message from Anita Graves dated November, 2019] iiiii

Mírzá Badí'u'lláh, the youngest son of Bahá'u'lláh, (b.1867 in Adrianople) described by Shoghi Effendi as the 'chief lieutenant' of the 'archbreaker' of the 'divine Covenant' died. [CB340, 355–6; CF89, BIC162, MSBR63, BBR460, RoB3pg230, CH209, SoB92, CoB340, 355-6, CoF89]
• A close companion of Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí. [CoB165]
• All his family became Covenant-breakers. [CoB362]
• He had a short-lived repentance. [CoB152-3, GPB263, Historical Dictionary of the Bahá'í Faith p321, Interview with Badi'u'llah by Howard MacNutt]
• He opposed both 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. [CoB165] As an example, in 1939 when Shoghi Effendi proposed to relocate the remains of Mirza Mihdí and Ásíyih Khánum from 'Akka to Haifa, it was Mírzá Badí'u'lláh who led the dissenting faction claiming that as he was more closely related to Mirza Mihdí, it was he, under Moslem law, who had the right to decide as to the disposal of the remains. [BBR460-461]

Louis Gregory, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Eliot, Maine, near Green Acre. [CoF163; BW12:666; TMW310, LOF98; SYH236; BN No 247 September 1951 p1]
• A national memorial service was held for him at the Temple in Wilmette on the 24th of November 1951. [SYH236]
• Soon after his passing he was designated by Shoghi Effendi the first Hand of the Cause of his race. (On 5 August, 1951) [BBD91; BW12:666, MoCxxii]
• Louis Gregory was the first person of his race to be elected to any administrative body in the United States. [-from talk by Louis Venters 2min 13sec]
• See TG114, 117-8 for a description of his passing .
• For his obituary see BW12:666–70.
• See a list of his publications.
• For biographical information on Hand of the Cause Louis Gregory see Gayle Morrison, To Move the World: Louis G. Gregory and the Advancement of Racial Unity in America (Wilmette, IL, USA Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982, 1999 printing).
• For short biographical information see Bahá'í Encyclopedia]
• Louis Gregory kept a journal of his visit to 'Abdu'l-Baha in 1911 including statements of 'Abdu'l-Baha, stories of the believers in the Holy Land and his experiences at the Shrines. It includes a selection of tablets 'Abdu'l-Baha addressed to him. A Heavenly Vista: The Pilgrimage of Louis G. Gregory".
• See Louis Gregory, the Oneness of Humanity, and Highlights in the Development of the African-American Lawyer a presentation by Anthony Vance.

Hand of the Cause Roy C. Wilhelm, (b.17 September, 1875) passed away in Lovel, Maine. He was buried in the Wilhelm Family Cemetery in Stoneham, Maine. [BW12:662]
• He became a Bahá'í when he accompanied his mother on her pilgrimage to 'Akká in 1907. He introduced Martha Root to the Faith in 1908. In 1909 he was elected to the Executive Board of the Bahá'í Temple Unity and served on the American National Spiritual Assembly. A Unity Feast was held at his home in West Englewood, NJ in June of 1912, an event commemorated every year. [Highlights of the First 40 Years of the Bahá'í Faith in New York, City of the Covenant, 1892-1932 by Hussein Ahdieh p7]
• He, along with Stanwood Cobb, and Genevieve Coy, wrote In His Presence: Visits to 'Abdu'l-Bahá These are said to be "three of the most important, and most touching, accounts of pilgrimages to the Holy Land in the time of `Abdu'l-Bahá. These are three classic works of Bahá'í history and literature. Roy Wilhelm's account is from his visit in 1907.
• On his passing Shoghi Effendi designated him a Hand of the Cause of God. (23 December, 1951) [MoCxxii, BW12:662]
• For his obituary see BW12:662–4.
• Find a grave

The passing of Honoré Jaxon (b. 1861 as William Henry Jackson in the village of Wingham, ON). He died one month after his eviction from his basement apartment where he hoarded three tons of archival material which he hoped would become a library for the study of the Métis people of Saskatchewan.

See Speechless 4 December 2009 for a chronological biography as well as a bibliography / webliography of other works on him.

See NUVO for a photo of his eviction from the New York Daily News archive and a short biography.

See as well BFA1p90-93; OBCC18-21, 25-26.

• For his biography see Honoré Jaxon: Prairie Visionary by Donald B. Smith and Strange Empire: Louis Riel and the Métis People by Joseph Howard.

Sutherland Maxwell, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Montreal. He died in the very room that the Master had slept in during His visit to Canada. (b.14 November, 1874) [DH143; MBW132; PP246; CBN undated Memorial Issue]
• For his obituary see BW12:657–62.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
• For his relationship with Shoghi Effendi and work on the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb see PP236–43.
• Shoghi Effendi named the southern door of the Báb's tomb after him in memory of his services.
• On June 16th, 1956, friends of the Montreal area gathered at the grave to place, under the headstone, an alabaster box that had been sent by the Guardian. The box contained a piece of plaster taken from the walls of the prison in Máh-Kú where the Báb had been incarcerated in 1847. Another piece of plaster from the same source had been placed under the first golden tile of the dome of the Shrine of the Báb. The superstructure of the Shrine had been designed by Sutherland Maxwell. [TG55; CBN No 80 September 1956 p2]
• Find a grave.
• For a brief biography see LoF276-286.
• The Canadian Bahá'í News published a special Memorial issue.

Dagmar Dole, pioneer to Alaska and Denmark, passed away in Glion, Switzerland.
• Shoghi Effendi said she was the 'first to give her life for the Cause in the European project'. [BW12:702; ZK66–7]
• For her obituary see BW12:701–2.
• See also Bahá'í Chronicles and Find a Grave.

Siegfried (Fred) Schopflocher, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Montreal and was buried beside the grave of Sutherland Maxwell in Mount Royal Cemetery. He was born in Landkreis Fürth, Germany 26 September 1877. [BW12:664-666, LOF390, TG119, CBNS 24 July 2014, Bahá'í Chronicles, SCRIBD, Schopflocher, Siegfried (1877–1953) by Will C. van den Hoonaard]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the second contingent on the 29th of February, 1952. [MoCxxiii]
• See TG32, 228 and LoF384-390 for short biographies.
• Bahá'í Encyclopedia for a biography written by Will van den Hoonaard.
• See Schopflocher, Siegfried by Will C. van den Hoonaard.
• For his obituary see BW12:664–6.
• He was known as the "Temple Builder" because of his great contributions to the completion of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the West. [BW12:664-666]
• For a brief biography see Bahá'í Chronicles.
• Find a grave.

Fred Schechter, an American, arrived in Djibouti and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for French Somaliland. [BW13:451]
• Mr Schechter went on to pioneer to several Latin American countries, he spent thirteen year on the Continental Board of Councillors for the Americas and served on the International Teaching Centre. He passed away on 27 January 2017 in California, U.S.A. He was 89 years old. [BWNS1149]
• See In Memoriam Fred Schechter: Bahá'í House of Worship Memorial Program.

Ella Bailey (b. 16 December, 1864, Houston, Harris County, Texas) passed away in Tripoli, Tarabulus, Libya at the age of 88 years. [BW12:687]
• She was elevated to the rank of martyr. [MBW170]
• For the story of her life see PSBW131–42.
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.
• For her obituary see BW12:685–8.
• For information on her burial site and a short biography see Find-a-grave.
• See Youtube video I Adjure Them - The Ella Bailey Story as told by Hand of the Cause of God William Sears.
• She had accompanied Mr and Mrs Rober Gulick in their settlement in Tripoli. [BN No 271 september 1953 p6]

Then 85, she was the first Bahá'í to arrive in Monaco, but she passed away a few months later. For her act of service in bringing the Faith to the country, she received the accolade Knight of Baha'u'llah from Shoghi Effendi.

A celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the Principality was held on 24-25 April 2004 at the Theatre des Varietes in Monte Carlo, and opened with the reading of a welcoming message from the National Council of the Principality. [Newspaper Archive on BLO]

Hugh McKinley and his mother, Violet, arrived in Cyprus and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]
• Violet passed away in 1959 and she was laid to rest in Famagusta. Hugh remained in Cyprus until 1963. He died in Suffolk in 1999 was was buried in Lawshall, Suffolk. He had been born on the 18th of February, 1924.
• See Ismael Velasco's paper entitled In Memoriam: Hugh McKinley.
• See Life of Hugh McKinley, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by Olive McKinley.
• See Memoram: Hugh McKinley by Ismael Velasco.

The passing of Helen "Nellie" Stevison French (b.19 Oct 1868 Peoria, Illinois) in Monaco. She was buried in the Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Chicago.

In September 1953 Nellie French, 85, became the first Bahá'í to arrive in Monaco, but she passed away a few months later. For her act of service in bringing the Faith to the country, she received the accolade Knight of Baha'u'llah from Shoghi Effendi.

A celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the Principality was held on 24-25 April 2004 at the Theatre des Varietes in Monte Carlo, and opened with the reading of a welcoming message from the National Council of the Principality. [Newspaper Archive on BLO]

• Evincing a marked talent for singing, Nellie left in 1888 for Naples, Italy, to develop that interest. The four-year residence abroad gave her the opportunity to learn the French and Italian languages, to acquire an appreciation of the Latin fine arts, and to master a strenuous course in training for the operatic stage. She suffered a case of typhoid fever in 1892 and returned to the United States to recuperate; but her recovery was followed by scarlet fever which impaired her vocal chords irreparably. Her aspirations for a musical career were ended.
• In 1894 she married Stuart Whitney French, a childhood companion. About 1896, accompanied by her mother, she attended a few meetings at the home of Dr. Khayru'lláh. The spiritual seeds were sown. Moving to Arizona in 1900, Nellie French lived in Bisbee until 1904 and in Douglas until 1917. Her visits to Chicago and New York furnished a few Bahá'í contacts with meager information; the Bahá'í messages. Mrs. Isabella Brittingham went to Arizona in 1917 to teach the spiritual significance of the Bahá'í Faith offered Nellie a rare privilege. That experience confirmed Nellie who became the first resident Bahá'í teacher in Arizona.
• Mr. and Mrs. French moved to Pasadena in 1918. During Riḍván, in April, 1921, Mr. and Mrs. French visited Haifa and 'Akká; that pilgrimage became the fulfillment of all her hopes.
• She contributed to the literature of the Faith by her work from 1930 to 1946 as Chairman of the Bahá'í World Editorial Committee, during which time she assembled material for volumes IV—X. She translated into French and Italian the "Blue Book" and the brochure "Number 9," and for several years she wrote "Loom of Reality," a column published in the Pasadena Star-News. In 1931 she made permanent Braille plates for Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era and for the Kitdb-i-iqan. She served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada 1929 - 1938.
• As an administrator, she served as Chairman of the Pasadena Spiritual Assembly from 1928 to 1938. For four years, ending in 1944 she was Chairman of the InterAmerica Committee, and in this capacity she presided at a session of the Centenary Celebration in 1944. Later she was a member of the European Teaching Committee. She helped support the work of the International Bureau at Geneva and the All-Indian project at Macy, Nebraska, undertaken by her sister-in-law, Mary Farley Stevison.
• In April, 1952, thirty-one years to the day, Nellie French returned Mt. Carmel to meet the beloved Guardian in person. During the Holy Year which was also the first year of the World Spiritual Crusade, Nellie French settled in the principality of Monaco to win the accolade, "Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW12p700]
• Find a grave.

The passing of Marion Jack (General Jack) (b. St. John, New Brunswick) at her pioneer post in Sofia, Bulgaria at the age of 87. She had been at her post since 1931. [BWNS385; Never be Afraid to Dare p. 227]
• Shoghi Effendi called her 'a shining example to pioneers of present and future generations of East and West'. [CF163]
• For her obituary see BW12:674–7.
• See also BFA2155; MC359.
• For a photo of her gravestone see CBNOct1972p.10.
• See Bahá'í Chronicles for a biography.
• For a photo by the Bahá'ís of Sofia see BW5p464.
• See also Marion Jack: Immortal Heroine by Jan Jasion
• See CBN October1979 for tributes as well as a photo of her gravesite.
• See The Early Years of the British Bahá'í Community (1898-1911) p128-129.

Haik (Haig) Kevorkian arrived in the Galápagos Islands and settled on the island of Santa Cruz. He was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. Haig had been present in Guayaquil as an itinerant pioneer-teacher in 1945 when the first local Assembly of that city was formed. He returned in 1954 to fill the virgin goal of the Galapagos. [BW13:452; Heroes of God: History of the Bahá'í Faith in Ecuador, 1940-1979 p24; 61]
• On March 8, 1955 on the island of Santa Cruz, Señor Moyses Mosquera Zevallos enrolled as the first believer of the Galapagos. He was a school teacher from the mainland of Ecuador working on the island. Later he was dismissed from his job and was forced to leave theGalapagos due to accusations made against him of immoral acts with some of his students in spite of the fact that the teaching space was such that his wife was constantly with him. He had been the victim of an attack by the parish priest[ibid p76]
• Haig returned to his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina in January 1956. His family came from Turkey but he was born in Syria on October 1, 1916 and came to Argentina as a youth with his family. He married his fiancée Miss Aurora de Eyto on October 19, 1957. His wife reported that he had colds continuously after returning from the islands, and on August 3, 1970 Haig passed away at .the age of 54. [ibid p75]

The passing of Alain LeRoy Locke (b. September 13, 1885, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.) in New York. He was laid to rest in Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC.
• Locke graduated from Harvard University and was the first African American to win a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship (1907). Despite his intellect and clear talent, Locke faced significant barriers as an African American. In spite of the fact that he had been selected as the first African-American Rhodes Scholar, Locke was denied admission to several colleges at the University of Oxford because of his race. He finally gained entry into Hertford College, where he studied from 1907 to 1910. Locke also studied philosophy at the University of Berlin during his years abroad. He subsequently received a doctorate in philosophy from Harvard and taught at Howard University.
• Locke declared his belief in the Bahá'í Faith in 1918. He is thus among a list of some 40 known African Americans to join the religion during the ministry of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
• In 1925 he published The New Negro: An Interpretation of Negro Life. It was an anthology showcasing African American artists and is generally considered a seminal moment in the founding of the Harlem Renaissance and he became known as the "Dean of the Harlem Renaissance" which sought to advance African Americans through race relations, the arts, and social thought, leaving behind European and white American styles and celebrating the black experience.
• See Alain Locke: Four Talks Redefining Democracy, Education, and World Citizenship edited and introduced by Christoper Buck and Betty J Fisher in World Order Vol 38 No3 p21-41. [Uplifting Words; Wikipedia] [Uplifting Words; Wikipedia]
• See his article "Impressions of Haifa". [BW3p527-528]
• See also his article "The Orientation of Hope". [BW5p527-528]
• See Alain Locke: Bahá'í Philosopher by Christopher Buck.
• See Alain Locke: Faith & Philosophy by Christopher Buck
  • See the review by Derik Smith in World Order Vol 38 No3 p42-48.
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.
• See Bahá'í Teachings.
• See Uplifting Words.
• The Bahá'í Faith and African American History: Creating Racial and Religious Diversity, Chapter 3: "Alain Locke on Race, Religion, and the Bahá'í Faith" by Christopher Buck.
• The US Postal Service issued a series of stamps entitles Great Literary Movement: The voices of the Harlem Renaissance Forever on 21 May 2020.
• Find a grave.

Shoghi Effendi designated Martha Root as a Hand of the Cause of God posthumously. She had passed away on September 28, 1939 in Hawaii.
• Shoghi Effendi called her the 'archetype of Bahá'í itinerant teachers', the 'foremost Hand raised by Bahá'u'lláh since 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing', 'Leading ambassadress of His Faith' and 'Pride of Bahá'í teachers'. [GPB386]

Ridvaniyyih Suleimani served on the Auxiliary Board and the National Spiritual Assembly. She passed away in Taiwan on the 18th of March 1981. [BW18p752-754]

Suleiman Suleimani served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan from its formation in 1967 until 1978. He also served as a deputy of the institution of the Huqúqu'lláh for about two decades. [BW20p889-891]

The Suleimanis, originally from Iran, had lived for about 28 years in Shanghai where Mrs Ridvaniyyih Suleimani's father, Mr Husayn Ouskouli Uskuli (or Uskui) had long resided and conducted a business. Mr and Mrs Suleimani had left Shanghai permanently in 1950 because of the difficult situations for foreigners in China but Mr Ouskouli decided to stay on and won the admiration of the Guardian. He died in Shanghai at the age of 86. [The Taiwan Bahá'í Chronicle by Barbara R. Sims p3; PH39; Video Early history of the Bahá'í Faith in China 7 min 57 sec]

The fifth Trustee of the Huqúqu'lláh was 'Ali-Muhammad Varqá. He inherited both the Trusteeship and the station of Hand of the Cause of God from his father upon his passing. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 25 March, 1985]
• During his tenure the compilation Huqúqu'lláh was published (1985) by the Universal House of Justice.
• The delegates gathered at the National Convention of the Bahá'ís of the United States in 1984 petitioned the Universal House of Justice to make the Law of the Huqúqu'lláh applicable in their country. (Up to this point the law only applied to Bahá'is of Persian origin.) The Universal House of Justice replied that it was not yet time for such a measure but did agree to make more information available in preparation for such a time. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 3 January, 1985, AWH30]
• Friends in Austria and the United States published codifications on the Law of the Huqúqu'lláh. To the benefit of the believers everywhere the Research Department at the World Centre was asked to prepare a brief history and a Codification. This information was sent to all national assemblies in the Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 25 March, 1987.
• In 1991 the Central Office of Huqúqu'lláh was established in the Holy Land under the direction of the Chief Trustee in anticipation of the worldwide application of the law. Subsequently regional and national boards were established. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 26 November, 1991]
• With the publication of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas in English in 1992 the law of the Huqúqu'lláh became universally applicable.
• In 2005 an International Board of Trustees of the Huqúqu'lláh was established to guide the regional and national boards. Three members appointed to the Board were Sally Foo, Ramin Khadem, and Grant Kvalheim. Their term of office was to be determined. [Ridván 2005]
• The last Hand of the Cause of Cause and Trustee of the Huqúqu'lláh, Alí Muhammad Varqá, passed away in Haifa on the 22nd of September, 2007. [BWNS579]

In 1843, the Báb's only child, Ahmad, was still-born or died soon after birth. Khadíjih Bagum had a very difficult delivery and almost died as a result. The child was buried under a pine (or cypress) tree in the shrine of Bíbí-Dukhtarán (meaning Matron or Mistress of the Maidens).
• In the opening days of 1955, the Shíráz municipality decided to construct a school on the site which would have destroyed the grave. When advised of the situation Shoghi Effendi responded: "Guardian approves transfer remains Primal Point's Son Gulistán Jávíd. Ensure befitting burial."
• The Spiritual Assembly arranged for the remains to be exhumed, laid in a silk container, and placed in a cement coffin. For three months, the coffin was kept in the western part of the local Hadiratu'l-Quds. On the 21st of April 1955, which coincided with the day of the Báb's martyrdom reckoned by the lunar calendar, a special ceremony for the reinterment was held. It was the largest Bahá'í gathering in Shíráz in the history of the Bahá'í Faith. Multitudes of believers from all parts of the country participated in the historic event. In a prayerful atmosphere, the remains were reinterred in the Bahá'í cemetery of Shíráz. The Guardian heard the details and, on 24 April, cabled his joy: "SHIRAZ ASSEMBLY CARE KHADEM TEHERAN. OVERJOYED HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT CONGRATULATE VALIANT FRIENDS LOVING REMEMBRANCE SHRINES SUPPLICATING BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS. SHOGHI." [The Afnán Family: Some Biographical Notes by Ahang Rabbani 2007 Note <44>]
• In the first báb of the fifth vahíd of the Persian Bayán, the Báb asks for a befitting structure to be built over the resting-place of Ahmad for the faithful to worship God. [Bahaipedia] .

Shoghi Effendi announced to all National Assemblies that Majdi'd-Din, "the most redoubtable enemy of 'Abdu'l-Baha" and "the incarnation of Satan", someone who played a leading role in the kindling of the hostility of 'Abdu'l-Hamíd and Jamál Páshá and who was the instigator of Covenant-breaking and archbreaker of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant, died at the age of one hundred after being struck with paralysis affecting his limbs and his tongue. [MBW87-88, 94]
• He was the son of Bahá'u'lláh's only full brother Mírzá Músá, also know as Áqáy-i-Kalím. He was married to Samadiyyih, Bahá'u'lláh's daughter from his second wife Fatimih Khanum making him brother-in-law to Mírzá Muhammad `Alí.
• Both Majdi'd-Dín and Samadiyyih were eventually declared Covenant-breakers for supporting Mírzá Muhammad `Alí. Majdi'd-Din was a scribe for Bahá'u'lláh. It was he who on June 6th or 7th, 1892, read the Kitáb-i-'Ahd to a large crowd in front of the Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh in which Bahá'u'lláh appointed 'Abdu'l-Bahá as his successor. [CBN No69 Oct 1955 p2]

The passing of Mabel Hyde Paine (b. 7 December 1877 in Rockville, CT, d. 15 August 1955 in Urbana, IL). She was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Urbana. [Find a Grave]

Mabel Paine was a Bahá'í teacher and an author. She is remembered as the compiler of The Divine Art of Living that was first published by the Bahá'í Publishing Committee in Chicago in 1944 and saw numerous reprints and revisions until the four revisions. It is still in publication. [Collins4.114 - 4.117]

• See also Paine, Mable Hyde; Obituary by Garrett Busey.

Hand of the Cause of God Valíyu'lláh Varqá passed away in Stuttgart.
• For his obituary see BW13:831–834.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]

Husayn Uskuli, (b. 1875) long-time pioneer to Shanghai from 'Ishqábád, passed away in Shanghai at the age of 82 and was buried in the Kiangwan Cemetery in Shanghai. [PH29, BW13p871-873]
• He had heard about the Faith at the age of 18 from Mírzá Haydar-'Alí. After his marriage he moved to 'Ishqábád where he was very active in the community. After his move to Shanghai his home was the centre of activity and hospitality for all those passing through. He was the only foreign-born Bahá'í to remain in China after the regime change. The xenophobic attitude of the government precluded any meaningful contact with the local citizenry.
• He was survived by four daughters and a son.

The passing of Albert R Windust (b. 28 March 1874 in Chicago) in Berrien County, Michigan. He was buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery, Chicago.

Albert, in spite of his meagre education, was a deep student of the Writings, an able speaker, and a profound teacher of the Laws and Ordinances. His classes on the Covenant and Bahá'í Administration were most helpful both to newcomers and Bahá'ís of long association with the Faith. There was a freshness and vigor in his teaching; he radiated a love that reached the hearts. In his every-day life he demonstrated the power of the revealed Word of Bahá'u'lláh.

"Deeply grieved passing much loved greatly admired staunch ardent promoter Faith, Albert Windust, Herald Covenant, whose notable services Heroic Formative Ages Faith unforgettable. Assure friends relatives fervently supplicating progress soul Kingdom." – Shoghi [BW13p873-874]

At the age of fourteen Albert became an apprentice in the printing firm where his father worked. Later he became the first publisher of the Writings of the Faith in America. He printed booklets, early editions of prayers, and the Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh (16 March 1900 BFA2p25). In 1910 he founded and started printing the first Bahá'í monthly publication, Star of the West. He gathered and published the well-known three volumes of Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá from Tablets written to the Bahá'ís in North America. He also assisted Howard MacNutt in publishing Promulgation of Universal Peace. Albert also helped in the compilation and publication of the first five volumes of The Bahá'í World for the years 1926 to 1934.

When his father died on May 21st, 1913 Albert wrote to 'Abdu'l-Bahá and asked Him to pray for him. 'Abdu'l-Bahá responded by sending a Tablet with a prayer. It was published in SoW Vol 11 Issue 19 p219 and has been printed in Spiritual Strength for Men p82-83 published by Kalimat Press and in Family Worship p66 compiled by Wendi Momen and published by George Ronald.

• See also Prayer for Fathers by 'Abdu'l-Bahá as translated by Ahmad Sohrab.

Louisa Mathew Gregory, (b. 1 February 1866 in Penge, Kent, England) whose wedding to Hand of the Cause of God Louis Gregory in 1912 was the first interracial western Bahá'í marriage, passed away in Eliot, Maine. [BW13:878; SYH19, 239]
• She had been introduced to the Faith by Edith Sanderson in Paris in about December of 1909. Edith had been taught by May Maxwell in 1902. [SYH5, 206]
• For her obituary see BW13:376–8. Error in this article
  • There was no Bahá'í Congress in Prague in 1928
  • She did not attend Cambridge but rather the examination for her credentials were administered by Cambridge.
  • 'Abdu'l-Bahá did not attend her marriage on the 27 September 1912. He was in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. [SYHvii-viii; 28]
• Her biography, A Seed in Your Heart - The Life of Louise Mathew Gregory by Janet Fleming Rose was published by George Ronald in 2018.
• See a brief biography in The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1844-1963 p462-464 and for the story of his learning of the Faith, p453-454

The passing of Juliet Thompson (b. Washington, DC 1873 - d. December 9th, 1956 New York). [BW13:862-864]
• For her memorial service at the House of Worship see Bahá'í News p475, 493.
• After learning of the Bahá'í Faith in Washington DC near 1898 she traveled to Paris at the invitation of Laura Dreyfus-Barney's mother. Later in 1901 in Paris she met Thomas Breakwell, who gave her Arthur de Gobineau's description in French of the Execution of the Báb which confirmed her faith. In Paris she took classes on the religion from Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl. [Wiki]
• She published her book I, Mary Magdalene in 1940. It is available at bahai-library.com/. The Diary of Juliet Thompson was published by Kalimat Press in 1983 from her 1947 typescript.
• The restoration of Juliet's grave took place on December 5, 2010. After a 54 year delay, the new gravestone, commissioned by the NSA, was unveiled in the Beechwood Cemetery in New Rochelle, New York, engraved with this moving tribute from Shoghi Effendi:

  "Deplore loss of much-loved, greatly admired Juliet Thompson, outstanding, exemplary handmaid of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Over half-century record of manifold, meritorious services, embracing the concluding years of Heroic and opening decades of Formative Ages of Bahá'í Dispensation, won her enviable position in the glorious company of triumphant disciples of the beloved Master in the Abha Kingdom. Advise hold memorial gathering in Mashriqu'l-Adhkar to pay befitting tribute to the imperishable memory of one so wholly consecrated to the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, and fired with such consuming devotion to the Center of His Covenant."

  [December 6, 1956] (Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 170)

She was born in 1887 and named Akkawiya (the one who belongs to ‘Akká) by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. She was the granddaughter of Hadji Abderrehim Yazdi, one of the first bearers of the Sacred Standard. Born in the fortress of ‘Akká, she grew up in the Sacred Household under the shelter of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
With her mother, she moved to Alexandria, Egypt where for a few months she was in charge of cleaning the private room of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and was asked by Him several times to sew some of His clothes. She was entrusted to be the Early Prayer Reader of His private quarters.She was the first woman to become a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Alexandria, and dedicated her time to deepening the women in her locality.
She passed away on October 6, 1971 and was buried in the Bahá’í Cemetery at Rabat, Morocco. Her funeral was attended by a large number of believers of Morocco, the majority native believers; also in attendance was a representative from the Íránian Embassy in Rabat. A message was sent from the Universal House of Justice to honour her life of service. [BN No 490 January 1972 p7]

Hand of the Cause of God George Townshend passed away in Dublin, Ireland. (b.14 June, 1896) [BBD226, BW02-03p169]
• For his obituary see BW13:841–846.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
• His pamphlet entitled The Old Churches and the New World Faith was his statement upon severing his relationship with his colleagues in the Anglican Church. [CBN No 89 June 1957 p1]
• A talk given by O.Z. (Zebby) Whitehead at an Irish Bahá'í Summer School.
• See The Covenant: An Analysis, a study guide on the idea of a covenant, Messengers and their missions, the covenant between the Messenger and the faithful, and covenant-breaking. Includes an appendix, compilation on the covenant. It was published in Manchester in 1950.
• See his essay The Way of the Master.
• Christ and Bahá'u'lláh was published by George Ronald in 1957. Also published by George Ronald were: Àbdu'l-Bahá - The Master, Mission of Baha'u'llah - Essays, Poems and Meditations, of One Who was Appointed a Hand of the Cause, Promise of All Ages - A Classic Description of the Baha'i Faith, and The Heart of the Gospel - The Story of the Spiritual Evolution of Humanity Using Bible Texts.
• See George Townshend - Biography from Church Canon to Hand of the Cause of God by David Hofman.
• See Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of His Pen by 'Ai Nakhjavani p83 for his contribution in assisting Shogh Effendi with his translation work.

Passing of Shoghi Effendi

Shoghi Effendi passed away in London of coronary thrombosis after a bout of Asian influenza. [CB377; PP446 BW13:207-225]

• The 1957 influenza pandemic (the "Asian flu") was a category 2 flu pandemic outbreak of avian influenza that originated in China in early 1956 lasting until 1958. It originated from a mutation in wild ducks combining with a pre-existing human strain. A vaccine for H2N2 was introduced in 1957, and the pandemic slowed down. There was a second wave in 1958, and H2N2 went on to become part of the regular wave of seasonal flu. Estimates of worldwide deaths vary widely depending on the source, ranging from 1 million to 4 million, with WHO settling on "about two million". [Sino Biological website]
• He was in London to purchase some furniture to complete the interior of the International Archives Building at the time of his passing. [PP445]
• For a tribute to Shoghi Effendi written by Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum see BW13:58–226.]
  
  In it she lists four major aspects of his life: (Copied and arranged in point form here.)
  • "his translations of the Words of Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb, Àbdu'l-Bahá and Nabil's Narrative;
  • his own writings such as the history of a century, published as God Passes By, as well as an uninterrupted stream of instructive communications from his pen which pointed out to the believer the significance, the time and the method of the building up of their administrative institutions;
  • an unremitting programme to expand and consolidate the material assets of a world-wide Faith, which not only involved the completion, erection or beautification of the Bahá'í Holy Places at the World Centre but the construction of Houses of Worship and the acquisition of national and local headquarters and endowments in various countries throughout the East and the West;
  • a masterly orientation of thought towards the concepts enshrined in the teachings of the Faith and the orderly classification of those teachings into what might well be described as a vast panoramic view of the meaning, implications, testing and purpose of the religion of Bahá'u'lláh, indeed of religious truth itself in its portrayal of man as the apogee of God's creation, evolving towards the consummation of his development-the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth." [PP226-227]
• See also Rabbání, The Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith and The Priceless Pearl.

The passing of Mirzā Asad-Allāh, known as Fāżel Māzandarāni (b. Bábol, Persia 1881).
• He became a Bahá'í in Tehran in 1909. He travelled to Egypt in 1919-1911 where he met with 'Abdu'l-Bahá and was send to India and Burma to promote the Faith.
• 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent him to North America for the period 1920-1921. He arrived in North America with Manúchihr Khán in time to speak at the National Convention. His purpose was to assist and stimulate the Bahá'í communities. He departed for the Holy Land on the 9th of July, 1921. [AB443; SBR88]
• Mírzá Asadu'lláh Fádil-i-Mázandarání visited North America again in 1923-1925 at the request of Shoghi Effendi. [Fádl Mázandarání, Mírzá Asadu'lláh by Moojan Momen]
• See Jináb-i-Fádil Mazandarání in the United States by Fadl Mazandarani (published as Jinab-i-Fadil Mazandarani) compiled by Omeed Rameshni for transcripts of his talks.
• In about 1924 Shoghi Effendi wrote to the Central Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Persia, asking them to gather materials towards the compilation of a general history of the Bahá'í faith. Initially this work was handed to a committee and Fāżel served as the liaison between this committee and the Assembly, of which he was himself a member at the time. However, after the committee failed to make significant progress, Fāżel took on the responsibility to compile this work himself. His work, Ẓohur-al-Ḥaqq (variously also called Tāriḵ-e Ẓohur-al-Ḥaqq and Ketāb-e Ẓohur-al-Ḥaqq) is said to be the most comprehensive history of the first century of the Bahá'í faith yet written. It records the full biographies of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, and ʿAbdu'l-Baháʾ, the Faith's leading disciples and learned members, poets, martyrs, and other prominent personalities. It covers the history of the persecutions of the Bahá'ís; discusses the internal crises of the faith and, more significantly, contains excerpts from the holy writings and includes documentation and a considerable number of pictures. It was compiled in nine volumes: volumes 1-3 completed in May of 1932, the fourth in February, 1936, and the final volume in 1943. For various reasons it has not been translated into English. [Ẓohur-al-Ḥaqq]
• Other works of Fāżel include his dictionary of commonly used proper terms and titles in Bahá'í literature, Asrār al-āṯār, which was published in five volumes (1967-72) of more than 1,600 pages.
• Fāżel's other major work, Amr wa ḵalq, contains hundreds of selections from the Bahá'í holy writings grouped under topics related to philosophical, theological, religious, and administrative matters. The work was published in Iran (1954-74) in four volumes.
• The Collected Works of Asadu'llah Fadil Mazandarani.
• Wikipedia page.

  Note: There is some question about whether Shoghi Effendi considered him a Hand of the Cause. See letter addressed to Dr Peter Smith sent on behalf of the Universal House of Justice 11 August 1998 found on Baha'i Library Online. The message concludes by saying that the Universal House of Justice, in a memorandum dated 1 April 1979, has instructed that additional names should not be included in the list of the Hands of the Cause. The list of Hands of the Cause can be found at BW14p445-466.

Mírzá Ahmad (Esphahani) Sohrab, the Covenant-breaker who rebelled against Shoghi Effendi, died. [MC90; CBN No 102 July 1958 p1]
• For the story of his defection from the Faith see CB343–7.
• He was buried in the Saint Paul Episcopal Church Cemetery, Glen Cove, Nassau County, New York.iiiii
• Bahaipedia.

He was the first Indian Parsi to accept the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. In 1950 he and his wife Shirin moved to Singapore. He pioneered to the Andaman Islands and became a Knight of Baha'u'lláh in response to the Indian seven-year plan. [BW13p892]

Horace Hotchkiss Holley, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Haifa. (b. 7 April, 1887 in Torrington, CT) [MC226-227, BW13:849-858]
• See FMH58-59 for the story of how he came to believe in the Faith.
• He had served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States from 1923 until 1959 and as the secretary from 1924 to 1930 and 1932 until 1959. After the passing of the Guardian he served in the Holy Land. [UN110; BN No 347 January 1960 p1]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
• For his obituary see BW13:849–858.
• For cable from the Hands of the Cause see MC217–18.
• See also SBR214-247, LoF253-264 and Holley, Horace Hotchkiss by R. Jackson Armstrong-Ingram.
  Some of his is publications: See Collins7.1197 to 7.1233]
  • The Bahá'í Religion: Papers Read at the Conference on Some Living Religions Within the British Empire Papers presented by Horace Holley and Ruhi Afnan. 1925 [Collins7.386]
  • Bahaism: The Modern Social Religion, (1913) [Collins7.1203]
  • Religion for Mankind, (1956) [Collins7.1222]
  • World Unity,
  • Bahá'í, The Spirit of the Age, (1921) [Collins7.1201]
  • Bahá'í Scriptures; Selections from the Utterances of Bahaʼuʼllah and Abdul Baha, (1923 and 1928) The first general book-length compilation of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Many passages were early and nonauthoritative translations. The book was superseded by Bahá'í World Faith [Collins4.71]
  • Read-aloud Plays,
  • Divinations and Creation,
  • The World Economy of Baháʼuʼlláh
  • The Inner Garden; A Book of Verse
  • The Reality of Man (1931) [Collins3.103]
  • He was a man of enormous capacity. When asked about it he referred to a "zone of energy" in which he sometimes operated when more than normal strength was available to him. [FMH58]
  • See the biography Infinite Horizons - The Life and Times of Horace Holley by Kathryn Jewett Hogenson published by George Ronald 2022.

Clara Dunn, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Sydney. (b.12 May 1869) [BW13:859; MoC245]
• For her obituary see BW13:859–62.
• For cable from the Hands see MoC245.
• See also SBR153–75.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed her among the second contingent on the 29th of February, 1952. She was one of only eight women appointed. [MoCxxiii]
• For a biography see The Bahá'í Encyclopedia Project.
• Remembering Clara Dunn by Melanie Lotfali.

Kanichi (Moto) Yamamoto, the first Japanese Bahá'í, passed away in Berkeley, California. [SBR185]
• For the story of his life see SBR176–86.
• For picture see SBR190.

Amelia Collins passed away in Haifa. (b. 7 June, 1873) [BW13:399, 840; MC12]
• For her obituary see BW13:834–41.
• Shoghi Effendi appointed her (publicly) among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
• For the cable of the Hands of the Cause see MC333.
• See also Milly by A Q Faizi and PSBW73–106.
• For a timeline of her life see Shareable Bahá'í Resources.
• While serving in Haifa she was given 'Abdu'l-Bahá's room. She was the last person to occupy it. [TG231]
• See Collins, Amelia: The Fulfilled Hope of 'Abdu'l-Bahá by Richard Francis for further details of her life.
• See Remembering 'Milly' – A Tribute to Amelia Collins by Yas Taherzadeh.
• See Milly: A Tribute to The Hand of the Cause of God Amelia E. Collins by Abu'l-Qasim Faizi.

The passing of F. St. George Spendlove (b. 23 April, 1897 in Montreal) in Toronto. [BW13p895-899]
• He was part of the community of early believers in Montreal where he learned about the Faith after returning from the war in Europe.
• He was a curator of the Canadian Collection at the Royal Ontario Museum. The Face of Early Canada, published in 1958, was illustrated with pieces from this collection. A second book, Collectors' Luck, followed in 1960. [BW13p895–899]
• See Bahá'ís of Canada.

The passing of Harlan Foster Ober (b. October 6, 1881 in Beverly, Massachusetts) in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.
• He had graduated from Harvard University in 1905 with a B.A. and later obtained a law degree from Northeastern University in Boston.
• Harlan Ober became a Bahá'í at Green Acre in 1905. Another source said it was in the spring of 1906 in a room in the Commonwealth Hotel in Boston that he overcame his doubts while using a prayer and other literature given to him by Lua Getsinger. [LDNW23; 100-101; SBR120-121]
• Hooper Harris and Lua Getsinger's brother, Dr. William Moore, were selected to make a teaching trip to India. When Moore died suddenly Harlan Ober was chosen to replace him. As he had no funds for the trip Lua borrowed the money from Mr Hervey Lunt, the father of Alfred Lunt. [LGHC105]
• In 1906 he made a visit to 'Abdu'l-Bahá while He was still confined to prison.
• On the 17th of July, 1912 he married Grace Roberts (aunt of future Hand of the Cause John Robarts) in a ceremony conducted by the Reverend Howard Colby Ives at 209 West 78th Street in New York. When 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited America in 1912 He had suggested that Grace Robarts and Harlan marry, and they both agreed with the match, with Harlan travelling to New York from Boston and proposing in Central Park after being informed of the suggestion by Lua Getsinger. 'Abdu'l-Bahá performed the marriage ceremony in the room he was staying in in New York on July 17, 1912, and Howard Colby Ives later performed a legal ceremony. [SoW Vol 3 No 12 p14; Bahaipedia; The Jouney West, July 2012; Mother's Stories: Stories of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Early Believers told by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall to her son, p. 20]
• They adopted three children of English, German and Russian background.
• It was from their home in Cambridge, MA, from the office of the National Teaching Committee, that the first Teaching Bulletin was issued on November 19, 1919. This bulletin evolved to the US Baha'i News.
• He was closely involved with Race Unity work and made many teaching trips to the southern states with his friend Louis Gregory.
• He served on the Bahá'í Temple Unity Executive Board as president or secretary from 1918 to 1920. The work of this board was taken over by the National Spiritual Assembly when it was elected in 1922.
• In 1938 Harlan was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada and he served on it until 1941.
• Grace passed away in 1938, leaving Harlan widowed.
• He married his second wife, Dr Elizabeth Kidder Ober in Beverly, MA on the 21st of June, 1941. Shoghi Effendi was pleased with the way the marriage was conducted, without having any church ceremony or minister conduct the service. [BW13p869, 871]
• After their pilgrimage in 1956 Harlan and Elizabeth Ober travelled to South Africa where they helped form the first all-African Local Spiritual Assembly in Pretoria as had previously been request of them by the Guardian. They returned in December as pioneers. [BW13869]
• He was appointed to the Auxiliary Board for Protection in Africa in October of 1957 and served on the National Teaching Committee of South and West Africa for two years.
• He was buried in the Zandfontein Cemetery in Pretoria. [BW13p870; Find a grave; Bahaipedia; BW13p869]

The passing of Dr Genevieve Coy (b.1886) in Harare, Zimbabwe. [Bahá'í Chronicles, Baha'i Heroes & Heroines, grave]
• See as well In His Presence: Visits to 'Abdu'l-Bahá by Roy Wilhelm, Stanwood Cobb, and Genevieve L. Coy published by Kalimat Press in 1989.

He passed. on 20 June 1967. His Memoriam [BW14p369]

Leroy Ioas, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Haifa. (b.15 February 1896 in Wilmington, IL). He was known as "the Guardian's Hercules" and was praised by Shoghi Effendi for his "tireless vigilance, self-sacrifice, and devotion to the Cause in all its multiple fields of activity, in 'prodigious labours' and his 'stupendous efforts'. [BW14:291-300, VV7]
• For his obituary see BW14:291–300.
• Both of his German-born parents had become Bahá'ís, instructed by Paul Dealy who taught Kheiralla's classes when the demand for such classes became overwhelming in Chicago in 1998. [The Bahá'í Faith: Beginning in North America by Robert Stockman, World Order Vol 18 Issue 4 p24]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
• For cable of the Universal House of Justice see WG157.
• For a short biography see LoF265-275.
• See Leroy Ioas: Hand of the Cause of God by Anita Ioas Chapman, published by George Ronald, 1998
• Bahaipedia.
• Shoghi Effendi named the inner front door of the Shrine of the Báb "Báb-i-Ioas".
• See The Cause of Universal Peace: 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Enduring Impact by Kathryn Jewett Hogenson for information on his part in the organization of a Race Amity Conference in San Francisco with Ella Goodall Coop and Kathryn Frankland Rabbi Rudolph Coffee, the head of the largest synagogue in the Bay Area..

The Universal House of Justice announced that the 'final step' in the 'process' of the 'purification' of the Bahá'í properties in Bahjí had been taken with the removal of the remains of the Covenant-breaker Mírzá Díyá'u'lláh from the immediate precincts of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW14:82–3; Mess63-86p66]
• Díyá'u'lláh (15 August 1864 - 30 October 1898) was the second son of Bahá'u'lláh's second wife Fatimih (also known as Mahd-i-'Ulya). He was born in Edirne and died on 30 October 1898 in Haifa. See The Child of the Covenant p150-151 for a description of the vacillating behaviour of Díyá'u'lláh.

While in the custody of the Portuguese authorities Eduardo Duarte Vieira died in prison in Portuguese Guinea (Since 1974 Guinea Bissau) after twenty days of torture. He was named the first African martyr. [BW14:390, BW16:568; KoB47]
• For his obituary see BW14:389–90.
• For the messages to his wife and children he scratched on a biscuit box. See BW14:390–1.
• See also [A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p5-6]

The passing of Ali Kuli Khan (b. Káshán Persia, about 1879) in Washington, DC. [BW14p351]
• For information on his burial place see Rock Creek Cemetery.
• For a short biography and recollections by Ali Kuli Khan see World Order, 6.1 p29-41.

Jessie Revell, formerly a member of the International Bahá'í Council, passed away in Haifa. [BW14:300]
• For her obituary see BW14:300–3.

The rescue of six Tongan boys from the uninhabited island of 'Ata by Peter Warner and his crew on his yacht the Just David. The boys, all students at St Andrew's College, had stolen a 25 foot whaling boat and, on their first night at sea, had lost the sails and the rudder in a storm. They lost the little food they had carried as well. They were adrift for 8 days without water before reaching the island in June 1965. By the time Warner arrived, the boys had set up a commune with a food garden, hollowed-out trees to store rainwater, a gymnasium, badminton court, chicken enclosures. and a permanent fire. [Wikipedia]
• This documentary was made in 1966 shortly after the rescue.
• Here is Peter Warner's own story of the rescue.
• A documentary has been made of the experience. Here is the trailer.
• In 1974 Peter Warner was once more in the right spot at the right time, when he rescued a shipwrecked sailing crew on Middleton Reef in the Tasman Sea, with the help of Sione Filipe Totau, one of the Tongans he had rescued earlier.
• Mr Warner lived in Tonga for thirty years where he became a Bahá'í and help found Ocean of Light International School. His time there was documented in his autobiography called Ocean of Light: 30 Years in Tonga and the Pacific. In the 1990s he moved to the Northern Rivers of NSW, and become a noted macadamia farmer and tree manager near Lismore, before settling in Ballina. This period of his life was covered in his autobiography Twilight of the Dawn.
• He died on the 13th of April 2021 at the age of 90 after his boat capsized during an attempted crossing of the Ballina Bar in rough conditions. [The Echo]

The passing of Loulie Albee Mathews (b. October 12, 1869, New Castle, New Hampshire) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was buried in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery and Mausoleum, Colorado Springs, Colorado. [Wikitree]
• She was the author of Not Every Sea Hath Pearls, My Friendly Enemy - Life, and So Early in the Morning (1953) which was her memoirs of a childhood spent in New Castle, in 1880's.
• Find a grave.

The passing of Canadian pioneer Catherine Huxtable (b. 6 January, 1932 Carlwood, Surrey, England) at her home in Jamestown, St Helena. Her life had been shortened due to muscular dystrophy. She, husband Cliff and son Gavin had arrived on St. Helena some nineteen months before. [LNW169, BW14p313-315]
• See A Conqueror for St. Helena: A Tribute to Catherine Huxtable by W. G. Huxtable.

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Charles Dunning (b.27 March, 1885 need Leeds). [BW14p305-308]
• See Bahaipedia
• See a story about Charles as told by Marion Hofman.
• See Bahá'í Blogspot for a photo of Charles with Ted Cardell and a story from a talk by Ian Semple.
• See the Bahá'ís of Orkney website.

The passing of Euphemia (Effie) Eleanor Baker (b.25 March 1880 at Goldsborough, Victoria) in Waverley, New South Wales.
• For Effie Baker's obituary see BW14:320-1.
• She became a Bahá'í in 1922 after attending a lecture by Clara and Hyde Dunn in Melbourne. She was the first woman to converted to the Faith in Australia.
• She served in Haifa from 1925 to 1936. See SETPE1p105-107 for her contribution during that period.
• In the 1930s Effie Baker travelled to Persia to take photographs of historical sites. Many of these photographs were included in The Dawnbreakers. [BW14:320]
• Hear The Life of Effie Baker written and read by Sonjel Vreeland.
• She was buried in the Bahá'í Cemetery in Mona Vale. [Australian Dictionary of Biography]

The passing of Hand of the Cause Hermann Grossmann in Neckargemünd, near Heidelberg, (b.16 February, 1899) [BW15p416-421]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent of Hands of the Cause on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
• For his biography see Hermann Grossmann: Hand of the Cause of God, A Life for the Faith by Susanne Pfaff-Grossmann.
• For his obituary see BW15:416–21.
• For cable of the Universal House of Justice see BW15:416 and WG157–8.
• Alternatively see Mess63-86p135.

Dr Lutfu'lláh Hakím (1888 - 1968), former member of the Universal House of Justice, passed away in Haifa. [BW15:434]
• For his obituary see BW15:430–4.
• For cable of the Universal House of Justice see BW15:434 and WG158.
• See Wikipedia.
• Find a grave.
• See Unfolding Destiny p195.
• See The Early Years of the British Bahá'í Community (1898-1911) p126

The passing of Wellesley Tudor Pole (b. 23 April 1884 in Weston Super Mare, UK) in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, UK.

Wellesley Tudor Pole first encountered 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Alexandria during His first sojourn in Egypt in 1910. At that time he wanted to find out more about the Faith and 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He met 'Abdu'l-Bahá many times over many years, specifically in Palestine in 1918 when he was able to assist in the protection 'Abdu'l-Bahá's home against the occupying Turks. [The Servant, the General and Armageddon by Roderick and Derwent Maude]

• He is also notable for having read the English translation of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's first public talk in the West on the 10th of September, 1911. In 1921, while Tudor Pole was Secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly in London, the telegram announcing the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá from Bahíyyih Khánum, arrived at Tudor Pole's home in London and it was there read by Shoghi Effendi. [Bahá'í Chronicles; Bahaipedia]
• See The Extraordinary Life and Work of Wellesley Tudor Pole: Baha'i Seer by Lil Osborn and The Two Worlds of Wellesley Tudor Pole by Gerry Fenge.
• See Silent Road: In the light of personal experience by Wellesley Tudor Pole.
• See as well The Early Years of the British Bahá'í Community (1898-1911) p91-97

The passing of Curtis Demude Kelsey (b. 6 March, 1894 in Salt Lake City, UT) in Bradenton, FL.
• He became a Bahá'í in 1917 through the influence of his mother, a talented poetess and writer who learned of the Faith in 1909.
• Roy Wilhelm had sent three generators to the Holy Land and had asked permission from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to have Curtis come and install them. His request was granted and Curtis spent from September, 1921 until April, 1922 in the Holy Land. The units were installed at the Shrine of the Báb, (See SETPE1p38) at Bahjí (See SETPE1p55) and at the home of 'Abdu'l-Bahá at #7 Haparsin Street and the work was completed at all three locations on the last day of Ridván, 1922.
• On the 6th of August, 1928 he married Harriet Morgan Kelsey (d. 18 March, 1971), a gifted musician and a teacher. They raised four children.
• In 1953 while on pilgrimage Shoghi Effendi asked him to extend his stay to install a pump and watering system for the grounds at Bahjí.
• He served on the Spiritual Assembly of West Englewood (now Teaneck) for some 30 years.
• Curtis spent some time serving as an Auxiliary Board Member and gave talks at summer schools.
• He passed away while serving at his place of retirement in Bradenton Florida. [BW15p468-473]

The passing of Hilda Yank Sing Yen Male (b. 29 Nov or 29 Nov 1902, 1904 or 1906 in China, d. Riverdale, Bronx County, New York, USA). She was buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum, Hartsdale, New York, USA.
• In Memoriam. [BW15p476-478; PH54-56]
• A note from Mrs. Mildred Mottahedeh. read, in part: "This noble lady played an important role in the development of the Bahá'í Faith in the international field, and it was through her efforts that the Bahá'ís began their work with the United Nations." [BN No 472 July 1970 p2]
• For a biography see Wikipedia.
• She asked to attend the 1944 Baháʼí Annual convention as an observer and was moved by the spontaneous gestures of welcome and care shown between individuals society normally kept apart. She requested to enroll as a Baháʼí. She then asked to address the convention as a Baháʼí:

  "Fellow Baha'is, this is more than a pleasure. It is a miracle that I am participating with you in discussing such important matters. I contacted two denominations and a parliament of religions before I met Julia Goldman, Baha'i, who sowed this seed in my heart. While convalescent from a flying crash, my life was given me for service to God. Julia took me under her wing. I saw God vaguely; then more clearly, through the Baha'i Faith. Then came the battle of Hongkong(sic) where all shared in a common danger and hunger - forced to live the oneness of mankind. At length I secured a priority to fly to America and how do I rejoice to be in this free country! Conferring with Americans I have found this country the best to execute the message of peace. I have been blessed in meeting other Baha'is. I have been deeply impressed by the love and affection among Baha'is. China is well prepared by its sages for the Baha'i Faith. …" [BN No 170 September 1944 p6]

• Find a grave.

Haik had learned of the Faith from his father who had embraced the Faith in his birthplace, Gaziantep Aintab, Turkey. In 1937 the family emigrated from Aleppo, Syria to Argentina and they stopped on the way to visit the Holy Land where they spoke with the Guardian about pioneering. They arrived in Buenos Aires on the 29th of March after a another stop in Bahia to visit Leonora Holsapple.

On February 29th, 1940 May Maxwell, accompanied by her niece Jeanne Bolles arrived in Buenos Aires and it was from Haik that she received the a telephone call to welcome her. The following morning when the Kevorkian family called at the City Hotel they learned that May Maxwell had passed during the night. Haik and Wilfrid Barton searched for a befitting spot for her interment and Haik spent the rest of his life honouring and caring for her resting place.

Haik taught the Faith in the interior of Argentina and make international trips to Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Chile Brazil and Ecuador. He assisted in the formation of the first spiritual assembly in Guayaquil and won the honour of being named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh when he settled in the Galapolos Islands in May 1954. A record of his service there can be found in Heroes of God: History of the Bahá'í Faith in Ecuador, 1940-1979 by Helen Bassett Hornby.

Upon his return from the Galapolos to Buenos Aires he married Aurora de Eyto and they had one surviving son, Daniel Claudio (b.1960). [BW15p483-485]

The passing of Florence Evaline (Lorol) Schopflocher (b.1886 in Montreal. QC) in the Green Acre area. She was buried at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Eliot, Maine [Find a grave]
• Wife of Hand of the Cause of God Siegfried Schopflocher. For his "In Memoriam" see BW7p664.
• She circled the globe nine times on travel teaching tours and visited some 86 countries, many of them multiple times. She travelled to Iran twice visiting parts not previously visited by Western Bahá'ís.
• She visited the Guardian 11 times.
• She had several audiences with King Feisal in Iraq and discussed the question of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád with him.
• Favourite themes for her public talks were the World Order letters of Shoghi Effendi and the emancipation and education of women.
• A radiant star went from the West to the East. [BW15p488-489]
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.
• See her account of her travels in her autobiographical book Sunburst.
• See a brief biography in The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1844-1963 p464-465.

The passing of Agnes Baldwin Alexander, (b. 26July 1875 in Hawaii) Hand of the Cause; "the daughter of the Kingdom", and "the beloved maid-servant of the Blessed Perfection" ('Abdu'l-Baha); the only Hand of the Cause mentioned in the Tablets of the Divine Plan; The first Bahá'í to set foot on Hawaiian soil; the first Bahá'í to settle in Japan; and the first Bahá'í to teach the Faith in Korea, passed away in Honolulu. (b. 21 July 1875) [BW15:423; VV8]
• On the 13th of October she received a Tablet from 'Abdi'l-Baha encouraging her to travel to Japan. She arrived in 1914 and remained there for a total of thirty-two years. She lf[PH32]
• She was appointed a Hand of the Cause on the 27th of March, 1957 after the passing of Hand of the Cause of God George Townshend. [MoCxxiv]eft Japan in 1937 and returned in 1950.
• For her obituary see BW15:423–30.
• See Life of Agnes Alexander by Duane Troxel.
• See A Tribute to Agnes Alexander by Ben Perkins.
• See An Account of How I Became a Bahá'í and My Stays in Paris in 1901 and 1937: Written at the Request of Mrs. Laura Dreyfus-Barney by Agnes Baldwin Alexander and edited by Thomas Linard.

The passing of Anna Reinke (b. 15 August, 1882 Travis County, Texas) in Travis County Texas. She was buried in the Maul Cemetery in Travis County.
• She is considered the mother of the Bahá'í community in Texas. Anna Reinke was a seamstress who lived in a converted Austin trolley from 1942 until her passing. She had learned of the Faith from her sister in Washington DC. Reinke is credited with the first racially integrated meeting ever held in Texas when she joined Gregory at Anderson High School, which was an all-African American school, where he delivered a message of racial friendship. The program eventually became the forerunner of the Louis Gregory Symposium on Race Unity that began March 27, 2007, and is held annually on Austin's Huston-Tillotson University campus. In the late 1940s, the Texas Regional Teaching Committee began an annual event, the Inter-racial Panel, that included Texan members of the Bahá'í faith, with the first event—a picnic—held at the home of Reinke, an active committee member. [The Statesman 29 October, 2019]
• Find a grave

Músá Banání, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Kampala, Uganda. (b.1886) [BW15:42; VV7]
• For a brief biography see Bahá'í Chronicles.
• For his obituary see BW15:421–423.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the second contingent on the 29th of February, 1952. [MoCxxiii]
• A Bahá'í Winter and Summer School was established in the southern part of Ethiopia and named "Banání House" in honour of Hand of the Cause Músá Banání, their "spiritual father". [BW15p187]

'Abdu'l-Hamíd Ishráq-Khávarí, Iranian scholar, author, translator and promoter of the Bahá'í Faith, passed away. [BW15:520]
• For his obituary see BW15:518–20.
• Wikipedia page.

The passing of Matthew Washington Bullock (b. 11 September, 1881 in Dabney, North Carolina) in Detroit, Michigan. His place of burial is unknown.
• He was a singer, a talented athlete, a football coach, a teacher, a soldier, a war hero, a civic leader, a church leader.
  • See this newspaper clipping which implies that he may have been subjected to rough treatment by the opposing Princeton team.
• Lawyer-graduated from Harvard Law School in 1907.
• Found the Faith in 1940 after many years of careful investigation.
• Husband to Katherine Wright, (d. 1945), father to Matthew W. Bullock Jr (a judge) and Julia Gaddy (librarian).
• Chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Boston.
• Travel teacher to Haiti, Costa Rica, Mexico, Belgian Congo, Liberia.
• Elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the the United States in 1952.
• Represented the NSA at the first Intercontinental Bahá'í Conference in Uganda, East and received permission to visit the Holy Land on pilgrimage prior to attending the Conference.
• Became a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh in 1953 for Dutch West Indies when he and four other members of the NSA resigned to take up pioneer posts.
• He received an honorary degree from Harvard in recognition of the lifetime of achievements.
• He spent his last years in Detroit in the care of his daughter. [BW15p535-539]
• Find a grave
• See a biographical article in the Evertt Independent.

John Ferraby, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Cambridge, England. (b. 9 January,1914) [BW16:511, VV8]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
• For his obituary see BW16:511–12.
• Wikipedia.
• Bahaipedia.
• He was the author of All Things Made New published in 1960 by Allen & Unwin, London.

The passing of Daoud Toeg (b. Baghdad, Iraq in 1897) in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau).
• After he had learned of the Faith he enrolled eight other persons before writing the Guardian with his own declaration.
• He pioneered to Italy in the 1930s for about a year and a half.
• In 1954 he was appointed Auxiliary Board Member for Iraq, on the first Auxiliary Board for Asia. He served for sixteen years.
• He supervised the construction of the Hazíratu'l-Quds in Baghdad and was helpful in securing a Temple site.
• Mr. Toeg served the Guardian by conveying artifacts and Huqúqu'lláh payments from Persia to the Holy Land at a time when there was no direct communications.
• He served as a representative of the Huqúqu'lláh for the believers in Iraq.
• He was instrumental in locating and photographing the caves of Sar-Galú in Sulaymáníyyih, Kurdistán where Bahá'u'lláh lived for two years while in retreat.
• He, his wife Latifa, and their sons pioneered to Kirkuk during the Ten Year Crusade but after seven years were asked to return to Baghdad to assist with the work there.
• The family left Iraq in 1970 and settled in Hull where they helped to establish the first Local Spiritual Assembly. [BW16p527-528, Bahá'í World 16, Grave]

Laura Clifford Dreyfus-Barney, (b. 30 Nov 1879, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA) passed away in Paris. [BW16:296]
• For her obituary see BW16:535–8.
• She was buried at Cimetiere de Passy, Paris, City of Paris, Île-de-France, France.
• She is best known for having compiled the Bahá'í text Some Answered Questions from her interviews with `Abdu'l-Bahá during her visit to Akka between 1904 and 1906. [Wikipedia]
• See Laura Barney's Discipleship to 'Abdu'l-Bahá: Tracing a Theological Flow from the Middle East to the United States, 1900–1916 by Layli Maria Miron in The Journal of Bahá'í Studies 28.1-2 2018.
• She was the only Western woman to have been designated as "Amatu'l-Bahá" (Handmaid of Bahá) by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [Some Answered Questions" and Its Compiler by Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani published in Lights of Irfan, 18, pages 445; M9YA314]
• At the end of the war she placed her faith in the League of Nations and represented the International Council of Women in that body, playing an important role in cultural exchange. She was the only woman named by the League Council to sit on the Sub-Committee of experts on Education, a post which she held for many years, beginning in 1926. On 23 July 1925 she was appointed Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur. In that same year she formed under the aegis of the League of Nations the 'Liaison Committee of Major International Organizations to promote through Education better Understanding between Peoples and Classes' and became a permanent member of the committee as well as its liaison officer. In 1934 she became a member of the Advisory Committee of the League of Nations on Teaching; she was also a member of the French Committee on Intellectual Co-operation. [BW15p537]
• See A Glimpse into the Life of Laura Dreyfus-Barney by Mona Khademi for a brief biography of Laura Barney and her family.
• My Interview with Laura Dreyfus-Barney by Jack McLean (1967)
• See The Life of Laura Barney by Mona Khademi published by George Ronald in 2022.
  • See page 67-71 for an account of her recording of the "table talks" of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
  • See page399 for her listing in Who's Who in America.

The passing of Mark George Tobey (b. December 11, 1890 Centerville, Wisconsin – d. April 24, 1976 Basel, Switzerland) [Bahá'í News page 341, Wiki, VV119]
• He had been introduced to the Faith by Bernard Leach. [OPOP223]
• Another version is that In 1918 Mark Tobey came in contact with Juliet Thompson and posed for her. During the session Tobey read some Bahá'í literature and accepted an invitation to Green Acre where he converted. [Seitz, William Chapin (1980). Mark Tobey. Ayer Publishing. p. 44]
• Tobey was one of the twentieth century's most cosmopolitan of artists. An inveterate traveler—he eventually settled in Basel, Switzerland—he was always better known in Europe than in his homeland.
• His mature 'white writing' works are made up of pulsing webs of lines inspired by oriental calligraphy, explicitly acknowledged the direct influence of the Bahá'í Faith on his painting. It has been said that Tobey "made line the symbol of spiritual illumination, human communication and migration, natural form and process, and movement between levels of consciousness." He often stated, "that there can be no break between nature, art, science, religion, and personal life".
• See Bahá'í World 1994-95 pg248 for an article by Anne Boyles entitled "The Language of the Heart: Arts in the Bahá'í World Community" for mention of Mark Tobey.
• For his obituary see BW17:401–4.
• See a brief biography in The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1844-1963 p462-464 and for the story of his learning of the Faith, p459-460.
• Towards the end of his life, Tobey was the recipient of some of the highest distinctions that the European art scene of his time could bestow. He won the gold medal at the Venice Biennale in 1958—the first American painter to do so since 1895. In 1961, a major retrospective of his work was held at the Louvre in Paris, an unprecedented achievement for a living and American artist.
• See The Journal of Bahá'í Studies, Volume 26, number 4 – Winter 2016 p94 for an article by Anne Gordon Perry entitled Anne Gould Hauberg and Mark Tobey: Lives Lived for Art, Cultivated by Spirit.
• An exhibition, Mark Tobey: Threading Light showed at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, 6 May to 10 September 2017 and at the Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, 4 November 2017–11 March 2018.
• An example of some of his works.
• See World Order Vol 11 No 3 Spring 1977 for the following articles:
  • The Days with Mark Tobey by Marzieh Gail
  • Mark, Dear Mark by Bernard Leach
  • Memories of Mark Tobey by Firuz Kazemzahed
  • The Dot and the Circle by Mark Tobey

Saichiro Fujita, (b. 1886) the second Japanese to become a Bahá'í, passed away in Haifa. [BW17:406; Bahá'í Canada No 294 June 1996 p6]
• For his obituary see BW17:406–8.
• 1903 came to California for education.
• 1905 became a Bahá'í (Mrs. Kathryn Frankland)
• 1912 joined 'Abdu'l-Bahá's party in Chicago as they were near departure for California.
• 1919 came to the Holy Land after studying electricity and horticulture.
• 1928 Shoghi Effendi sent him back to Japan with the war impending.
• 1955 returned to the Holy Land.
• Was buried in the Bahá'í Cemetery in Haifa.
• References: Traces That Remain and Japan Will Turn Ablaze

The passing of Adelaide Sharp (b. Texas, 1896) in Tehran.
• In 1929 she accompanied Dr Susan Moody (77) to Tehran and and took up the position of principal of the Tarbiyat School for Girls (opened 1910).
• In 1931 she invited her mother, Clara Sharp, to come and live with her.
• After the closing of the Tarbiyat Schools on the 6th of December, 1934, the Guardian asked her to remain in Persia. She organized study classes for both boys and girls to study English writings such as Bahá'í Administration, The Promised Day is Come, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh and other works from the Guardian. In 1954 the Guardian ruled that women could serve on Bahá'í administrative bodied in Persia. She was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly and served in this role for the next fourteen years. She attended the First and Second International Conventions in 1963 and in 1968. Her five decade legacy of service in Iran included children's education, translating Writings, consolidating administrative institutions, serving as the"external affairs" representative for the National Assembly. Upon her passing memorial services where held in Tehran as well as other centres throughout the country. [BW17p418-420, Bahá'í Heroes & Heroines]

The passing of Mírzá Ahmad Khán Yazdání Kasrawí (b. April 24, 1891) in Tehran. Born into a Muslim family he learned of the Faith from a peddler and then studied under Hand of the Cause Ibni-Abhár and from the renowned teacher, Aflavén-i's-Safé and became an avowed believer at the age of twenty-two.
• In 1919 he was commissioned by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to accompany Hand of the Cause Ibn-i-Abhár to The Hague to take a Tablet addressed to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace along with its English translation.
• In addition to this service for 'Abdu'l-Bahá he served on the Spiritual Assembly of the Tehran and travelled at the request of Shoghi Effendi to India and Pakistan to teach and to Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Dubai to cheer the hearts of the pioneers that had settled in those countries. He also travelled to Iráq and Hijaz as well as Turkey and Afghanistan.
• He served as editor of the Bahá'í News of Iran for 12 years and contributed articles regularly. He was the founder and a contributor to the Bahá'í Women's Journal and contributed to the Bahá'í Youth Magazine as well as the Year Book of the Iranian Bahá'í youth. [Bahaipedia; BW17p4380439]

The passing of Annamarie Honnold (b. 23 December 1914 in Urbana, Illinois) in Kennet Square, PA, USA. She was an American Bahá'í author, teacher and United Nations representative. Her mother became a Bahá'í a year after her birth and in 1921 the parents and their two daughters, Annamarie and Margaret Rosa, went on pilgrimage and met 'Abdu'l-Bahá.

Her publications were:

• 1982 - Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
• 1986 - Divine Therapy: Pearls of Wisdom from the Bahá'í Writings
• 1994 - Why They Became Bahá'ís: First Generation Bahá'ís By 1963
• In 1972 she published Glimpses of Early Bahá'í Pilgrimages, a discussion of early pilgrimages based on the resulting pilgrim's notes. Includes text from a variety of memoirs.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland was formed. [BN No 598 January 1981 p14; BN no 608 November 1981 p10]
• A member of that Assembly was John W Allen, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Swaziland. Mr Allen had served on National Assemblies since 1956 (Regional Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa, then in 1967 the National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique which, in 1978, became the National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland. Mr Allen passed away on the 31st of August, 1981 while visiting the US. Mr Allen also served as an Auxiliary Board Member for Protection. He was among the first group appointed by the Guardian.
• Note: In 1977 Angola and Mozambique were placed under the direct guidance of the Universal House of Justice. [BN no608 November 1981 p11]

The passing of Ruth J. Ellis Moffet (b. 19 January 1880 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin). She was buried in Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa. Ruth Moffet has been described as a "champion teacher for of the Cause of God" and as being "instrumental in helping establish the Bahá'í Faith in the United States". Her travels took her through Europe, the Near East, Asia, Egypt and Canada as well as the United States. [BW17p463]

Publications:

• Do'a: On Wings of Prayer: First published in 1933, then in 1938 and 1953 as Do'a: The Call to Prayer. It was reprinted in 1974 and later in 1984. The book has been described as "A broad Bahá'í approach to prayer and mediation of 'the practice of the presence of the Spirit of God', using quotations from the Bahá'í Faith and other religions." [BELp105] Her formula, which has become known as the "Five Steps of Prayer", and was printed in Principles of Bahá'í Administration published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles in 1953 and was cited by the Universal House of Justice in its message of the 11 October 1978.
• New Keys to the Book of Revelation: Published in New Delhi in 1977 and reprinted in 1989. [Collins p105] It contains a chronology of the events in the Holy Land.
• A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: Published in Honolulu 1980. This was also entitled Visting the Bahá'i World Centre. It consisted of notes from her pilgrimage May 17 - September 17, 1954. [Collins p105]
• The Cause of the Rise and Fall of Civilizations: This was a chart that she produced after her pilgrimage. It is her own interpretation of history.
• Her essay, The Dynamics of Prayer was published in SoW Vol 21 Issue 2 p47 in May 1930. A 'cleaner' PDF is available here.
• See Bahaipedia for a detailed biography.
• Find a grave.

Bernard Howell Leach CBE, (b.5 Jan 1887 Hong Kong), internationally known potter, artist and author, passed away in St Ives, Cornwall. He was buried in the Barnoon Cemetery in St Ives. [BW18:669–71]
• See AY50 for the significance of the name of the village of St. Ives.
• Find a grave
• Wikipedia.
• Leach Pottery.
• Encyclopaedia Britannica
• He was the author of A Potter's Book, A Potter in Japan as well as Beyond East and West: Memoirs, Portraits and Essays, and Drawings, Verse and Belief. [Collins10.892-10.985]
• See Bernard Leach, Potter:A Biographical Sketch by Robert Weinberg.
• See Remembering Bernard Leach by Trudi Scott (Published in BW18 pp929-931).
• See Traces that Remain p216-218.
• See the tribute to Bernard Leach and Shoki Hamada entitled Pioneering Pottery Sought Unity of East and West on the centenary of the founding of Leach Pottery in St. Ives, England.
• See a brief biography in The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1844-1963 p462-464 and for the story of his learning of the Faith, p460-464.

Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir, Hand of the Cause of God and Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, passed away in Quito, Ecuador. (b. 4 April 1923 in 'Abdu'l-'Azím) [BW18:486, 651]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
• For his obituary see BW18:651–9.
• See BWNS353 for news of the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of his passing in Quito.
• See also Dr Muhajir: Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by Írán Furútan Muhájir.
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.
• For stories about Dr Mahájir see Bahá'í Memories.
• See Academic Wikipedia.
• See Rahmatu'llah Muhajir: Hand of the Cause of God the Treasure of All Humanity by Richard Francis.
• A photo.
• See as well LoF455-461.
• The 25th anniversary of Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir's death was marked in Ecuador by a Growth and Victories conference and graveside ceremony, including a talk by his daughter Gisu Mohadjer Cook. BWNS353]

Hasan M. Balyuzi, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in London. (b. 7 September, 1908, Shiraz, Iran). He was buried at the New Southgate Cemetery London. [BW18:635; VV52, Mess63-86p442]
• For his obituary see BW18:635–51 and SBBR5:XI–XX.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
• See Bahá'í Chronicles for a biography.
• For a brief biography see Balyuzi, Hasan M. by Richard Francis and A Bio-bibliographic Sketch by Moojan Momen found in SBBR Vol 5 page XI-XIX.
• See a brief biography in The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1844-1963 p462-464 and for the story of his learning of the Faith, p449-451
• For some essays and excerpts from Hasan Balyuzi's work see Bahá'í Library.
• Find a grave.

Robert Hayden, much-honoured American poet, passed away in Ann Arbor, Michigan. [BW18:717]
• For his obituary see BW18:715–17.
• See also Hatcher, From The Auroral Darkness: The Life and Poetry of Robert Hayden.
• See Bahá'í World 1994-95 pg249 for an article by Anne Boyles entitled "The Language of the Heart: Arts in the Bahá'í World Community" for mention of Robert Hayden.
• See The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature entry about Robert Hayden.
• In 1976, Mr. Hayden was named Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a post which was later renamed Poet Laureate of the United States. He was the first African-American to hold the position. He taught at Fisk University in Nashville for 23 years and then at the University of Michigan from 1969 until his death in 1980 at age 66. In 2012 the US Postal Service issued a series of stamps commemorating poets which included Mr Hayden. [BWNS915]

Raised in Babol he had studied medicine in Tehran, completed his military service then left for England to study English and then Canada. After completing his studies in which he trained as an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist), he returned to Iran. His Canadian fiancee, Anita, followed and they were married in 1971. She and their three children, all under the age of seven, left Iran after the Revolution on the advice of the Canadian Embassy.

He was 48 years old at the time of his execution and was considered one of the top microscopic ear surgeons in the world. He was an innovator who devised a new method of ear surgery for the treatment of deafness. The method, now used in a modernized form around the world, allows a surgeon to implant a small hearing aid behind the ear of a hearing impaired person in a way that cannot been seen. [Iran Wire]

Adelbert Mühlschlegel, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away at his pioneer post in Athens, Greece. (b.16 June 1897) [BW18:613; VV52]
• For his obituary see BW18:611–13.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the second contingent on the 29th of February, 1952. [MoCxxiii]
• Adelbert Milhlschlegel, M.D. (1897-1980) received a Tablet from ' Abdu'I-Bahá and became a close collaborator of Shoghi Effendi who elevated him to the rank of Hand of the Cause. In November 1957 he was asked by Ruhiyyih Khanum to wash and anoint the Guardian's body for burial. Speaking a dozen languages, he taught the Bahá'í Faith in both eastern and western Europe, India, Africa, and South America. Adelbert MiihlschJegel worked on many important translations, wrote a World History, and left a book of poetry. He passed away in Athens and is buried at the foot of the Acropolis. [The German Baha'i Community under National Socialism p30]

Leonora Stirling Holsapple Armstrong, (b.June 23, 1895, Hudson, New York), the 'spiritual mother of South America' and the first Latin American pioneer, passed away in the city of Salvador in Bahia, Brazil. She had served on the Continental Board of Counsellors from her appointment in 1973. [Mess63-86p248; BW18:738; VV32]
• For her obituary see BW18:733–738.
• See Armstrong, Counsellor Leonora: A Loving Portrait by Kristine Leonard Asuncion. Brief biographical sketch of Counsellor Armstrong, the "Spiritual Mother of South America" .
• Bahá'í Blog.
• Wikipedia.
• Bahaipedia.
• See FMH40-41 for the story of how she was inspired to go pioneering as told to Doris and Willard McKay. (She had been a classmate of Willard's sister Marguerite at Cornell University.)

Abu'l-Qásim Faizí, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Haifa. (b.1906) [BW18:659; VV52]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
• For his obituary see BW18:659–65.
• See Conqueror of Hearts: Excerpts from Letters, Talks, and Writings of Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qásim Faizí by Abu'l-Qasim Faizi edited by Shirley Macias.

The follow cable was received from the Universal House of Justice:

15th AUGUST 1981. DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING EMINENT DISTINGUISHED SERVANT BLESSED BEAUTY MEMBER BOARD COUNSELLORS AFRICA KNIGHT BAHA'ULLAH DEARLY LOVED MUḤAMMAD MUSṬAFÁ HIS LONG RECORD DEDICATED SERVICES IN ADMINISTRATIVE TEACHING FIELDS HIS SELF-SACRIFICING AUDACIOUS EFFORTS IN PROMOTION DEFENSE BELOVED FAITH UNFORGETTABLE CONVEY BEREAVED FAMILY FRIENDS LOVING SYMPATHY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES FURTHER UNFOLDMENT PROGRESS HIS NOBLE SOUL ABHA KINGDOM UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE. [BW18p768-771]

The passing of Hazel Scott (b. 11 June 1920 in Port of Spain and raised in Harlem) in Manhattan. She was buried in Flushing Cemetery in Queens, NY. Her friend Dizzy Gillespie, along with other Bahá'í musician friends, had told her about the Bahá'í Faith over the years. On December 1, 1968, she became a Bahá'í. [Bahá'í Blog]
• From the Bahá'í Bookstore see Hazel Scott: A Woman, a Piano and a Commitment to Justice by Susan Eagle.
• See the book Hazel Scott: The Pioneering Journey of a Jazz Pianist, from Café Society to Hollywood to HUAC by Karen Clinton presents the compelling biography of Hazel Scott, who became known not only for her accomplishments on stage and screen, but for her outspoken advocacy of civil rights. During the 1940s and '50s, her international career and her marriage to the controversial Black congressman from Harlem, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., kept her in the headlines. A target of the House Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthy Era (late 1940s-1950s), she eventually joined the Black expatriate community in Paris. In this first biography of Scott, the author traces the fascinating arc of this star's life and rescues her from obscurity.
• See Biography of Hazel Scott by Michelle R Brown.
• See the video essay What Ever Happened to Hazel Scott? which tells the story of the extraordinary pianist and jazz vocalist, Hazel Scott. It was written and edited by Eve Goldberg.
• See Wikipedia.
• From the Smithsonian.
• See the BBC documentary Hazel Scott: Jazz Star and Barrier Breaker.
• From the History, Art and Archives site of the US House of Representatives, a story that recounts her persecution by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in the US Congress of which her husband, Adam Clayton Powell , was an member.
• See an article from Time magazine.
• See entry from the National Women's History Museum.

He made a pilgrimage in 1912 and a second one in 1919. Upon his departure he was given a gold coin by 'Abdu'l-Bahá which he interpreted as a sign that he would have great wealth. In addition to the services he rendered as a member of Bahá'í institutions and through the teaching trips he made throughout lran offering encouragement to the friends, he made generous gifts of funds which made possible the acquisition of lands and buildings for the Faith in Asia, Europe and Africa. These gifts were made without ostentation, often without even his family being informed and in many cases in response to Shoghi Effendi's wishes. Although it is impossible to compile a complete record, his munificence can be glimpsed by mentioning that in Africa alone he had up to 1958 purchased no less than forty-four Temple sites, Teaching Institutes, Bahá'í Centres and other sites.

Another notable contribution was the Missaghiyeh Hospital and Maternity Clinic in Tehran.

Amoz Gibson, (b. 3 Aug 1918 Washington), a member of the Universal House of Justice from 1963 until 1982, passed away in Haifa. He was buried in the Bahá'í Cemetery in Haifa. [BW18:669; VV52]
• His diagnose was acute lymphoblastic leukemia. See Bahá'í Chronicles for a brief biography.
• For his obituary see BW18:665–9.
• Find a grave.
• Elected to the Universal House of Justice to replace him was Mr. Glenford Mitchell. He was born in Jamaica and held a Masters degree in journalism from Columbia University. An author, he had worked as a magazine editor and managing editor and taught English and journalism at Howard University. He served as chief executive officer of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States from 1968 until his election to the Universal House of Justice. [BWNS208]

The passing of Richard Edward St. Barbe Baker (b. 9 October, 1889 West End, Hampshire, England d. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan). [BW18p802-805; BW5p549]
• He was one of the foremost world famous environmentalists of the twentieth century, an ecologist, conservationist, forester, vegetarian, horseman, apiarist, author of some thirty books and numerous articles and a committed Bahá'í who rendered service to the Bahá'í Faith for more than fifty years.
• Shoghi Effendi referred to Baker as "the first member of the English gentry to join the Bahá'í Faith." [Bahá'í Encyclopedia Project.
• He formally founded the Men of the Trees organization in England in 1924 and it soon spread to many other countries. (Shoghi Effendi enrolled as the first life member of the Men of the Trees.) Now known as the International Tree Foundation, it has a large membership of women and men from all walks of life. In 1978 Charles, Prince of Wales, became the society's patron. A history of the organization is on their website. [Bahá'í Chronicles; BW18p802-805]
• See BWNS1292.
• He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
• See photo.
• See his biography by Paul Hanley.
• See a short biography by Wendi Momen and Anthony A. Voykovic. This paper has a further references to St. Barbe Baker as well references to his writings.
• See a brief biography in The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1844-1963 p462-464 and for the story of his learning of the Faith, p401.

Paul Haney, Hand of the Cause of God, died in Haifa in an automobile accident. [BW18:617; VV52]
• Paul Haney was born to Mary (Merriam) Ida Parkhurst and Charles Freeborn Haney on August 20, 1909. His parents were active Bahá'is since 1900 and had been married for seventeen years at the time of Paul's birth. His mother accredited a portion of his spiritual development to being in the presence of 'Abdu'l-Bahá while a fetus....In letters between his mother, Merriam, and Rúhíyyih Khánum it was indicated that the Master gave him his own name; it was 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He was also given the name Paul by the Master to be used in the outside world. In 1919, Corinne True was able to also confirm that the master gave Paul his name. [Bahá'í Chronicles]
• He had been appointed a Hand of the Cause of God on the 19th of March,1954 following the death of Hand of the Cause of God Dorothy Baker. [MoCxxiv}
• For his obituary see BW18:613–18.

The passing of Stanwood Cobb, (b. November 6 Newton, Massachusetts, 1881 – d. December 29, 1982) noted Bahá'í lecturer, educator and author at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland at the age of 101 after 75 years of service to the Cause.
• His first exposure to the Faith was in 1906 at Green Acre where he attended a conference during his studies at Harvard Divinity School where he was preparing for the Unitarian ministry. [Wikipedia]
• While serving as a college instructor in Constantinople, disguised as a Turk, he made a visit to 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Akka while He was still a prisoner. He met Him again in 1910 and while He was in Paris and the United States during His Western travels.
• He was the author of some 30 books and numerous articles. Some of his publications can be found on Bahá'í Library.
• He served as an editor of Star of the West until 1939 and was a co-editor of World Order.
• He founded Avalon Press in 1935 through which he published his works. [Wikipedia]
• One of his essays entitled The Continuity of Religion was first published in The Bahá'í World Volume VI, 1934-1936.
• Bahá'í Chronicles.

The passing of Reginald "Rex" Collison (b. 3 May 1884 in Ohio). He was buried in Oak Mound Cemetery, Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California, USA. [BW19p595-596]
• Rex accepted a position in plant research on the staff of Cornell University and held this post for thirty-three years, retiring in 1945 as Chief of Research and Professor Emeritus.
• Rex and Mary were married in 1920 and in 1924 learned of the Faith from Howard and Mabel Ives.
• In 1952 he and Mary pioneered to Uganda. When the Ten Year Crusade was launched in 1953, the Collisons were the first American believers to arise. Accompanied by Mr. Dunduzu Chisiza, a young Nyasaland African who served as their interpreter and shared their home for over a year, they settled in Ruanda-Urundi. (Today,known as Rwanda and Burundi.) For their service in opening Ruanda-Urundi to the Faith the trio were named by Shoghi Effendi Knights of Baha'u'llah. Returning to Kampala in 1955, the Collisons were later appointed custodians of the Mother Temple of Africa and they served the Faith in this capacity with great devotion until 1966 when they found it necessary to return home to Geyserville.
• See CG66-67 for their services while in Uganda.
• Find a grave.
• On August 11, 1970, Rex lost his wife Mary (b. 13 Nov 1892 in Adelaide, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada). [BW15p486]
• Find a grave.

The passing of Counsellor William Mmutle Masetlha (b.February 21, 1921 in Sophiatown, a township of Johannesburg) in Dube (Soweto), South Africa. [BW19p607-608]
• He became a Bahá'í in 1954 and served on local assemblies, the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South and West Africa, on the Auxiliary Board and in 1976 was appointed as a Counsellor. [Bahá'í Chronicles]
• Founded in 1995, the William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation (WMMF) is a Bahá'í organization that supports education and vocational training initiatives in Zambia. Its parent organization, the Masetlha Institute, was founded in 1983 and offers community-based education in areas including literacy and health, as well as spirituality. One of the WMMF's initiatives, the Banani International Secondary School, is a residential girls' school specializing in science and agriculture; in 2003, the Banani School was ranked among the top 100 African secondary schools. WMMF is also partnering with FUNDAEC (Foundation for the Application and Teaching of the Sciences) to develop a secondary education/vocational training preparation program for rural youth.

The passing of Renée Szanto-Felbermann (b 21 June, 1900, d. 28 February, 1984) in Freiburg, Germany. She is considered the first to declare her faith in Hungary. [BW19p633]
• She is the author of The Memoirs of Renée Szanto-Felbermann, published in London by the Bahá'í Publishing Trust. It is the autobiography of a woman of Jewish heritage who was the first Hungarian Bahá'í. Particularly interesting is the period as Jewish-Bahá'í in Hungary during the Nazi era. [Collins7.2521]
• See the article The Baha'i Faith: Banned by the Nazis and the Communists by Caroline Fowler on Bahá'í Teachings.org.

Shu'á'u'lláh 'Alá'í, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona. (b. 16 November 1889) [BW19:594; VV123]
• BW19: 159 says this was 17 November.
• For his obituary see BW19:593–5.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the second contingent on the 29th of February, 1952. [MoCxxiii]
• For a short biography "General" 'Alí see Bahá'í Chronicles.
• See LoF335-338.

The passing of Claire Gung (b. 3 November, 1904, Gladbeck, Ruhrgebeit, Germany, d. Kampala, Uganda). She was buried in The National Bahá'í Cemetery of Uganda. [BW19p653-657]
• She had worked as a children's nurse or housekeeper in Germany, switzerland, Austria, the Italian tyrol, Belgium, Holland and finally settled in England in 1930. She became a Bahá'í in Torquay and after a time in Eastleigh, Dovon, later joined the small Bahá'í group in Cheltenham in 1940. She moved to the Manchester area and later pioneered to Northampton in November 1946 to become member of the first Spiritual Assembly there. In 1948 she again pioneered to help form the first Spiritual Assembly in the "Pivotal Centre" of Cardiff then to Brighton and to Belfast. In 1947 she became a naturalized British subject. In 1950, during the "Year of Respite", Claire became the first pioneer to actually move from the British community to settle in Africa when Shoghi Effendi called for Bahá'ís to open Africa. She sailed on the "Warwick Castle" on 4 (or 25) January, 1951 and landed in Tanzania where she obtained a post as assistant matron in a school in Lushoto,150 miles from Dar-es-Salaam. [CG158-159]
• She became a "Knight" for Rhodesia. Mr. Zahrai was actually the first Bahá'í to come to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) during a Ten Year Crusade. He was followed soon after by Claire Gung, Eyneddin and Tahirih Ala'i, Kenneth and Roberta Christian and Joan Powis. All seven received the accolade of Knight of Baha'u'llah from Shoghi Effendi. Subsequently the Guardian gave her the title, "Mother of Africa".
• Later she moved to Uganda where she started a Kindergarten school. She was affectionately known as "Auntie Claire".
• After being in the country since 1957 Auntie Claire was granted he certificate of residence for life from the Republic of Uganda date the 11th of May, 1978. [CG118] [BWNS275; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Historical Dictionary of the Bahá'í Faith p.209; UD211, 482]
• Also see Claire Gung Mother of Africa by Adrienne Morgan and published by the National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'is of South Africa; (1997).

The passing of Continental Board of Counsellor Lloyd Gardner. [Mess63-68p660]
• See BW19p663-665

He was Bahá'u'lláh's youngest half-brother and was raised by Him because their father, Mírzá Buzurg died two years after his birth. He was greatly devoted to Bahá'u'lláh. He and his family settled on lands in the Jordan valley on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. These lands were later exchanged for land that now comprises a part part of the site at Bahji. He had died in 1887. [SoG112; SE124; MGW45; RoB1p16; DoH31, 207, 228]

He had been buried on land that had been in the possession of Mirza Muhammad-Quli's family on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, at a place called Nuqayb. He and his family lived there and farmed the land for many years and on his passing, at the instruction of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, his remains were buried there, as were subsequently those of members of his family.

In 1937 Kibbutz Ein Gev was established just to the north of the farm, and the two groups of settlers lived as amicable neighbors until the war of 1948 forced the family to leave the land which, lying on the troubled frontier of the new State of Israel, was expropriated by the Government. The grandchildren of Mirza Muhammad-Quli gave their rights in the land to the Faith which was received in exchange the much needed land in Bahji. Thus the little cemetery passed out of Bahá'í hands.

In 1972 the Bahá'ís made plans to embellish the site and maintaining it as a place of historic significance for the Faith. However, plans had already been made for the extension of the plantings of the kibbutz and the eventual development of the land in a way that would not permit the permanent reestablishment of the cemetery in that place. Another plot of land in the immediate neighborhood, but slightly farther from the shore of the Lake on the slope of Tel Susita, was officially designated a Bahá'í cemetery and given over to the Bahá'í Community. The work of fencing it and planting suitable shrubs and trees was then put in hand and preparations were made to reinter the precious remains of this family.

The ceremony was attended by Hands of the Cause Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum and 'Ali-Akbar Furutan, members of the Universal House of Justice and of the International Teaching Center, and a large gathering of World Center friends as well as representatives of the Israeli authorities and of Kibbutz Ein Gev. Mrs. Husniyyih Bahá'í, the granddaughter of Mirza Muhammad-Quli, who was pioneering in St. Lucia in the West Indies, accompanied by members of her family, had been especially invited to attend the ceremony in honour of her illustrious forebear. [Mess63-86p698-99]

The passing of Continental Board of Counsellor member Angus Welldon Cowan (b.12 September 1914 in Bishopton, Quebec) at his home in Invermere, BC. [BW19p703–70; BCNS]
• The message from the Universal House of Justice Mess63-86p723.
• See his biography Angus: From the Heart: The Life of Counsellor Angus Cowan by Patricia Verge, Springtide Publishing, Cochrane AB, 1999.

Zikrullah Khadem (Dhikru'lláh Khádem), Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Skokie, Illinois. (b.1904 in Tehran) [VV123; ZK151]
• Mr Khadem served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Iran from 1938 to 1960. [LoF362-371]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the second contingent on the 29th of February, 1952. [MoCxxiii]
• See also Khadem, Zikrullah Khadem: The Itinerant Hand of the Cause of God.
• In 1972 the Universal House of Justice asked Khadem to research and document places and people of historical significance to Baháʼís, which he concluded in 1977 with a 134-volume work that was submitted to the Universal House of Justice. He had called the project a Registry of Bahá'í Holy Places. [LoF369]
• See In Memoriam in BN No 669 December 1986 p2.
• Find a grave.

Charles Wolcott (b. September 29, 1906 in Flint, MI) member of the Universal House of Justice, passed away in Haifa. [BINS162:1; VV97]
• Mr Wolcott passed away on the day he dictated the essay in the Forward of the book The Creative Circle: Art, Literature, and Music in Bahá'í Perspective edited by Michael Fitzgerald and published by Kalimat Press in 1989. [The Creative Circle pgx-xx]
• See a video tribute entitled In Memory of Charles Wolcott, 1906-1987.
• Wikipedia.
• Elected in his stead was Dr. Peter Khan. He was born in Australia, held professorial posts in electrical engineering at universities in the United States and Australia. He served as an Auxiliary Board member, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia, and a Continental Counsellor before being appointed to the International Teaching Centre. [BWNS208]

He studied law and started his legal practice in Iran at the age of 24. The National Spiritual Assembly asked him to defend the oppressed Bahá'ís of Sháhrúd, where, on 8 August 1944, three friends had been martyred and 17 Bahá'í homes had been plundered and set on fire. 'Aziz defended them with great eloquence and undaunted courage, braving the vicious opposition of the clergy. Later he was asked to defend the Bahá'ís of Shiraz and still later those in Yazd. His unceasing endeavours won him the praise of the beloved Guardian who later designated him the "Shield of the Cause of God" and predicted that future historians would study his achievements.

In 1953 he and his wife Shamsi pioneered to Monte Carlo in Monaco to replace Mrs French who had passed away. While at this post he studied international law at the University of Paris-Sorbonne. In 1955 the Guardian appointed him to the Commission that appealed to the United Nations in Geneva and New York about the Iranian attempt to exterminate the Bahá'í community. In 1962 he became involved with the imprisoned Bahá'ís in Algeria and Morocco.

In 1968 Dr. Navidi became a representative of the Iranian Oil Company for its operations in the Indian Ocean and the family made their new home in Mauritius from where he worked to secure legal recognition of several of the new National Assemblies in the Indian Ocean region as he did with various African states. He fearlessly visited countries hostile to the Bahá'ís with no protection except his faith and his credentials as official lawyer to the Universal House of Justice with special status at the United Nations. His missions took him to Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Congo, Gabon, the Gambia, Kenya, Madagascar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Zaire, and many, many other countries throughout the world. He was successful time and again in persuading democratic governments and dictators alike to alter their laws and constitutions and to officially recognize the Bahá'í Faith. [BW20p866; Navidi, Dr. Aziz (1913-1987): Intrepid Pioneer, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by Graham Walker; KoB341-344]

The passing of Italian orientalist, scholar and linguist Alessandro Bausani. As an orientalist he made contributions in several fields: Persian Literature, Islam, linguistics, the history of Islamic science, Urdu, Indonesian, and other Islamic literatures. He was a polyglot having studied all the main European languages plus Basque, Arabic, Turkish, Persian as well as Latin and Greek.
• He accepted the Faith in 1949 and served as a member of the local and national assemblies in Italy. He was a speaker much in demand at all sorts of Bahá'í gatherings in Italy and beyond. A number of his written contributions about the Bahá'í teachings were published posthumously in a volume called, Saggi sulla Fede Bahá'í ("Essays on the Bahá'í Faith", Rome, 1991). [Obituary: Alessandro Bausani (1921-1988) by Heshmat Moayyad; Encyclopædia Iranica: BAUSANI, ALESSANDRO]
• Alessandro Bausani was a prolific writer. A small sampling of his publications include:
• Some Aspects of the Bahá'í Expressive Style World Order Winter 1978-79 p.36-43
• Islam in the History of Religions by Alessandro Bausani (1972)
• History of Religion from the Bahá'í Perspective by Alessandro Bausani and translated by Miguel Gil Santesteban

The passing of Beatrice Owen Ashton (b. 17 May, 1890, Cleveland). She was buried in the Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland. [BW20p896-899]
• She graduated from Vassar College in 1911 and in 1918 she learned of the Faith in Urbana, IL from Dr Jacob and Anna Kunz after meeting some Bahá'ís who had been picnicking. (See BW16p520 for In Memoriam for Anna Kunz)
• In August of 1918 she married Frank Ashton at Green Acre. In post-war 1945, the National Spiritual Assembly appointed her as the international relief representative for Germany and the Philippines. During the summers from 1947 to 1953 she undertook teaching trips to Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In April of 1952 she went on pilgrimage and met the Guardian for the first time. [BN no262, December, 1952 p5-7]
• In addition to administrative tasks she worked on the production of Bahá'í World XIII and taught summer school classes at Green Acre, Louhelen and Geyserville as well as Beaulac, Banff and Toronto in Canada.
• She pioneered to Lethbridge, Alberta from 1958 to 1966 and taught the Faith on the Peigan Reserve (now Piikini First Nation). When the Bahá'ís of Lethbridge elected their first Local Spiritual Assembly she went back to European teaching and made four trips to Norway by 1970.
• From 1970 she served in Haifa in the Research Department, cataloging and indexing the Guardian's letters and correspondence but in 1972 she had to return to the US due to failing health.
• In her latter years she made an index for Citadel of Faith as well as for Messages to America and indexed the Writings of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh that Shoghi Effendi had translated.
• Find a grave.

The passing of Edna M. True, (b. July 29, 1888, in Grand Rapids, Michigan) She was a daughter of the Hand of the Cause of God Corinne Knight True whose valiant work from 1909-25 as financial secretary of Bahá'í Temple Unity was instrumental in building the House of Worship in Wilmette.
• She formally enrolled in the Faith as a 15-year-old in 1903.
• See PG111-113. Edna and her mother had spent 11 days on pilgrimage in November of 1919. On the point of her departure 'Abdu'l-Bahá called her to His side.
• Like her mother, Miss True became intimately involved in the completion of that magnificent edifice, serving on its construction committee from 1947-53, lending her expertise to interior design, and helping to plan its formal dedication in 1953.
• From 1940-46 she was a member of the Bahá'í Inter-America Committee, serving as its chairman in 1941-42 and secretary in 1945-46.
• In 1946 when she was elected to membership on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States. She served as recording secretary for the next 22 years.
• She served as chairman of the European Teaching Committee for the entire span of its existence (1946-64), her organizational skills to work to help form local Spiritual Assemblies and, later, National Spiritual Assemblies in 11 European countries.
• In 1968, now 80 years old, Miss True was named by the Universal House of Justice as a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas. She served with distinction as a Counsellor and Trustee of the Continental Fund until 1981 when advancing years (she was then 93) forced her to reduce her activities.
• In 1986, Miss True and and her longtime friend and companion Miss Jackson made a pilgrimage to the World Centre in Haifa, Israel, where they visited the Holy Shrines and were entertained by members of the Universal House of Justice.
• She was buried in the True family plot at Chicago's Oak-woods Cemetery. [Bahá'í News January, 1989 Issue 694 p.2]

H. Borrah Kavelin, (b. 18 March, 1906, Russia), former member of the first House of Justice, passed away in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was buried in Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque. [VV97]
• A biography.
• Find a grave

Dr Ugo Giachery (b. 13 May, 1896, Palermo, Sicily), Hand of the Cause of God, passed away while on a visit to Western Samoa. [BINS204:1; VV123]
• He died while visiting Samoa and was interred on the mountainside at Tiapapata, Apia, in view of the Pacific Ocean. His funeral service was attended by by His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, the Prime Minister of Samoa, four Ministers of Cabinet, four Counsellors, five Auxiliary Board members, representatives of six national communities of the Pacific, and over two hundred believers from many parts of the country. [LoF241)
• For the cable of the Universal House of Justice see BINS204:1.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
• Wikipedia
• For a short biography see LoF223-242.
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.

Jalál Kházeh, (b. 24 February, 1897, Tihran) Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Toronto. He was buried in York Cemetery in Toronto. [BINS219:90]

Note: VV123 says it was 20 February.

• He was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God on the 6th of December, 1953 after the passing of Hand of the Cause of God Siegfried Schopflocher. [MoCxxiv]
• See LoF164-167 for a short biography.
• Find a grave.
• See Bahá'í Recollections for an account of Hand of the Cause Kházeh's visit to Asia in 1972.

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone in Katmandu, Nepal. He was born at Quorn, South Australia on May 5th, 1913. [BINS232:8, VV12, The Bahá'í Encyclopedia, Find a grave]
• For his obituary see BW20p809-818.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
• See Bahá'í Recollections for an article complete with pictures by Narenda Pande about Mr. Featherstone's last days and funeral.
• See LoF434-448 for a biography.
• Find a grave.

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, John Aldham Robarts at Rawdon, Quebec. He was born in Waterloo, Ontario 2nd of November, 1901. [VV124]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
• See BW20p801-809.
• For his obituary see BINS250:10.
• For picture see VV124.
• For the story of how he came to learn of the Faith see SBR137.
• See LoF473-495.
• A 50-minute film entitledRetrospective, a Ciné Bahá'í production, was made as a tribute to the Hand of the Cause John A. Robarts on the occasion of his 40th anniversary as a member of the Bahá'r' community.

William Benard Sears, (b.28 Mar 1911), Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Tucson, Arizona. He was buried in East Lawn Palms Cemetery and Mortuary Tucson, Arizona. [BINS267; VV124]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
• Find a grave.
• See LoFp496-506 for a short biography.
• He was the author of several books:
  • All Flags Flying, The NSA of South and West Africa, (1958)
  • A Cry from the Heart: The Bahá'ís of Iran, George Ronald, (1982)
  • God Love Laughter, George Ronald, (1960 and multiple re-prints)
  • The Prisoner and the Kings, General Publishing Company, (1971)
  • Release the Sun, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, (1957)
  • Thief in the Night or The Strange Case of the Missing Millennium, Talisman Books, (1961 and multiple re-prints
  • The Wine of Astonishment, George Ronald, (1963 and multiple re-prints)
  • The Flame; The Story of Lua, (with Robert Quigley), George Ronald, (1972) [Collins7.2354-79]

The passing of Counsellor Isobel Sabri, (b. 19 July, 1924) member of the International Teaching Centre, in England. She was born in California in 1924. Letter from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada to all Local Spiritual Assemblies dated the 16th of October 1992. [VV124]
• She was buried at the New Southgate Cemetery
• Find a grave
• See Bahaipedia for the message of condolence from the Universal House of Justice.

The passing of Shirin Fozdar (b. 1 March 1905 in Bombay (now Mumbai)) in Singapore. She was an Indian Bahá'í of Zoroastrian descent who was, along with her husband Dr. K. M. Fozdar, the first Bahá'í pioneers to Singapore in 1950. She was an inaugural member of the National Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia elected in Djakarta in 1957.

Shirin Fozdar was also notable for her work for women's rights founding the Singapore Council of Women which was responsible for the passing of the Women's Charter in the Singaporean Parliament in 1961.

The Singapore Management University implemented The Shirin Fozdar Program in 2009. It has a scholarship and an annual lecture as well as community service projects. [Bahaipedia; Singapore Memory]

• See the video Shirin Fozdar-a Bahá'í and a Champion of Women's Rights.
• See Bahá'í Blog 20 February 2022.

The passing of John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (b. 21 October 1917, Cheraw, South Carolina). He was buried next to his mother in Flushing Cemetery, New York. [VV141]
• His autobiography was entitled "To Be, or Not...to Bop".
• He had become a Bahá'í in 1968 at the age of 51.
• See Bahá'í World 1994-95 pg251 for an article by Anne Boyles entitled "The Language of the Heart: Arts in the Bahá'í World Community" for mention of Dizzy Gillespie.
• Find a grave

The passing of Roger White, writer, editor and "poet laureate" of the Bahá'í community, in Richmond, British Columbia (b. in Toronto on 2 June 1929).
• Served at the World Centre for some twenty years as a secretary and as manager of the publishing department when many important new volumes were published. Under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice, he was responsible for compiling and publishing volumes XIV to XIX of The Bahá'í World, as well as editing the invaluable compendium of volumes I to XII, published in 1981.
• Published, at his own expense, a book of poetry called Summer Window for which he did the drawing on the front cover.
• Another Song, Another Season (1979), The Witness of Pebbles (1981) and a tender and eloquent novel which presented a semi-fictionalized account of the early days of the Bahá'í Faith in Paris, A Sudden Music, was also published by George Ronald in 1983.
• This was followed by a biographical tribute to the poet Emily Dickinson in the form of more than 100 poems: One Bird, One Cage, One Flight (Naturegraph, 1983).
• A short, historical account of the martyrdom of 'Alí-Asghár of Yazd entitled The Shell and the Pearl was published by George Ronald in 1984.
• Occasions of Grace (George Ronald, 1992) was published after he retired from service in Haifa in 1991 following a major heart surgery.
• He returned to Canada and was diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly after.
• His last two collected works of poetry were Notes Postmarked the Mountain of God (New Leaf, 1992) and The Language of There (New Leaf, 1992).
• He also completed the text for Raghu Rai's photographic celebration of the Bahá'í House of Worship in New Delhi, Forever in Bloom. [Bahá'í Studies Review, Vol7, 1997]
• See Bahá'í World 1994-95 pg249 for an article by Anne Boyles entitled "The Language of the Heart: Arts in the Bahá'í World Community" for mention of Roger White.
• See The Journal of Bahá'í Studies Vol. 26 no 1-2, 2016 p91 "Reflections on the Art of My Poetry" by John Hatcher. It is based on a telephone interview with him shortly before his passing.
• For obituary see BW92-93p276
• Find a grave.

The passing of Marzieh Nabíl Carpenter Gail, the second child and eldest daughter of the first Persian-American marriage in the Bahá'í Faith between Persian diplomat Ali-Kuli Khan and Boston debutante Florence Breed. (b. 1 April, 1908) [BW1993-1994p320-321, Find a grave]
• See AY91 for 'Abdu'l-Bahá's praise of her as a child and confirmation and promises for the future. He commented that she had átish (fire) and namak (salt). [AY93]
• Photo of 'Abdu'l-Bahá with the children of Ali-Kuli Khan and Florence.
• A translator (Arabic and Persian into English) and author. Poet Roger White would say of his friend: "She is the first lady of Bahá'í literature and I and many writers are indebted to her for leading the way."
• Translations include: The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys (1945) and The Secret of Divine Civilization (1957) with her father; Memorials of the Faithful (1971); Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (1976) with a Committee at the Bahá'í World Centre; My Memories of Bahá'u'lláh (1982).
• Author of a dozen Bahá'í and non-Bahá'í books in addition to countless essays, articles, and short stories. Her remembrances of 'Abdu'l-Bahá are contained in The Sheltering Branch (1959), and those of His Exalted Sister in Khanum: The Greatest Holy Leaf (1981).
• Many of her essays and pioneering stories are contained in Dawn Over Mount Hira (1976) and Other People, Other Places (1982). As well she wrote "Six Lessons in Islam" (1953), Summon Up Remembrance (1987), Arches of the Years (1991) and, "Bahá'í Glossary" (1955). [Bahá'í Studies Review, Vol 6, 1996]
• See Obituary: Marzieh Nabil Carpenter Gail (1908-1993): Translator and Author, "Patron Saint" of Women Bahá'í Scholars by Constance M. Chen.
• Bahaipedia.
• For a more complete list of her writings and translations see Bahai-library. iiiii
• See also Notes on Marzieh Gail

The passing of former Universal House of Justice member (1963-1993) Mr. Hugh E Chance (b. 28 December, 1911 in Winfield, Kansas d. 25 March,1998 in Tisdale KS.). [BW97-98p271-272]
• Mr Chance had been a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States from 1961 to 1963.
• Kansapedia.
• He was the co-author of "A Crown of Beauty" with Eunice Braun which was published by George Ronald in 1982.

The passing of Florence Virginia Wilson Mayberry (b. 18 September 1906 in Sleeper, Missouri) in Marshfield, Missouri. She became a Bahá'í in 1941 in Reno, Nevada. From 1954 to 1959 she served on the first Auxiliary Board for North America covering the Western States and Canada. While serving as an Auxiliary Board member, Florence was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States in 1959. Shortly after the Mayberry family pioneered to Mexico in 1961 where Mrs. Mayberry was elected to serve on the National Spiritual Assembly of that country and participated in the first International Bahá'í Convention in 1963. In 1968 she was appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America, then in 1973 she was appointed as one of three Counselors of the newly established International Teaching Center where she served for 10 years. [BW26p275]
• Her autobiography, The Great Adventure was published by Nine Pines Publishing in 1994.
• She was a mystery writer. She had a number of stories published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
• Find a grave.

The passing of actor and writer O. Z. Whitehead at the age of 87 in Dublin. (b. in New York City on 18 March 1911).
• His most acclaimed performance and best remembered role remained that of Al in John Ford's classic 1940 film version of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.
• After the World Congress in 1963 he pioneered to the Irish Republic where, among other services to the Faith, he served on the National Spiritual Assembly.
• He published three volumes of pen portraits, Some Early Bahá'ís of the West (1976), Some Bahá'ís to Remember (1983), and Portraits of Some Bahá'í Women (1996).
• He is remembered as a champion of the Arts. [Bahá'í Studies Review Vol8, 1998]
• See Robert Weinberg's O. Z. Whitehead (1911-1998):Actor and writer that was published in Bahá'í Studies Review No 8 in 1998.

The passing of Meherangiz Munsiff in London (b. 23 November, 1923 Bombay, India) Born into a Bahá'í family she travelled in India with Martha Root at the age of 14 years. She was appointed Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the French Cameroons. In addition she visited more than 150 countries to teach and assist in the development of Bahá'í communities and was known as a lecturer and an activist among the international humanitarian community. [BW99-00p308-309]
• An autobiography Lifeline:A Life of Prayer and Service as Experienced by Meherangiz Munsiff, Knight of Baha'u'llah, was published by George Ronald Publishers in October of 2022. It was written by Meherangiz Munsiff, Jyoti Munsiff (her daughter), and Pixie MacCallum.

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (born Mary Sutherland Maxwell) in Haifa. She was born in New York on 8 August 1910. [One CountryVol.11,Issue4, Mess86-01p699-700, 19 January, 2000]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed her as a Hand of the Cause of God after the passing of her father, Hand of the Cause of God Sutherland Maxwell on the 26th of March, 1952. [MoCxxiv]
• See A Tribute to Amatu'l-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum by Violette Nakhjavani.
• Photo of her Resting Place.
• See as well Rúhíyyih Khánum by Hussein Ahdieh and Hillary Chapman.

The passing of Adib Taherzadeh (b.29 April 1921 in Yazd, Iran). He was buried in the Bahá'í Cemetery in Haifa. He was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles (1960-1971) and was elected the National Spiritual Assembly of Ireland when it formed in 1972. He was appointed as a Counsellor in 1976 and served as a member of the Universal House of Justice between 1988 until his passing. [One Country; BW99-00p211-312]
• His publications were:
  • Trustees of the Merciful (1972)
  • The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh Vol.1 (1974)
  • The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh Vol.2 (1977)
  • The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh Vol.3 (1983)
  • The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh Vol.4 (1987)
  • The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh (1992)
  • The Child of the Covenant (2000)
• Wikipedia
• Bahaipedia
• Bahá'í Chronicles.

The passing of Mildred Mottahedeh in New York. She had been elected to the International Bahá'í Council, the first globally elected Bahá'í body and was the first Bahá'í International Community representative to the United Nations. She was born in Seabright, New Jersey, on 7 August 1908 and was 91. [One Country Jan-Mar 2000 Vol 11 Issue 4; TP705-706; BW99-00p307-308]
• See Blogspot.

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Audrey Robarts (née FitzGerald) in her 96th year. She was buried with her husband, Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, in the Ecumenical Cemetery in Rawdon. He had predeceased her on the 18th of June, 1991. [BW00-01p272]
• After the passing of her husband she travelled to four countries in southern Africa in response to a request from the National Spiritual Assembly of Botswana where she was known as the "beloved mother of our country".

The passing of Creadell Johnetta Haley (b. 4 Jul 1916 in Pawhuska, Osage County, Oklahoma, USA) in Washington, DC. She was buried in the Quantico National Memorial Cemetery, Virginia. [Find a grave; ObeisanceBaha]
• Her passion included mechanic and learning to fly. While studying for her pilot's license war broke out and so in September 1942 she joined the Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) of the Army. After military service, she enrolled in Wilberforce University, and also returned to the airfield where she was able to quickly receive her private pilot's license.
• She later left Wilberforce University to enroll in the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, and later continued her music education at San Jose State University. It was during her time in California that she was introduced to the Baha'i Faith.
• In the spring of 1967 she pioneered to Venezuela where she remained until her return to the United States in 1999. She then took up residence at St. Mary's Court Apartments in the Foggy Bottom section of Washington, DC.
• She is well-remembered for writing Bahá'u'lláh and There Is Only One God, both of which appear on the album Fire and Snow. Other songs include ("Love, Love, Love"; "Sing His Praises"; "It's Time To Be Happy"; "Baha'u'llah Is The Promised One"; "A New Race of Men" and "God Is One".
• See Pioneering pilot's missions carried her skyward

The passing of Giovanni (Gianni) Ballerio (b. 15 February 1943 in Asmara, Eritrea) in Geneva after a battle with cancer. He was 58. [BW01-02p302]
• He had been a representative of the Bahá'í International Community at the United Nations in Geneva and in New York since 1981. [One Country Vol.13 Issue 3]

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Philip Hainsworth (b. 27 July 1919) at the age of 82 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. Shoghi Effendi had described him as "the spiritual Stanley of Africa". [BW01-02p304-305]
• He was a member of the National Assembly of Central and East Africa from 1956 to 1966 and served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles for a total of 32 years.
• Looking Back in Wonder is the autobiography of Mr Hainsworth and his wife Lois.
• His other publications were:
  • Bahá'í Focus on Human Rights
  • The Bahá'í Faith by Mary Perkins and Philip Hainsworth
  • Bahá'í Focus on Peace
  • Historical Dictionary of the Bahá'í Faith by Hugh C. Adamson and Philip Hainsworth

The Fire in the Pacific conference in Honolulu, Hawaii to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Faith in Hawaii. It was attended by over 1,000 Bahá'ís from at least 53 nations.
• Among the highlights of the conference was a parade , to the resting place of Agnes Baldwin Alexander, who was the first to bring word of the Bahá'í Faith to the Hawaiian Islands — and, indeed, the entire Pacific region — in December 1901. Born in Hawaii, the granddaughter of missionaries, Ms Alexander first heard about the Bahá'í Faith while on a trip to Europe. Returning to her native Hawaii on 26 December 1901, she devoted the rest of her life to spreading the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh in the Pacific and later in Japan. She passed away on January 1st, 1971. [Life of Agnes Alexander- D.Troxel, BWNS148]

The passing of Barbara Helen Rutledge Sims (b. 17 April, 1918 in San Francisco) in Tokyo. She was a "third generation Bahá'í whose grandmother had been guided to the Faith by John Henry Hyde Dunn and Clara Dunn when they lived in California. [BW02-03p274-275]
• When the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, issued his call for believers to serve in the first Global Crusade (1953-1963) she and her husband Charles A. "Sandy" Sims (who was not a Bahá'í but had been born and raised in Japan), and her daughter Sandra. (A son, Sheridan, was born a few years later.)
• She was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo in 1954 and served for many years on that body. In 1957 she was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia, and in 1974 she was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Japan, serving until 1993. She was secretary for many years on those Assemblies. She also served on a number of national committees, developed the National Archives, volunteered in the national office and on the staff of the Publishing Trust, went on teaching trips around Japan and to other Asian countries, and wrote Bahá'í histories of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Macau and Tokyo, and her memoirs. [Barbara Sims' Contribution to Bahá'í Scholarship in Asia Pacific by Sandra S. Fotos; In memoriam Barbara Sims by Universal House of Justice, Sheridan Sims, and Sandra S. Fotos]

The passing of David Hofman (b.1908 in Poona, India) in Oxford, England. [BW03-04p234-235]
• He was one of the nine elected members of the Universal House of Justice when that institution came into being in 1963.
• He presented the first statement from the supreme Baha'i administrative body in April 1963 to the World Congress in London. Twenty-nine years later, in 1992, he delivered the opening address to the second Baha'i World Congress in New York, an event attended by some 30,000 people.
• He served as a member of the Universal House of Justice for 25 years, until he left in 1988 at the age of 80. [BWNS209, BW'03-'04pg234, UK Bahá'í Journal]
• See a brief biography in The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1844-1963 p462-464 and for the story of his learning of the Faith, p452-453
• His published works included:
  • Selections from Bahá'í Scriptures (1941)
  • The Renewal of Civilization (1945)
  • God and His Messengers (1953)
  • George Townshend, A Life (1983)
  • A Commentary on the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (1983)
  • Baha'u'llah, the Prince of Peace: A Portrait (1992)

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Ursula Samandari (b. Ursula Newman 29 December, 1909 in Mitcham, Surrey, England) at her pioneering post in Buea, Cameroon.
• In 1953 she and Dr. Mihdi Samandari moved to Nairobi, Kenya, and a year later went to live in Mogadishu, Somalia where they stayed until 1971. At the request of the Universal House of Justice, they had pioneered to Cameroon. [BWNS230, BW'03-'04pg237]

Dr Kelly, an Oxford-educated microbiologist, had spent the majority of his career as a consultant to the MoD and other government departments and agencies, advising them on his area of expertise - arms control. He had been scientific adviser to the Proliferation and Arms Control secretariat for more than three years and, following the first Gulf War, he had worked as a weapons inspector in Iraq between 1991 and 1998. He became the senior adviser on biological warfare for the UN in Iraq in 1994, holding the post until 1999.

Dr Kelly apparently committed suicide after being named as the source of a BBC report suggesting that intelligence on Iraq's weapons was "transformed" on the orders of Downing Street shortly before its publication. Such was the conclusion of a controversial inquiry conducted by Lord Hutton. [The Hutton Report] [BBC News 27 January 2004; BBC News 2 September 2003; BBC News 30 October 2003; BBC News 13 May 2004]

The passing of Ruth Yancey Pringle in Ciudad, Costa Rica at the age of 83 after 5 decades of service to the Faith, 2 decades as on the Continental Board of Counsellors.
• The Universal House of Justice praised her as an "intrepid champion" of the Faith of God. [BWNS250, BW'03-'04pg236]
• She went pioneering before being accepted into the Faith. The Chicago Assembly was preoccupied with the organization of the Intercontinental Conference and didn't have a chance to process her application for membership. Because she was so close to the Faith she was allowed to attend the conference and she departed for her pioneer post immediately after. She received her membership card after arriving at her pioneer goal in Puerto Rico. [from a talk by Hooper Dunbar 26:05]

The passing of Ola Pawlowska (b. Ola Clemens 14 February, 1910 in Lakta, outside Cacow, Poland) in Newfoundland, Canada. Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for St. Pierre and Miquelon, translator of the Writings (into Polish), pioneer to Poland, Luxembourg and Congo (30 years), Auxiliary Board Member. [BW'03-'04pg236, BWNS248]
• For her biography see Legacy of Courage: The Life of Ola Pawlowska, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh" by Suzanne Schuurman, published by George Ronald in 2008.

The passing of Gloria Faizi (b. Gloria Alá'í on 12 March, 1921 in Tehran) in Brisbane, Australia. The Universal House of Justice said they remembered with appreciation "her many contributions to the progress of the Bahá'í communities, including her pioneering in Bahrain with her illustrious husband, her work at the Bahá'í World Centre, and her devoted travels far and wide as a teacher of the Cause."
• Gloria Faizi was born into the Ala'i family, distinguished for its service to the Faith. She met the head of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, when she accompanied her father to the Holy Land as a child. When she was 17, she married Abu'l-Qásim Faizi, and together they assisted Baha'i communities in a remote rural area of Iran before settling in Bahrain in the mid-1940s. Their two children, Naysan and May, were born during their 15 years there. [BWNW318, BW04-05p287]
• Some of her publications were:
  • The Bahá'i Faith, An Introduction (1971) Lebanon
  • Fire on the Mountain Top (1973) London
  • Flowers of One Garden (1977) Poona, India
  • Stories about 'Abdu'l-Bahá
  • Bahá'u'lláh: The Promised One (2002)
  • Stories About Bahá'í Funds (1993)

The passing of Dr. Helen Elsie Austin (b. 10 May 1908 in Alabama) in San Antonio, Texas. She was a pioneer and Knight of Bahá'u'lláh in Morocco. She also served on the National Spiritual Assemblies of the United States and North West Africa. By profession, she was an attorney, she received a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1930 from the University of Cincinnati, becoming the first black woman to graduate from the law school. In 1937 she served as an assistant attorney general for Ohio. She later opened her own law office in Cincinnati. She was secretary of the Cincinnati branch of the NAACP and chair of the legal committee of Colored Women Federated Clubs. In addition, she was a US Foreign Service Officer. [BWNS338; Bahaipedia]
• In 1955 Dr. Austin wrote Above All Barriers: The Story of Louis G. Gregory It was reprinted in 1964, 1965,1969, and 1976. [Collins7.82]
• Find a grave.

The passing of former Universal House of Justice member David S. Ruhe (b. 3 January, 1913) near Newburg, New York. He served on the Universal House of Justice from 1968 to 1993. [BWNS388]
• Dr Ruhe will be remembered for his contributions to medicine as well his Bahá'í service. [BW05-06p237-238]
• Among his Bahá'í publications were:
  • Door of Hope (1983)
  • Robe of LIght (1994)

The passing of prolific author and founding member of the Association for Bahá'í Studies of North America, Dr. William S. Hatcher, in Stratford, Ontario. (b. 20 September, 1935 in Charlotte, NC).
• He served on the National Spiritual Assemblies of Switzerland (1962-65), Canada (1983-91) and the Russian Federation (1996).
• He was an associate professor of mathematics at the University of Toledo for three years before coming to Canada in 1968 with his wife Judith. He served as professor of mathematics at the Université Laval until 1995.
• He was appointed to the first Board of Trustees of the Huqúqu'lláh for Canada in November of 1991. [CBNJan92 p2; 14 November, 1991]
• He was the author of vast number of articles and books including, Logic and Logos (1990), Love, Power and Justice (1998), and The Bahá'í Faith, The Emerging Global Religion (co-authored with Douglas Martin). [BWNS416, BW05-06p240-241]
• The Universal House of Justice wrote in tribute: "The Bahá'í world has lost one of its brightest minds, one of its most prolific pens. He will long be remembered for his stalwart faith, forceful exposition, and penetrating insights."
• The family of Dr. Hatcher built an on-line repository of his collected works. Contributions of recordings of his talks or other works by William Hatcher can be submitted for consideration for the site by using the contact form.

The passing of Annemarie Kruger, (b. 13 February 1918 Germany d. 12 September 2006 Plovdiv, Bulgaria) Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Moldov and pioneer to Bulgaria from 1984 until the end of her life. [KoB397-399; Find a grave; Bulgarian Nation Website; the 9th candle]
• Her autobiography, Life for the Faith is available on the Bulgarian national site. It comes in a zip file with a picture of the cover, all of the illustrations, and the text of the book in Word format.

The passing of Hadi Rahmani-Shirazi (b. 1914) in the United Kingdom. He was buried in New Southgate Cemetery.
• pioneered to Afghanistan at the Guardian's behest,
• served on the National Spiritual Assembly and the Auxiliary Board in the Cradle of the Faith,
• served as the executive director of the Nonahalan Company, (A Bahá'í investment company in Iran)
• among first appointed to institution of the Counsellors created by the Universal House of Justice in June 1968,
• relocated to the United Kingdom in the early 1980s,
• contributed greatly to the development of the Institution of Huququ'llah through his services as a Deputy. [UK BAHA'I NEWS EMAIL SERVICE message from the National Spiritual Assembly nsa@bahai.org.uk 24 May 2007]
• Find a grave

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Jameson (Jamie) Bond (b. 6 November, 1917 Toronto, ON) in Duncan, BC. [SDSC262, 387-388, 406]
• For a biography see Sole Desire Service Cause An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown published by George Ronald.

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa (b.1911 or 1912) at his home in Haifa. Mr Varqa received his name from 'Abdu'l-Bahá in memory of his grandfather, who had been killed for being a follower of Bahá'u'lláh. He was the last survivor of the 27 Hands of the Cause who were alive when Shoghi Effendi passed away in 1957. [BWNS579; One Country]
• He had been appointed Hand of the Cause on the 15th of March, 1955 after the passing of his father Hand of the Cause of God Jináb-i-Valíyu'lláh Varqá, [MoVxxiv]
• He was appointed as the last Trustee of the Huqúqulláh, a position also held by his father. During his tenure, the Huqúqulláh expanded its base from a few Iranian believers to include every believer in the world in 1992.
• He lived in Iran but happened to be away during the revolution in 1979 and never returned. He was accepted as a refugee in Canada and lived there for several years before being called to service at the World Centre.
• For a short biography see LoF183-187.

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Gale Bond, née Keass (b. 13 November, 1919 in Emod, Hungary) in Cowichan, BC. [SDSC397]
• See Sole Desire Service Cause An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown published by George Ronald for a biography.

The passing of Dr Nossrat Peseschkian (b. 18 June, 1933 in Iran d. 27 April, 2010 in Wiesbaden, Germany). He came to Germany in 1954 for his studies in medicine at the universities of Freiburg, Frankfurt am Main and Mainz. After his medical specialization and his dissertation, he had his postgraduate training in psychotherapy in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the United States. Prof. Peseschkian was the founder and leading figure in the growth and development of Positive Psychotherapy for almost 40 years. As an international lecturer, he had traveled to 67 countries worldwide. A global network of over 100 local, regional and national centres of Positive Psychotherapy has been established in 33 countries to date. Among his works is the book "Oriental Stories as Tools in Psychotherapy: The Merchant and the Parrot", which included short stories from Persia and other countries that can be used in psychotherapy. [Wikipedia]
• See Iranwire.

The passing of Mrs. Ashraf Khanjani, wife of imprisoned Jamaloddin Khanjani at the age of 81 In Tehran. The couple had been married for more than 50 years. Mr. Khanjani, 77, who was serving a ten-year jail term at Iran's notorious Gohardasht prison, was not granted leave to attend his wife's funeral which was held the next day in Tehran. It attracted between 8,000 and 10,000 mourners from all walks of life. Ministry of Intelligence officers were also reportedly present, filming the proceedings.
• Prior to the 1979 Iranian revolution, Mr. Khanjani was a successful factory owner. His brick-making factory – the first automated such facility in Iran – employed several hundred people before he was forced to shut it down and abandon it, because of the persecution he faced as a Bahá'í. The factory was later confiscated by the government.
• Mr. Khanjani was able to establish a mechanized farm but the authorities made it difficult for him to operate. Their restrictions extended to his children and relatives and included refusing loans, closing their facilities, limiting business dealings, and banning travel outside Iran.
• Mr. Khanjani had been arrested and imprisoned at least three times before his latest incarceration in May 2008. [BWNS811; Iran Press Watch 7454]

Born in the USA to Muslim, Arab-speaking parents of Syrian origin she learned of the Faith through her father. Mr Abas had been introduced to the Bahá'í Faith by a Syrian friend. As a youth she taught children's classes and was one of the very first youth travelling teachers in the US accompanying Marguerite Reimer (later Sears) and Mable Ives. She had already been pioneering in Latin America for fourteen years when in early 1954 she opened the Galápagos Islands to the Bahá'í Faith, thus earning the title 'Knight of Bahá'u'lláh'. Although her time there was brief, the story of her rich and varied life, dedicated to building up Bahá'í communities throughout Latin America, serving and empowering others, makes fascinating and inspiring reading. Her work with children's education, particularly through the Children's Public Speaking Project where she taught children to memorize passages from the Bahá'í Writings, to present them in public, and to express what they learned in service, was a precursor of the process of learning and practice now finding systematized expression in the worldwide Bahá'í community.

She was appointed to the Auxillary Board and served for 14 years in Ecuador. In 1961 sh was elected to the National Assembly.

From 1970 she served for five years at the World Centre where she did translation work. 'Future generations will extol your labours, follow in your footsteps, and derive inspiration from your pioneer activities.' Shoghi Effendi to Gayle Woolson in Costa Rica, 1942 [KoG224-225]

In 1971 her book, Divine Symphony was published by the Bahá'í Publishing Trust of New Delhi. The book was reprinted in 1976 and 1977. [Collins7.2771; p156]

For her biography see The Art of Empowering Others – A Biography of Knight of Baha'u'llah Gayle Woolson by Juliet Gentzkow and published by George Ronald.

The passing of former Universal House of Justice member Dr. Peter J. Khan (b. 2 November, 1936 in New South Wales) in Brisbane, Australia. He was buried in the Toowong Cemetery in Brisbane. Dr Khan served as a member of the Universal House of Justice from 1987 until April 2010. [BWNS840, BWNS841]
• See Dr Peter J. Khan Memorial video.
• See the tribute on Bahá'í Blog.
• See Wikipedia.
• See Bahaipedia.
• Find a grave. He was buried in the Toowong Cemetery in Brisbane.

The passing of former Universal House of Justice member Mr. Ian C. Semple (b. 2 December 1928 in New Barnet, Hertfordshire) in Switzerland. He served as a member of the Universal House of Justice from its inception in 1963 until his retirement in 2005. [BWNS871]
• See UK Bahá'í Histories.
• See Bahá'í Blog.
• Bahaipedia.
• Some publications by Ian Semple.

The passing of Anneliese Bopp, former Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre at Bad Bruckenau, Northern Bavaria, Germany. [BWNS892]
• First appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors at Ridván 1970, she served at the International Teaching Centre from 1979 until 1988.
• See Vimeo for a short biographical film on Anneliese Bopp entitled Miss Anneliese Bopp: A Champion of Faith.
• Bahaipedia.

The passing of Mas'ud Khamsi, former Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre in Lima, Peru. [BWNS943; In Memoriam: Mas'úd Khamsí (1922-2013), Spiritual Father of Peru, Mentor and Counselor by Boris Handal translated by Samuel Duboisme]
• Photo.
• Slideshow in Spanish.
• Bahaipedia.
• He was the son of one of "The Five Siyyids" (Sádát-i-Khams in Arabic), so named by Bahá'u'áh. For the story of this family see The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold by Boris Handal. Mas'ud Khamsi's story is told in this book (p111-239).

The passing of Amin Banani (b. 23 September 1926 in Tehran) in Santa Monica. He was survived by his wife Sheila Wolcott (m. 1951)and daughters Sussane and Laila. Find a grave.
• During World War II, like a number of other young Persian men, Amin was sent to study in the United States. He graduated with a BA, majoring in history from Stanford University in 1947. During his study at Stanford he became familiar with western music and read philosophy and world literature. He obtained his MA from Columbia University in 1949 and returned to Stanford for his PhD degree, which he received in 1959.
• In 1953 Amin and Sheila became Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for being among the first Bahá'ís to settle in Greece. In Athens Dr. Banani taught history at the Overseas Program of the University of Maryland in Athens until 1958 when his work permit expired and they were obligated to leave the country.
• A list of some of his publications can be found on Bahá'í Library.
• A tribute to Dr Banani Professor Amin Banani, 1926–2013: A Prominent Scholar of Iranian Studies by Ehsan Yarshater.
• His three-part lecture on Shoghi Effendi's letters entitled The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh can be found on Soundcloud. Another talk The Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha can be found at "Bahá'í Talks".
• In the late 1940s he accepted assignments to represent the Bahá'í community at a UN conference of nongovernmental organizations and a human rights commission. In the early 1950s he also served the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly on its National Youth Committee. For more complete biographical information see his eulogy on the US Bahá'í site and another in the Lights of Irfan.

The passing of former Universal House of Justice member Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam in Vancouver, Canada. He served on the Universal House of Justice for forty years since 1963. [BWNS964]
• See Life of Hushmand Fatheazam as told by Fariborz Sahba.

The passing of former member of the International Teaching Centre, Joy Stevenson (b. 1919) in Queanbeyan, Australia. She made a distinctive contribution to the advancement of Bahá'í communities in Australasia as a Counsellor and an Auxiliary Board member and as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia. [BWNS1103]
• Bahaipedia.

The announcement by the Universal House of Justice of the passing of former House member Mr. Hartmut Grossmann.

"...he poured out his life in uninterrupted service to the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, as a teacher, pioneer, and member of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Germany (1963-1969) and Finland (1977-1980), the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe, (1980-1988) the International Teaching Centre (1988-2003) and, ultimately, of the Universal House of Justice (2003-2008)." [BWNS1228]

• He was the son of Hand of the Cause of God Hermann Grossmann (1899-1968). He was predeceased by his wife Ursula. [BWNS622; Bahá'í Chronicles]

The passing of Lily Ayman (b. 17 May 1929 in Tehran) in Chicago. She was buried in the Oakwood cemetery near the resting place of Hand of the Cause Corrine True. She was a prominent Iranian educationalist who later became a Bahá'í in 1975 and left Iran with her family after the Revolution and finally settled in the USA where she become actively involved in various Bahá'í educational projects. See her "In Memoriam" published in Lights of Irfan, 20, 2019 p. 264-269.

She was considered the "Mother of Persian Textbooks" [Iran Wire 10 April 2013]

• Listen to the audio story The threat of being executed seven times and other stories on the Northwestern University website.

The passing of Don Otto Rogers (b. 1935 in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan) a former member of the International Teaching Centre, in Picton, Ontario. He was buried in the Rose Cemetery in Waupoos, Ontario.
• He enrolled in the Faith in 1960 while a resident of Saskatoon. [CBN No 124 May 1960 p6]
• He served as an Auxiliary Board member and then as a Continental Counsellor followed by a decade as a member of the International Teaching Centre and upon returning to Canada, served on the National Spiritual Assembly. [BWNS1323; Wikipedia.]
• As an accomplished artist, he was known as "Otto Rogers". He taught at the University of Saskatchewan (1959-1988) after receiving his MA in Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin. Mr Rogers helped sustain the Emma Lake Workshops, a meeting place for some of North America's leading artists including Barnett Newman, Jules Olitski and Mr Rogers himself. His work was held in more than 30 public collections including: the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
• His website.
• His works at the Oeno Gallery in Prince Edward County.
• Canadian Art.
• Video The Artist In Us Interview—Painter Otto Rogers.
• A talk by Otto Rogers entitled Artist's Studio.
• The Canadian Encylopedia.
• The National Gallery of Canada.

His publications:

• Otto Donald Rogers.
• The 27th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture The Artist and the Grammarian.

A publications about his work.

• "Otto Donald Rogers" by the Buchslen Mowat Gallery.
• See a trailer for a video called Approach to a Sacred Space made by 9starmedia.

The passing of Dr Udo Schaefer (b. October 19, 1926 in Heidelberg, Germany). He enrolled as a Bahá'í in 1948 and became one of the most important contemporary theologians of the Bahá'í Faith, well known for his scholarship and his defence of the Faith. He came from a family of musicians and his early studies were in in that field but he changed streams and became a lawyer. [FaceBook]
• English translations of his work include:
  • Bahá'í Ethics In Light Of Scripture: Volume 1- Doctrinal Fundamentals: An Introduction
  • Bahá'í Ethics In Light Of Scripture Volume 2 Part 2: Virtues And Divine Commandments
  • The Light Shineth in Darkness
  • Making the Crooked Straight: A Contribution to Bahá'í Apologetics
  • The Imperishable Dominion: The Bahá'í Faith and the Future of Mankind
  • Beyond the Clash of Religions: The Emergence of a New Paradigm
  • In a Blue Haze: Smoking and Bahá'í Ethics
• His publications in German.
• His publications in French
• His publications in Spanish
• His publications in other languages, (Russian, Portuguese, Dutch and Farsi).
• His articles.
• His website.
• Wikipedia.

'Ali Nakhjavani, (b. 19 September, 1919 in Baku, Azerbaijan) former member of the Universal House of Justice (1963-2003), passed away in Molsheim, Alsace, France. He was 100 years old. The Universal House of Justice requested all National Assemblies that memorial services be held for him. [BWNS1361]
• After his father's death when he was two years old, his family was advised by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to move to Haifa where he grew up. In 1939 he received the Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction from the American University of Beirut, and then in the early 1940s he relocated to Iran, residing first in Tehran, then Tabriz and finally in Shiraz. In 1950 he was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís Iran where he served until the following year.
• In 1951 he and his family moved to Uganda to assist with the development of the Bahá'í community in that country. He made his living as a teacher and lecturer. During his early years there, Enoch Olinga became a Bahá'í, and in 1953 Mr Nakhjavání and his wife Violette, along with Mr Olinga and two other Bahá'ís, travelled from Uganda to Cameroon to help spread the Bahá'í Faith in that country.
• From 1954-61 he was a member of the Auxiliary Board in Africa, and later from 1956 to 1961 he was served on the Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly of Central and East Africa.
• In 1961 he was elected to the International Bahá'í Council and so moved to Haifa. In 1963 he was elected to the Universal House of Justice during its inaugural convention, and served as a member of that body until 2003. [Find a grave]
• For a video tribute to Mr Nakhjavani see YouTube.
• See Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of His Pen by 'Ali Nakhjavani.

George Floyd, an African-American man, was killed during an arrest by four police officers. Subsequently a memorial was set up for him on the site where he died. [Wikipedia]
• The memorial was about one block from the Minneapolis Bahá'í Center. See The American Bahá'í - August/September/October 2020 • V51N04 for the story of how the Bahá'í community reacted to the crisis in their neighbourhood.

The passing of Hossain Banadaki Danesh in Victoria, BC
• His major publications were:
  • The Violence Free-Society: A Gift for Our Children. Bahá'í Studies. Vol. 6. 1979.
  • Unity: The Creative Foundation of Peace. Bahá'í Studies Publications, Ottawa 1986.
  • The Psychology of Spirituality. Paradigm Publishing, Manotick, Ontario 1994.
  • The Violence Free Family. Building Block of a Peaceful Civilization. Bahá'í Studies Publications, Ottawa, Canada 1995.
  • Conflict-Free Conflict Resolution (CFCR): Process and Methodology. with Roshan Danesh. Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, Vol. 11, No. 2, Fall. (March 21, 2004).
  • Unity of Faith and Reason in Action 2010.
  • The Unity-Based Family. An Empirical Study of Healthy Marriage, Family, and Parenting. H.B. Danesh, MD, FRCP(C), with Azin Nasseri, PhD. Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 1 edition (1 April 2017).
• For a more complete list see his website.
• Documents by Hossain Danesh on Bahai-library.com.
• YouTube.
• See his website. iiiii

The passing of Sir Earl Cameron (b. 8th August 1917 in Pembrooke Parish, Bermuda) at his home in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
• Earl went to Britain in 1939 and after a stint in the British merchant navy rose to fame in the 1951 movie Pool of London, where he played a merchant sailor who falls in love with a white woman. It was the first major role for a Black actor in a British mainstream film and also dealt with the topic of a mixed-race relationship, generally acknowledged as the first such portrayal in a British film. He went on to star in movies and TV shows including the 007 film Thunderball, Dr. Who, The Queen, Saffire, and Inception to name but a very few. His acting career spanned seven decades and included stage, screen, and television. As an artist and actor, he refused to accept roles that demeaned or stereotyped the character of people of colour.
• He became a committed Bahá'í in 1963 when a friend took him to an event at the time of the World Congress in London and subsequently pioneered to the Solomon Islands. After returning to Britain his acting career experienced a revival, with a key role in the 2005 United Nations thriller The Interpreter as an African president accused of war crimes.
• In 2012 he returned to his country of birth to open the Earl Cameron Theatre in Hamilton, Bermuda. [Doctor Who News 4 July 2020]
• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the high accolade of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honors list for services to drama in a career spanning seven decades. [The Guardian 4 July 2020; Wikipedia; BWNS1184]
• His obituary in the New York Times in print on July 11, 2020, Section A, Page 21.

In addition to her critiques on Persian literature she published a biography of Zandokht Shiraizi, a pioneer in the feminist movement in Iran. She resided in New Jersey where she worked on the editorial board of the New Jersey-based magazine, Persian Heritage. Bassari also assisted in books on the life of Táhirih and contributed with Persian to English translations in academia. [Wikipedia]

The passing of former Universal House of Justice member Farzam Arbab (b. 1941 in Tehran) in San Diego where he had been living.

He completed an undergraduate degree at Amherst College, Massachusetts in 1964 and obtained a doctorate in physics at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1968 before settling in Colombia as a pioneer.

From 1970 until 1980 he served as the Chairman for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Colombia. In 1980 he was appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Protection and Propagation of the Faith in the Americas, on which he served for eight years. In 1988, he was named to the Bahá'í International Teaching Centre and was a member of that body until 1993, when he was first elected to the Universal House of Justice. He served until his retirement in 2013.

He served as president of Fundacion para la Aplicacion de las Ciencias (FUNDAEC), a nongovernmental development agency in Colombia, from 1974 to 1988, and continued to serve on its board of directors until the end of his life. [BWNS1453; Bahaipedia]

• Documents by Dr Arbab.
• Scientific documents by Dr Arbab.

The passing of former Universal House of Justice member James Douglas Martin (b. 24 February 1927 in Chatham, Ontario) in Toronto. [CBNS]

See Memorial for Douglas Martin - Online Commemoration.

He was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada from 1960 to 1985 and served the last twenty years as the general secretary. In 1985. He was appointed director-general of the Bahá'í International Community's Office of Public Information at the World Centre. He served in that capacity until 1993 when he was elected to the Universal House of Justice. He retired from the House of Justice in 2005 due to considerations of age and related needs of the Faith. [BWNS1455]

• In 1984 he co-authored the introductory text,The Bahai Faith: The Emerging Global Religion with his friend William S Hatcher.
• His essay, The Missionary as Historian: William Miller and the Bahá'í Faith was a review of William McElwee Miller's book The Bahá'í Faith: Its History and Teachings.
• His series of talks entitled Historical Consciousness and the Divine Plan was packaged as a compact disc and has been made available on Bahá'í Library.
• His paper Persecution of the Bahá'ís of Iran 1844-1984 published in Bahá'í Studies in 1984 is available in PDF.
• His article Humanity's Coming Encounter with Baha'u'llah was published in American Bahá'í in 1992.
• In 1998 his article Bahá'í Faith was published in Canadian Encyclopedia.
• The Mission of the Bab: Retrospective 1844-1944 as published in Bahá'í World. [BW23p193]
iiiii

Approximately 7,100 articles have been published in print or online in the Encyclopedia of Iranica after four decades. If one includes cross-reference, the total of entries would be over 9,000.

In 1990, Professor Yarshater established the Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation to ensure the continuation of this comprehensive scholarly work. He was the Foundation's President until his passing at the age of 98 in 2018.

Columbia University and the Encyclopædia Iranica became involved in two lawsuits: In the first, Columbia University asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to rule that Columbia owned the copyright of Encyclopedia of Iranica. In the second the EIF accused Columbia university of infringing Iranica's copyrights and misusing their trademarks. A year later, in July 2020, the court granted the EIF a temporary restraining order to prevent Columbia from using the "Encyclopaedia Iranica" name connected with its publications. As a result, Columbia University had to stop publishing facsimile 6 of Volume XVI of the encyclopedia. The restraining order was lifted in October 2020.

The ruling by the New York court not only granted the Yarshater Center at Columbia University the right to publish Encyclopaedia Iranica but by implication viewed Columbia as the legitimate holder of Iranica's copyright. The legal battle continues. [Radio Maneh]

The passing of John Kolstoe in Livingstone, Montana. [Bahá'ís of Montana and Surrounding Areas Facebook page]

John was raised in a Lutheran family, and studied psychology at University. He and his wife, Beverley, became Bahá'ís in 1953 and John attended the New Delhi Intercontinental Teaching Conference the same year. He had been intending to conduct research in the field of Psychology on cognitive modalities, but felt that pioneering for the Faith was more important after attending the Conference, and volunteered to pioneer to Alaska. John and Beverley moved to Alaska in 1953.

He was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska in the late 1950's and served on the body until 1960, when he and Beverley pioneered to Fort Yukon, where they lived for three years. He went on pilgrimage to Haifa in 1960 and met Ruhiyyih Khanum, and told her a story about meeting Dr. Hubert Parris, which she encouraged him to put in writing. He eventually did so when he wrote the book Crazy Lovers of Bahá'u'lláh.

In 1962 he co-wrote a pamphlet on the Faith titled Bahá'í Teachings: A Light For All Regions with Peter Simple, the second Athabaskan Indian to become a Bahá'í in Yukon. The Kolstoes moved from Fort Yukon to Fairbanks and John was re-elected to the Alaskan National Assembly in 1963. He was elected Chairman of the Assembly in 1972, and represented the Assembly at the Dedication of the Matthew Kaszab Institute in November that year.

In 1975 he wrote twelve articles on the Covenant for Alaska Bahá'í News which eventually served as the basis for the book The Covenant and You. In July 1976 he opened the International Bahá'í Conference held in Anchorage. The Kolstoes left Alaska in 1985 and pioneered to St. Lucia in the Caribbean. John's wife Beverley passed away in Alaska in 1996. In 2001 John re-married, marrying Janet J. Smith. [Bahaipedia]

A list of his publications includes:

• Consultation; A Universal Lamp of Guidance Published by George Ronald in 1985.
• Bahá'í Consultation Workbook
• Bahá'í Teachings, Light for all Regions written by Peter Simple, an Athabascan Indian, and John Kolstoe. This booklet provides a summary of the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, with an emphasis on how they connect with the beliefs of indigenous peoples of North America. Published in 1962, 1969 and the third edition was published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform in 2016.
• Compassionate Woman - The Life and Legacy of Patricia Locke. Published by BPT-Wilmette in 2011.
• Making the Invisible Visible - The Human Principle for Sustaining Innovation (with Robert Rosenfeld). Published by Xlibris in 2006.
• Progressive Revelation a picture story of how God speaks to mankind Published by the National spiritual Assembly of Alaska in 1995. This was a video recording released in 1995.
• Developing Genius: Getting the Most Out of Group Decision-Making Published by George Ronald in 1995.
• Deliver This Clear Message: The Tablet of Ahmad as a Practical Guide and Mandate to Teach Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform in 2017
• Pondering the Fire Tablet: Reflections on Bahá'u'lláh's "Fire Tablet" 2014 or 2015
• Commentaries on Three Major Tablets Published independently in 2020.
• Road Maps to the Future Published by Royal Falcon Books. Royal Falcon Books is an imprint of the Bahá'í Publishing Trust, India, 2008.
• The Covenant and You Published by George Ronald in 2015.
• Crazy Lovers of Bahá'u'lláh: Inspirational Stories of Little Giants Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform in 2015.
• God Intoxicated Lovers of Bahá'u'lláh: Champion Builders of a New World Civilization Published independently in 2019.
• Healing and Beyond: Exploring the Long Healing Prayer Published independently in 2016.
• He has a number of talks on YouTube

The passing of Jim (James Eugene) Seals, (b. 17 October 1941 or 1942 in Sidney, Texas) singer, musician and songwriter was announced on social media by a relative, Bradley Seals. He passed away in Nashville, TN. [The Guardian 10 June 2022]
• See his obituary on the site of the Bahá'ís of the United States.
• See YouTube.
• See Wikipedia for their career trajectory and disography.
• This chart, courtesy of Steven Kolins, shows the internet traffic generated by the announcement of his passing.

Amini's death sparked mass protests, beginning in her home town of Saghez, then spreading around the country as the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests and ultimately posed one of the biggest threats to Iran's clerical establishment since the foundation of the Islamic republic in 1979. At least 500 people were reported killed in the government's crackdown on demonstrators. [RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty 8 March 2024?]

According to Amini's cousin, she was tortured and insulted in the van, as witnessed by her co-detainees. After she arrived at the police station, she began to lose vision and fainted. It took 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive, and an hour and a half for her to get to Kasra hospital.

For two days, Amini was in a coma in Kasra Hospital in Tehran. On 16 September, a journalist broke the story of her coma, posting to Twitter a photo of Amini's father and grandmother crying and embracing in the hospital hallway. Amini died in the intensive care unit later that day. [Wikipedia]

A movement, "Woman, Life, Freedom" sprang up in the wake of Amini's death seeking the end of Iran's imposition of a headscarf on all women and an end to the Muslim cleric-led government in Tehran. The protests persisted until at least January 2023 with over 500 protesters killed at the hands of state security forces, and over 19,400 protestors arrested as per reports by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The passing of Kevin Locke, (b. Los Angeles, CA 1983) renowned Native American hoop dancer, self-taught traditional flute player, story teller, recording artist, educator and cultural ambassador, at the age of 68 in Custer, SD. [Native News OnLine; Inforum]
• He recorded his first album, "Love Songs of the Lakota" in 1982 with Indian House Records and went on to record 13 albums. At the Native American Music Awards, Locke's music won "Best Traditional Recording" for "The First Flute" in 1999 and "Album of the Year" for "Earth Gift" in 2009. [Albums; Wikipedia]
• In 2018, Kevin founded the Patricia Locke Foundation to provide cultural programming for communities. The foundation is named after Kevin's late mother, who was one of the authors of the American Indian Freedom of Religion Act (1978), and an advocate for education and tribal colleges. [Native News Online]
• He was he the author of children's book with an Indigenous content. [Strong Nations website]
• His autobiography titled Arising, written with Kim Douglas and Aleah Douglas-Khavari, was published by the Bahá'í Publishing Trust in 2018. Throughout the pages of Arising, Kevin brings his international travels to life in colourful detail; reflects on the significance of the Bahá'í Faith, the religion with the world-embracing vision that he embraced early in his adult life; recounts his experiences with and lessons learned from his mother, a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Award; and shares his understanding of Lakota belief and culture. The result is a beautiful book full of engaging stories and a deep spirituality that will touch the hearts of many readers.
• See his website and his FaceBook page.

Mavis Cox was a distinguished pioneer from the Caribbean city of Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago. She journeyed to Africa in 1955, immediately after becoming a Bahá'í while in Harlem, in Upper Manhattan, New York City. This video was recorded on her 94th Birthday in 2016 while she narrated her history and sojourn in Eastern Africa. In the 80's into the early 2000's, she was in charge of the Kilifi Bahá'í Institute at the Coastal region of Kenya and later moved to Nairobi where she served the Kenyan Bahá'í Community in many capacities. Her life is a legacy of absolute resilience, dedicated service and obedience to the Centre of the Covenant. [From Trinidad to Africa With Faith ----The Story of Mavis Cox Changawa]

Edward W. Harris, a farmer who had homesteaded in the Gull Lake area, (specifically Carmichael) was the first Bahá'í known to have lived in SK. After his passing in 1922 his son, Edward D. Harris continued to operate the family farm with his mother and followed the Faith from 1934 to 1941. After the passing of his mother (Annie E. Harris b.1869 - d.20 October, 1941) he abandoned the farm taking only his clothes. Beatrice Magee, a neighbour who lived near the Harris farm, found an apple box full of Bahá'í literature and as a result become a Bahá'í in 1978. [OBCC121]
• The grave of Edward William Harris (b.19 March 1871, London, England, d. 22 March, 1922) is marked with a tombstone bearing The Greatest Name. [OBCC128]
• Find a grave for his wife Annie.
• And for their son, Edward William Harris, the Younger.

Mrs Caroline Lehman (née Yaekel b.16 November 1846 in Prussia) was a resident of West Gravenhurst, ON in March of 1916. She was of German extraction, her previous religion was Lutheran and she had been taught by Isabelle Brittingham, Mother Beecher and Ali Kul Khan during a visit to New York City to visit her daughter. Notice of her passing appeared in the American Bahá'í News. [BN No 137 July 1940 p10; information from a message from Dr van den Hoonard to Heidi Lakshman 30 August 2000 Nine Star Solutions 19 Jul 2020]
• She (23yrs) and her husband Gustav (39yrs) and two children immigrated to Canada in 1871. He passed away in 1929. They were buried in the Kilworthy Lutheran Cemetery.

William Edward Harris was a farmer who had homesteaded in the Gull Lake area (specifically Carmichael) where he and his wife (Annie E. Rehm b. 1869, Fedonia. Wis. m. 7 July, 1892, d.22 March, 1922, Carmichael, SK) had moved from North Dakota in 1908 or 1909. He was the first Bahá'í known to have lived in Saskatchewan. After his passing only his son, Edward W. Harris (b.13 March, 1902, Milwaukee, Wis. d. 17 February, 1981 Prince Rupert, BC) continued to operate the family farm with his mother. After the passing of his mother he abandoned the farm at what appeared to have been at a moment's notice taking only his clothes with him when he left. His next know address was Haysport, BC from 1950. He is believed to have lived his latter days in Prince Rupert and is buried there.
• Beatrice Magee moved to a neighbouring farm in 1951 when she married. The Harris home was still there with its linens, furniture, books, photos and even a coffee pot on the stove. She said she would often go there and speculate why someone would walk out on a lifetime of work and memories. She admitted to "spiriting out" a large apple box full of early Bahá'í literature that she had recovered from the dirt and the bird droppings. Although she had never met this mysterious man, she would often think of him, wondering what he had been like, why he left so suddenly and what happened to him. She resolved to someday search through the box of literature and when she did, in 1978, she became a Bahá'í.
• Another curious thing is that the gravestone of the elder Harris, (Edward William Harris (b.19 March 1871, London, England, d. 22 March, 1922, Carmichael, SK) is marked with a tombstone bearing "The Greatest Name", a Bahá'í symbol often found on the headstones of those who have followed the Faith. Where had this man learned of the Faith and how did he managed to maintain his convictions in isolation for all those years?
• Find a grave Edward and Annie Harris.
• Find a grave Edward Harris Jr in the Fairview Cemetery in Prince Rupert, BC.

He, like Sutherland Maxwell and Mason Remey, had studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. These three and four others submitted designs for the Wilmette Temple for consideration. Other buildings designed by Louis Bourgeois include the Chicago Tribune Building, Evergreen Cabin in Englewood NJ where 'Abdu'l-Bahá hosted a Unity Feast, the Savoy Hotel in Chicago.

He became a Bahá'í in New York sometime during the winter of 1906. In April of 1909 the National Spiritual Assembly called for design proposals for the first Bahá'í Hours of Worship in the West and he submitted is design proposal in October. It was finally accepted at the National Convention in 1920. [DP76-100]

John was born in Martock, NS and is credited with being the first resident Bahá'í. After he attended university he worked at the Sydney steel plant in Cape Breton. His life at the plant was gruesome for his arm was caught in machine and cut off. He moved to the United States where he found the Faith some time between 1917 and 1922. He returned to Canada in poor health and settled in Windsor, NS. John left the province to take a job in Newfoundland as a representative of the Penn Oil and Steel in Newfoundland and died of a heart attack three months later. His body was returned to Windsor. [OBCC109-110]

He is also credited with being the first Bahá'í to have visited Cap Breton.

The passing of Grace Robarts Ober (b.19 February, 1869 Ontario, Canada) in Wilmette, IL). She was buried at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery South Eliot, York County, Maine,
• She was the aunt of John Robarts and was introduced to the Cause by Lua Getzinger in 1906.
• She met her husband Harlon Ober when she was working at Lanier Camp on River Road in Eliot, Maine. He was at Green Acre during the time of the visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Grace went with Lua to prepare a place for 'Abdul-Bahá in Chicago and then, after subletting her cottage at Green Acre she made arrangements for His visit to New York City. It was the wish of 'Abdu'l-Bahá that she marry Harlan Ober. Lua came to her to give her this news. She had only met Harlon a few times and was unprepared to contact Harlan so Lua wrote to Harlan - and Harlan, radiant at the thought that he was obeying a suggestion of his beloved Master, took the next train to New York from Boston where he lived. He came at once to see Grace and together they went walking through Central Park where he proposed and Grace, still. dazed.and uncertain, accepted - because it was the will of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Grace Robarts and Harlan Ober were married by 'Abdu'l-Bahá at the home He was staying in in New York City. Later that same day they were married again by the laws of New York when Howard Colby Ives performed the legal ceremony.
• In 1938 Grace went on an extensive teaching trip through the Southern states. She had been very ill previous to this. The teaching trip ended in time for her to reach Wilmette and attend the Convention in the spring of 1938. It was a very radiant Convention and the report Grace gave of her teaching trip was one of the high points of it because Grace herself was so radiant and filled with the glory of the great privilege of teaching. She stood there, before the crowded hall in the Bahá'í House of Worship, filled with the great glory that shone from her and, closing her report, she uttered a tremendous clarion call for pioneers and for teachers. Then she walked down to resume her seat amongst the delegates. But on her way she paused beside Harlan, who had just been re-elected to the National Spiritual Assembly. "I want to congratulate you now" she whispered, "I may not have time later", They smiled at each other with the perfect understanding that had always existed between them. Then Grace slipped into her own seat. As she sat down her head drooped slightly and those glancing at her assumed she was lost in prayer. But when she made no movement for many moments someone touched her and realized something was wrong. Edris Rice-Wray and Katherine True both moved forward - and Grace was gone - gone through her Open Door - gone on her beautiful journey to the arms of 'Abdu'l- Bahá.

May Bolles Maxwell (b. 14 January 1940 in Englewood, NJ) passed away in Buenos Aires. [BBD153; TG49]
• Shoghi Effendi called her "the spiritual mother of Canada" Montreal "the mother city of Canada. [OBCC35]
• Shoghi Effendi awarded her the honour of a 'martyr's death' and designated her as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [BW8:631; MA38]
• She was the first Bahá'í on European soil and the "mother" of both the French and the Canadian Bahá'í communities. [PP149]
• For her "In Memoriam" and tribute written by Marion Holley see BW8p631-642.
• Hooper Dunbar quoted Shoghi Effendi in his cable to the friends in Iran announcing her passing:
  
  May Maxwell, the severed teacher firebrand of the love of God and spreader of the fragrances of God Mrs Maxwell, forsook her native land and hastened to the most distant countries out of love for her Master and yearning to sound the call to the Cause of her Lord and her inspiration, until she ascended to the highest summit attaining the rank of martyrdom in the capital of the Argentine. The furthermost boundary the countenances of paradise invoke blessings upon her in the glorious apex saying, may she enjoy with healthy relish the cup that is full and brimming over with the wine of the love of God for the like of this should the travaillers travail. Inform all the friends of the announcement of this mighty victory. [A talk] given by Mr Dunbar 28:08]
• Shoghi Effendi asked her husband, Sutherland Maxwell, to design her tomb, which was to be a 'historic centre' for 'pioneer Bahá'í activity'. [BW8:642]
• For an account of the erection of the monument to her see PSBW83–6.

The passing of Urbain Joseph Ledoux (b. August 13, 1874 in Ste Hélène de Bagot, Quebec). He was buried in Saint Joseph's Cemetery Biddeford, Maine.
• He is believed to be the third French-Canadian to become a Bahá'í outside of Canada. [OCBB94]
• He gave an address to the National Convention at the Hotel McAlpine on the 28th of April, 1919 entitled The Oneness of the World of Humanity. [SoW Vol 10 May 17, 1919 No 4 p58] "This talk 'sounded so French-Canadian' that later francophone believers could still be moved to tears in reading its text." [OCBB94]
• He received widespread publicity for his opening of bread lines in New York (The Stepping Stone) and for "auctions" of the jobless to employers in New York and Boston during the Depression of 1921. He was received by President Warren Harding shortly after arriving in Washington, D.C. in September 1921. Ledoux spent a little over three months in Washington, D.C. 1921-22 campaigning for a public works program funded by a tax on companies that made excessive war profits during World War I. His tactics included setting up a hotel housing the unemployed on Pennsylvania Avenue, an auction of the jobless, speaking before the unemployment conference, calling for the arrest of international arms conference delegates. He walked around the city carrying a white umbrella, a lighted lantern and a Bible or a copy of the Sermon on the Mount saying he was like Diogenes searching for an honest man.
• Urbain Ledoux is shown in Boston in 1921 auctioning off an unemployed man. He conducted these auctions in New York and Boston in order to garner publicity for the plight of the unemployed and to find work for the jobless. He called himself "Mr. Zero" because he said he didn't want any publicity for himself.
• "Mr. Zero" returned to Washington in 1932 with the Bonus Expeditionary Force, leading an unauthorized march on the White House July 16, 1932 that resulted in his arrest along with two others. The march frightened President Herbert Hoover who set in motion the eviction of the bonus marchers from the city—a move that backfired on Hoover and helped to cement his reputation as someone uncaring about the plight of the nation's unemployed. Photos.
• Find a grave.
• His obituary in the New York Times April 10th 1941.
• He is reported to have "rescued" 85 year-old Sarah Farmer in Portsmouth where she was being held in a sanatorium against her will. [Boston Post 4 August 1916]
• See a story from Ephemeral New York.
• There is a short description of Urbain LeDoux in He Loved and Served: The Story of Curtis Kelsey p 33-34.

The passing of Howard Colby Ives (b. 11 Oct 1867, Brooklyn, New York, d. Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA). He was buried in Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum, Alexander, Saline County, Arkansas. [BW9p608-613; Find a grave]
• He and his wife Mabel spent nearly the last twenty years of his life as itinerant teachers. (Often teamed up with the Obers and the McKays) For example they came to Toronto in November of 1938 and stayed for about 10 months. During that time Mabel gave more than 150 lectures in Toronto and about 70 in Hamilton, Toronto's expansion goal. Howard, who was had had heart problems and who was rapidly losing for sight and hearing at the time, complemented her abilities by doing personal deepening with receptive souls. [TMLF62-67, SEBW139-154]

Some of his works were:

• The Ocean of His Utterances Unpublished study course in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh using the books of Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l‑Baha, and Shoghi Effendi, compiled and with commentary by Ives. Not yet formatted.
• Portals to Freedom (1937) A collection of anecdotes and history of Abdu'l-Baha's travels to the United States, as told by one observer. [BEL7.1313 to 7.1320]
• The Song Celestial (1938) A mystical book about Mr. Ives' search for God, in which a seeker asks God various questions, and God responds. [BEL7.1321-1322]
• Also see Mother's Stories: Recollections of Abdu'l-Baha by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall (Daughter of Howard and Mabel Ives)

The passing of Mabel Rice-Wray Ives (Rizwanea) (b. in St. Louis, MI in 1878) in Oklahoma, OK. She was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery. [BW9p616]

She first heard of the Faith at the age of 21 in 1899 under miraculous circumstances. [Mabel Ives & The Mysterious Trolley Car Ride]

In 1903 she married Theron Canfield Rice-Wray and they lived in California from 1909 to 1914 where her marriage ended and she returned to the East. In 1919 she met Howard Colby Ives and they married in 1920. They teamed with another couple, Grace and Harlan Ober as well as Doris and Willard McKay in both business and the teaching work, moving from one virgin territory to another.

• See Fires in Many Hearts - Memoirs of an early American believer by Doris McKay.

See the story of how Mabel resolved the situation when she could no longer tolerate the itinerate lifestyle in the story When Mable Ives Could Endure No More, She Prayed .

In 1937, the suggestion was made that Moncton, New Brunswick would be a fertile ground for the Cause. The Ives went. During the first six weeks of her stay, Mrs. Ives gave public lectures, radio addresses and formed a study class. She introduced the Faith to St. John, N.B., Halifax, N.S. and Charlottetown, P. E. I. Her untiring efforts, led to Moncton, NB forming the first Spiritual Assembly in the Canadian Maritimes, April 21st, 1937.

In spite of Howard's failing health, they travelled to Toronto in November of 1938 for ten months to assist in the formation of Toronto's first Spiritual Assembly. Rizwanea served on that new Spiritual Assembly until she left Canada. She gave more than 150 lectures in Toronto and 70 in Hamilton, Ontario, Toronto's expansion goal. Howard, although experiencing heart problems and rapidly losing both his sight and hearing complemented her abilities by doing personal deepening with receptive souls downstairs, while she would be presenting the Teachings upstairs.

See the tribute paid to her in the Canadian Bahá'í News No 202 November 1966 p4.

See Speechless 4 December 2009 for a chronological biography as well as a bibliography / webliogrphy of other works on him.

See NUVO for a photo of his eviction from the New York Daily News archive and a short biography.

See as well BFA1p90-93; OBCC18-21, 25-26.

Sutherland Maxwell, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Montreal. (b.14 November, 1874) [DH143; MBW132; PP246]
• For his obituary see BW12:657–62.
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
• For his relationship with Shoghi Effendi and work on the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb see PP236–43.
• Shoghi Effendi named the southern door of the Báb's tomb after him in memory of his services.
• On June 16th, 1956, friends of the Montreal area gathered at the grave to place, under the headstone, an alabaster box that had been sent by the Guardian. The box contained a piece of plaster taken from the walls of the prison in Máh-Kú where the Báb had been incarcerated in 1847. Another piece of plaster from the same source had been placed under the first golden tile of the dome of the Shrine of the Báb. The superstructure of the Shrine had been designed by Sutherland Maxwell. [TG55; CBN No 80 September 1956 p2]
• Find a grave.
• For a brief biography see LoF276-286.
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.
• The Canadian Bahá'í News published a special Memorial issue.

The accidental death of Eddie Elliot, the first African-Canadian Bahá'í. He was a hydro-line worker and met his death while working on a high-voltage transformer. [CBN No 45 October, 1953 p4]
• He had grown up in the same household as Mary Maxwell because his mother was employed as a maid and lived in the house.
• He was a long-time member of the Local Spiritual Assembly and was often called upon to chair. He also maintained his membership in a Christian Church and came to the Faith through Rev Este's church, the Union United Church, the only African Canadian church in Montreal. [OBBC91-92]
• Only a few months previous to his passing the Guardian had invited him to Haifa and then he continued on to attend the African Intercontinental Teaching Conference in Kampala in February, 1953 as a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly. [CBN No 43Aug 1953 p2; BN No 267 May 1953 p5-7; CBN No 45 October, 1953 p4]
• Eddie Elliot is considered the first Black Canadian Bahá'í. [MC2p184]

Siegfried (Fred) Schopflocher, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Montreal and was buried beside the grave of Sutherland Maxwell in Mount Royal Cemetery at the Guardian's suggestion. He was born in Germany in 1877. [BW12:664-666, LOF390, TG119, CBNS 24 July 2014, Bahá'í Chronicles, SCRIBD, Schopflocher, Siegfried (1877–1953) by Will C. van den Hoonaard; CBN No 43 August 1953 p4; CBN No 44 September 1953 p2; MtC185-187]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the second contingent on the 29th of February, 1952. [MoCxxiii]
• See TG32, 228 and LoF384-390 for short biographies.
• See Schopflocher, Siegfried by Will C. van den Hoonaard.
• For his obituary see BW12:664–6.
• He was known as the "Chief Temple Builder" because of his great contributions to the completion of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the West. [BW12:664-666]
• He made significant contributions to Green Acre both financially and administratively.
• During the period 1924 to 1947 he was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada fifteen times. He served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada from its formation until his passing.
• He was instrumental in the purchase of the first property for the Haziratu'l Quds.
• For a brief biography see Bahá'í Chronicles.
• Find a grave.
• His funeral was held on the 31st of July presided by the chair of the National Spiritual Assembly John Robarts. The eulogy was delivered by the vice-chair, Rowland Estall. [CBN No 46 November, 1953 p7-10]
• On August 23, the Montreal Assembly arranged a memorial service in the Maxwell Home which was attended by members of the National Assembly and friends, mainly from the Montreal area. This service in Fred's home community was intimate and personal. Many people recalled with loving gratitude personal associations with Fred, kindly and helpful things he had done in his unobtrusive way, gifts of hospitality or consideration that they had treasured sometimes for many years. [CBN No 46 November 1953 Insert]
• A memorial service was held in the Temple in Wilmette on the 28th of August. [CBN No 46 November, 1953 p3]

The passing of Marion Jack (General Jack) at her pioneer post in Sofia, Bulgaria at the age of 87. She was born in Saint John, NB on December 1, 1866. [BWNS385, Never be Afraid to Dare p. 227; BW12p674-677]
• She first learned of the Faith from Mason Remey while she was in Paris during her student days.
• Marion Jack was one of the first to respond to the call of the Divine Plan performing pioneer service in Alaska and teaching in Toronto, Montreal and may other places. She also spent a good deal of time at Green Acre.
• In 1930 or 1931 she returned to Haifa where she had been in 1908 and following the visit went to Sofia. During the early years there she attended the German summer school and made teaching trips to Vienna and Budapest.
• She remained at her post until her passing encountering untold hardship due to poor health, the lack of money, the privations of the war and the subsequent communist rule.
• See the Guardian's tribute dated the 29th of March. [CBN No52 May 1954 p1]
• She was buried in the British Cemetery in Sofia. [CBN No 54 July 1954 p1]
• A tribute to her was published as an insert to CBN No 63 April 1963.
• See CBN October 1979 for tributes as well as a photo of her gravesite.
• For her biography see Never Be Afraid to Dare by Jan Teofil Jasion published by George Ronald, 2001.
• See also Marion Jack: Immortal Heroine by Jan Jasion.
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.

Arthur Bonshaw Irwin (born 6 June 1915 – died 1994) and Lily-Ann Irwin of Calgary, Alberta were the first to take the Bahá'í teachings to the Piikani First Nation (Peigan Reserve).
• Note: Canadian Bahá'í News August 1961 p10 reported that this took place in 1960.
• "Arthur Irwin became a Bahá'í in 1947 and was a very active Bahá'í teacher to the native peoples of Canada, Alaska, and the Caribbean. He and his wife, Lily Ann, established the first Native Indian Friendship Centre in Calgary, Alberta… He was honoured by the Blackfoot, Peigan, Blood, and Morely tribes in Alberta for his honesty and integrity. A geologist with a doctorate in the field, Irwin worked on Indian reserves in Canada ensuring that fair market value was paid for leases on natural resources (Bahá'í World. 1994. "Arthur Bonshaw Irwin." Bahá'í World. 1994. Volume XXIII)."

The passing of Leslie Silversides. Leslie became a Bahá'í in 1945 and while visiting Emeric and Rosemary Sala became aware of the necessity and urgency of making contact with the Native People. When a new school opened on a Reserve in the fall of 1947 he re-assumed his career as a teacher. Mabel and Leslie Silversides, were the first non-Aboriginal Bahá'ís in Canada to move to a reserve. When a memorial service was held for him on December 16th some 50 or 60 Native people from the Reserve where he had been teaching attended, some walking as far as 10-12 miles. Another service was held on December 17th in Regina, his former community. After his passing his wife Mabel resumed teaching. She passed away in 1992. Both were buried in the Wolseley Cemetery. [Encylopedia of Saskatchewan; CBN No86 March, 1957 p4]
• Note mention made of Carlye Reserve Meadow Lake in CBN No 92 September 1957 pg 2. Could this have been where the Silversides lived and taught school?
• Find a grave.
• Mention made of "Gordon Silversides" of Meadow Lake in CBN No 92 September 1957 pg 2.

Ken and Mary (Zabolotny) McCulloch (married Aug 1958) moved to Baker Lake where they lived for over 20 years with their daughter Laura. While there they established Bahá'í House, promoted translation of Bahá'í materials into Inuktitut, and, above all, conveyed the spirit and principles of the Faith to their neighbours with tireless devotion. (CBN No109 Feb 1959 p4)
• Mary died 1996 and Ken in Dec 2020. [Contributed by Leslie Cole]
• Obituary: Knight of Baha'u'llah Mary Zabolotny McCulloch by Universal House of Justice, Kenneth McCulloch, and National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States compiled by Kenneth C. McCulloch.

The passing of Jean Graham (b. 1916) in Burlington. She was buried in White Chapel Gardens in Ancaster, Ontario. She and her husband Fred were registered as Bahá'ís on January 5th, 1952. [UC86-92; CBN No 112 May 1959 p4]
• Just prior to her passing Jean wrote an impassioned appeal to the Canadian Bahá'í community to do what you can in service of the Faith while you are yet able. Six months before her passing she was apparently healthy and active and then she received her diagnosis of cancer. [CBN No 110 March 1959 p3]

The passing of Ernest Vernon Harrison (b. 22 November, 1880 in Bengal, India) in Charlottetown.
• He had immigrated to Montreal by way of Nigeria and the Sudan where he had worked on railway projects. He arrived with his wife Amy and their two children, a boy and a girl.
• He associated with the Bahá'í community for a number of years from 1916 but did not make a commitment. In 1921 while on his way to California, he stopped briefly in Wilmette and met with so much loving kindness that he could not sleep. That summer he wrote to 'Abdu'l-Bahá and received a Tablet from Him dated the 16th of August 1921. In five years time he accepted the Faith and became active.
• In December, 1925 he delivered an address in the same church as 'Abdu'l-Bahá had spoken in 1912. [BN No 10 February 1926 p8]

The passing of F. St. George Spendlove (b. 23 April 1897 in Montreal) [BW13p895-899; Bahá'ís of Canada]
• He was part of the community of early believers in Montreal where he learned about the Faith after returning from the war in Europe.
• He was a curator of the Canadian Collection at the Royal Ontario Museum. The Face of Early Canada, published in 1958, was illustrated with pieces from this collection. A second book, Collectors' Luck, followed in 1960. [BW13p895–899]
• See Bahá'ís of Canada.

Stanley Bolton was conscripted into the Canadian Armed Forces at the beginning of World War I and was wounded in France. After the war and upon release from service he found work with the Fuller Brush Company and met Mariette Germain Roy in 1922. They were married in 1923 and the couple moved to Australia in 1924, arriving in Sydney on September 24. Stanley was still employed by the Fuller Brush Company and worked to establish the business in Australia, travelling across several states in the process.

The Bolton's first heard of the Bahá'í Faith when they met Hyde and Clara Dunn in 1925, but they did not become Bahá'ís until they met Keith Ransom-Kehler when she visited Australia in 1931. The Fuller Brush Company had closed down in 1929 due to Australian import restrictions and the Boltons moved to the United States in 1931, settling in Detroit where they assisted the local Bahá'í community.

They were introduced to chiropractic because of the illness of their son. Both Stanley and Mariette became qualified chiropractors and established a practice in Sydney when they returned to Australia in 1934.

In 1936 the Bolton's bought three acres of land in Yerrinbool to be used to host Bahá'í Summer Schools. Hyde Dunn laid the cornerstone of the first building on the site on the 11th of October 1936. Siegfried Schopflocher visited the property shortly after the first building was completed and suggested that it be named Bolton Place. The property was officially opened at a ceremony chaired by Stanley during the second Australian and New Zealand National Convention on May 2nd, 1937. The Bolton's did not live on the property, but Stanley or Mariette traveled from Sydney to Yerrinbool every Wednesday from 1940 to 1943.

The first Australian Bahá'í Summer School was held on the property from the 8th to the 23rd of January 1938, and has been held there every year since. Stanley served as Chairman of the Summer School and both he and his wife delivered talks during sessions. Stanley and Mariette personally managed all of the affairs of the Summer School until 1945 when they transferred the responsibilities of management to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand. Stanley continued to serve as Secretary of the Summer School after the transfer, and he and Mariette were caretakers of the property until they left Yerrinbool, moving to Orange, in 1963. In 1949 the Bolton's began proceedings to legally transfer ownership of the Yerrinbool property to the National Spiritual Assembly, which were completed in March 1963.

In August 1943 the Bolton's moved to Yerrinbool, and began hosting Summer School attendees in their home. They served as inaugural members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Yerrinbool when it was established in 1948. In 1947 the Bolton's invited Frank Khan, a prominent member of the Australian Muslim community, to give a talk on Islam at the Summer School. Frank's family became the first Australian Muslims to become Bahá'í's in December 1948.

His service included the Local Teaching Committee, the Summer School Committee, Temple Construction Committee or as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, he was forthright and definite in both thought and deed. Of the twenty years, 1937 - 1958, he served on the National Spiritual Assembly for seventeen, frequently as chairman.

He and Mariette attended the dedication of the Wilmette Temple in 1953 as representatives of Australia and New Zealand and had the bounty of going on pilgrimage to Haifa. They returned to Australia with a gift from the Guardian —a cream fez of 'Abdu'l-Bahá [BW14p323-325; Find a grave]

The passing of Canadian pioneer and Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Catherine Huxtable (b. 6 January, 1932 Carlwood, Surrey, England) at her home in Jamestown, St Helena. Her life had been shortened due to muscular dystrophy. She, husband Cliff and son Gavin had arrived on St. Helena some nineteen months before. [LNW169, BW14p313-315]
• See A Conqueror for St. Helena: A Tribute to Catherine Huxtable by W. G. Huxtable.
• See A Love That Could Not Wait for the story of her marriage and pioneering experiences.
• See Wikitree.
• See Bahaipedia iiiii

Mariette G. Roy was born into a Catholic French Canadian family of farmers. In 1923 she married Stanley Bolton and the couple emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1924. She first heard of the Bahá'í Faith from the Dunns in 1925 and she and Stanley declared after meeting Keith Ransome-Kehler in 1931.

The Bolton's moved to Detroit in the United States in 1931. Their son Stanley Jr. fell ill and was treated by a chiropractor prompting the Boltons to move to Iowa and study chiropractic at Palmer College in Davenport. They established a chiropractic practice when they returned to Sydney in 1934.

In 1936 the Bolton's purchased land in Yerrinbool and built the first Australian Bahá'í Summer School on the property. Siegfried Schopflocher visited shortly after the first building was completed and suggested it be named 'Bolton Place'.

The Boltons moved to Yerrinbool in 1943 and both Stanley and Mariette served on the first Yerrinbool Local Spiritual Assembly. Mariette and Stanley managed the Yerrinbool School themselves before turning over administration to the National Spiritual Assembly in 1945. They continued to serve as caretakers of the Summer School property until moving to Orange, NSW in 1963.

Mariette and Stanley undertook a teaching trip to New Caledonia in February 1952. Her knowledge of French allowed her to teach the Faith effectively, and at least one local became a Bahá'í during her visit. They were among the first teachers to the Pacific Islands, a process which culminated in the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the South West Pacific Ocean, with its seat in Noumea, at Riḍván, 1971. [BN No 255 May 1952 p10; BN No 257 July 1952 p5]

In 1953 she travelled extensively with Stanley, attending Intercontinental Teaching Conferences in Stockholm and Delhi, attending the dedication of the American House of Worship as representatives of the Australian National Spiritual Assembly, and making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She is believed to be the only French Canadian believer to have met the Guardian.

She was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand serving as secretary from 1948 until 1951.

She made teaching trips to the United States and Canada in 1957 and 1963 when she attended the Most Great Jubilee in London in that year. Her last teaching trip abroad was in 1968 when she visited Noumea, New Caledonia a few months prior to her death on July 10. She must surely be recognized as one of the most succesful Bahá'í teachers in Australia. [OBCC100n34; Find a grave; BW15p435-437]

The passing of Florence Evaline (Lorol) Schopflocher (b.1886 in Montreal. QC) in the Green Acre area. She was buried at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Eliot, Maine [Find a grave]
• Wife of Hand of the Cause of God Siegfried Schopflocher. For his "In Memoriam" see BW7p664.
• She circled the globe nine times on travel teaching tours and visited some 86 countries, many of them multiple times. She travelled to Iran twice visiting parts not previously visited by Western Bahá'ís.
• She visited the Guardian 11 times.
• She had several audiences with King Feisal in Iraq and discussed the question of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád with him.
• Favourite themes for her public talks were the World Order letters of Shoghi Effendi and the emancipation and education of women.
• A radiant star went from the West to the East. [BW15p488-489]
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.

Alfred James Loft (1908-1973) was the first Canadian Bahá'í of the Mohawk Nation. His earliest childhood recollection was of sitting on a fence near his home (in Oshawa, Ontario) watching a train crossing the landscape. A figure clothed in flowing white robes was on the train, smiling and waving at him. In confusion and delight Jim toppled backwards. When he found the Bahá'í Faith in 1948, he recognized the figure on the train as 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Who had left Montreal on 9 September 1912 on a train bound for Toronto where He changed trains for Buffalo, New York. In 1949, in obedience to the Guardian's wishes, Jim returned with his family to the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (Tyendinaga) to establish the Faith among his people, remaining there until his death.
[Witness of Pebbles, by Roger White, p24]

The passing of Daoud Toeg (b. Baghdad, Iraq in 1897) in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau).
• After he had learned of the Faith he enrolled eight other persons before writing the Guardian with his own declaration.
• He pioneered to Italy in the 1930s for about a year and a half.
• In 1954 he was appointed Auxiliary Board Member for Iraq, on the first Auxiliary Board for Asia. He served for sixteen years.
• He supervised the construction of the Hazíratu'l-Quds in Baghdad and was helpful in securing a Temple site.
• Mr. Toeg served the Guardian by conveying artifacts and Huqúqu'lláh payments from Persia to the Holy Land at a time when there was no direct communications.
• He served as a representative of the Huqúqu'lláh for the believers in Iraq.
• He was instrumental in locating and photographing the caves of Sar-Galú in Sulaymáníyyih, Kurdistán where Bahá'u'lláh lived for two years while in retreat.
• He, his wife Latifa, and their sons pioneered to Kirkuk during the Ten Year Crusade but after seven years were asked to return to Baghdad to assist with the work there.
• The family left Iraq in 1970 and settled in Hull where they helped to establish the first Local Spiritual Assembly. [BW16p527-528, Bahá'í World 16, Grave; CBN No 277 March 1974 p11]

The passing of Fred Graham (b. 26 August, 1913 Rose Valley, PE) at his cottage, KirKonKotta, near Kincardine. He was buried in the small cemetery in Tiverton near a grove of six pine trees.
• His funeral, chaired by Counsellor Lloyd Gardner, was held in Kincardine. Although remote from any large centre of population it was attended by about two hundred and seventy-five mourners. [BW16p558; CBN Issue 287 August/September 1975 p12-13; UC203-212]
• A biography was published in 2013 by Dale Sims entitled An Uncommon Canadian: The Story of Fred Graham.

The passing of Allan Raynor (b. 31 August, 1910 in Toronto)
• His first acquaintance with Baha'is was in 1934 at a gathering organized by W. J. Christie of Parry Sound in northern Ontario. It was there that he met Lloyd Gardner.
• He went on pilgrimage in 1956. After the passing of the Guardian he travelled across Canada sharing his experiences with Shoghi Effendi.
• Mr. Raynor will be remembered for his work in educating the Canadian Bahá'í community in the knowledge of the Covenant. When the assaults on the Covenant came Canadian Bahá'ís were not swayed.
• His study of Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah was legendary. His personal copy could not be called a "book" but rather it was a loose collection of pages.
• In 1978-1979 he was appointmented as Assistant to Auxiliary Board Member for Protection, Carol Bowie.
• So moving and eloquent was he at the hour of his death that Canada's national newspaper printed a major article on his life.
• A tribute to Allan was made by Roger White in his poem entitled 'In Recognition' which was published in his book, The Witness of Pebbles. The poem was inspired during Allan's 1977 pilgrimage. Another writer, Nathan Rutsein paid homage by including a chapter called 'The Example of Allan Raynor' in his book, Spirit in Action: Teaching the Bahá'í Faith. [BW18p696-698]

The passing of Rosemary Sala (b. Mary Gillies Glasgow, Scotland 1906) at her pioneer post in Guadalajara, Mexico. She was a member of the Montreal Youth Group in the early years of the Faith and a member of the first National Spiritual Assembly of Canada as well as the Regional Assembly of South and West Africa. She and her husband Emeric pioneered to South Africa, Venezuela and Mexico and travelled throughout America, China, India and Europe. [TG211; Bahá'ís of Canada; BW18 p713]
• See her essay Beyond the Fog in World Order Vol2 Issue 2 p458-461.
• Her biography and that of her husband Emeric, Tending the Garden was written by her niece Ilona Sala Weinstein and published by One Voice Press, Essex, MD. This publication is also available in the e-book format.

The passing of Mabel Harriet Pine (b. 1882 Bristol, England) in the Norword Auxiliary Hospital in Edmonton. [Bahá'í Canada Vol 4 No3 July/Aug 1982 p46]

As a young woman born into a privileged class she was a suffragette and a reformer. She worked as a nursemaid and governess then moved to Algiers and then Chile. After returning home she decided to emigrate to Canada and lived first in Vancouver and then in Edmonton where she trained as a nurse and married.

• After loosing one child and almost loosing a second, in 1925 they moved to Armstrong, BC where she first heard of the Faith. They didn't stay long in Armstrong but moved back to Alberta for work. It was while she was visiting England the following year that she stayed with Claudia Coles and became confirmed in the Faith.
• After living in Scollard, AB (1926-1927) and Vermillion, AB (1928-1941) they moved to Edmonton where they stayed for a year for the education of their daughter, Allison. She joined Mary Fry who had been there since 1940, the first Bahá'ís to live in Edmonton since Esther Rennels (1911-1917). They lived in a few more small towns in Alberta and in 1947 she and her husband separated and she moved back to Edmonton. [OBCC122, 186]
• In about 1952 she pioneered to Vernon, BC.
• She moved to Calgary to help form an Assembly in 1953 and left in 1954 to return to Edmonton. [CBN No 56 September 1954 p5]
• 1975 she was living in New Westminster and her daughter moved her back to Alberta to care for her.
• In her honour the Edmonton Community has established the Mabel Pine Bahá'í School for the spiritual education of children. [Bahá'í CanadaVol 16 No 1 May 2003 p14]

  [With thanks to Allion Stecyk for her tribute to her mother Mabel Harriet Pine: Unsung Heroine of Canada and to Joan Young for her research assistance.]

The passing of Continental Board of Counsellor Lloyd Gardner. [Mess63-68p660]
• See BW19p663-665

The passing of Samson Knowlton in his eighty-third year. Samson and his wife Rosie, who died in 1981, were among the first six members of the Piikani First Nation (Peigan Reserve), one of the three branches of the Blackfoot tribe, to proclaim their faith in Baha'u'llah. Their acceptance of the Faith in 1958 resulted from a visit to southern Alberta of the Hand of the Cause John Robarts. The Knowltons quickly became effective Bahá'í teachers, assisting in the formation in April 1961 of the first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Peigan Reserve.
• Samson was also a member of the Band Council, and was instrumental in the passing of a resolution to permit Bahá'ís to visit and teach the Faith on the Peigan Reserve. He made many teaching trips throughout North America, fostering a spirit of harmony between native and non—native communities.
• In 1960, Samson accompanied Canada's first native Senator, James Gladstone, a Blood Indian, to Ottawa to present to the federal Government a proposal urging it to extend to native people the right to vote in federal elections. (Note: On 31 March 1960, portions of Section 14(2) of the Canada Elections Act were repealed in order to grant the federal vote to status Indians. First Nations people could now vote without losing their Indian status.) He was also instrumental in having eliminated the 'permit system' which prevented First Nations people from leaving the reserve. [BW19p668-669] iiiii
• Rosie's Guest Book from 1960 to 1965 included the following names: Hasan Balyuzi, Agnes Harrison, Doug Crawford, Angus Cowan, Reg Wilson, Dorothy Francis, Harvey Iron Eagle, Henry Keg, Douglas Martin, Peggy Ross & many more. Other visitors were Ruhiyyih Khanum (21 May 1961) and Hooper Dunbar 24 July 1962). [The Distance Traversed a presentation by Bev Knowlton and Joan Young 2022. Please note that the link has been suspended pending permission from the authors.]
• See In Memoriam: Rosie Knowlton.

The passing of Continental Board of Counsellor member Angus Welldon Cowan (b.12 September 1914 in Bishopton, Quebec) at his home in Invermere, BC. [BW19p703–70; BCNS; Find a grave]
• The message from the Universal House of Justice Mess63-86p723.
• Tribute was paid to Angus in an article in Bahá'í Canada called "A Special Measure of Love: A Tribute to the Native Teaching Work of Angus Cowan". [Bahá'í Canada Vol 8 No 1 Feb/Mar 1986 p12-18]
• See his biography Angus: From the Heart: The Life of Counsellor Angus Cowan by Patricia Verge, Springtide Publishing, Cochrane AB, 1999.
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.

Bill was well-known in Quebec and the Maritimes for his ten years of service at the Laurentian Bahá'í School at Beaulac, Quebec, his travel teaching in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and his wholehearted participation in regional activities when the Magdalens were a part of the Prince Edward Island teaching region.

He served Bahá'í communities across Canada from Saanich, B.C., Beloeil, Quebec, and lastly to the Magdalen Islands where Bill, his wife Percilla and daughter Barbara pioneered for the last fifteen years of his life. [BC Vol 10 No 1 March 1988 p15]

Following his enrollment, he travelled to Southeast Alaska to teach the Faith. Later, he travelled with Don MacLaren throughout the Yukon to present a Bahá'í brief on Human Rights to all the Chiefs of the Yukon. During his travels, which included a trip to the Philippines along with his daughter Hazel and niece Clara Shinkel, he was able to present the Faith on the radio.

He attended the first native council held in Haines, Alaska and was instrumental in the decision made by the Elders at Carcross to pursue the building of a native teaching institute. Hand of the Cause John Robarts and Uncle Johnnie turned the sod for the construction of the Yukon Bahá'í Institute in 1983. Uncle Johnnie participated at the Dedication of the Institute and the naming ceremony for Hand of the Cause John Robarts which was held during the potlatch. His leadership and counsel will be dearly missed by all his Bahá'í family. "The circle is completed". [BC Vol 1 No 1 March 1988 p15]

See "Remembering Uncle Johnnie". [BC Vol 1 No 1 March 1988 p24]

The passing of Beatrice Owen Ashton (b. 17 May, 1890, Cleveland). She was buried in the Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland. [BW20p896-899]
• She graduated from Vassar College in 1911 and in 1918 she learned of the Faith in Urbana, IL from Dr Jacob and Anna Kunz after meeting some Bahá'ís who had been picnicking. (See BW16p520 for In Memoriam for Anna Kunz)
• In August of 1918 she married Frank Ashton at Green Acre. In post-war 1945, the National Spiritual Assembly appointed her as the international relief representative for Germany and the Philippines. During the summers from 1947 to 1953 she undertook teaching trips to Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In April of 1952 she went on pilgrimage and met the Guardian for the first time. [BN no262, December, 1952 p5-7]
• In addition to administrative tasks she worked on the production of Bahá'í World XIII and taught summer school classes at Green Acre, Louhelen and Geyserville as well as Beaulac, Banff and Toronto in Canada.
• She pioneered to Lethbridge, Alberta from 1958 to 1966 and taught the Faith on the Peigan Reserve (now Piikini First Nation). When the Bahá'ís of Lethbridge elected their first Local Spiritual Assembly she went back to European teaching and made four trips to Norway by 1970.
• From 1970 she served in Haifa in the Research Department, cataloging and indexing the Guardian's letters and correspondence but in 1972 she had to return to the US due to failing health.
• In her latter years she made an index for Citadel of Faith as well as for Messages to America and indexed the Writings of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh that Shoghi Effendi had translated.
• Find a grave.

The passing of Sam Bald Eagle Augustine, (Sam Gitpu), (b. Big Cove, New Brunswick on November 3, 1923) a member of the Mi'Kmaq First Nations.

While enduring a lengthy illness he made a series of recordings called "Talks from the Heart"which he hoped would spread the Message of Baha'u'llah, not only to other Native people, but to the world. [IndigenousBahais.com]

• Some of his talks from, Bahá'í Talks from the Hearts can be heard at Welcome Bahá'í MP3.
  • Transcript from Talk #2.
  • One of his talks has been posted to YouTube.

Jalál Kházeh, (b. 24 February, 1897, Tihran) Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Toronto. He was buried in York Cemetery in Toronto. [BINS219:90]

Note: VV123 says it was 20 February.

• He was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God on the 6th of December, 1953 after the passing of Hand of the Cause of God Siegfried Schopflocher. [MoCxxiv]
• See LoF164-167 for a short biography.
• Find a grave.

He was a founding member of the Montreal Youth Group along with Rowland Estal and George Spendlove, the first organized youth class in the Western Hemisphere. From that youth group came a Hand of the Cause of God, a member of the Universal House of Justice, two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors, three members of National Spiritual Assemblies, and the authors of three Bahá'í books.

He and Siegfried Schopflocher were instrumental in purchasing and developing the first Canadian Bahá'í property at Beaulac, north of Montreal.

In 1940 he and his wife Rosemary pioneered for one year to Venezuela and served as travelling teachers throughout South America.

In 1945 he published This Earth One Country. He wrote about such revolutionary concepts as a "planetary economy", "a supranational community" and a "world plan". [TG86-92]

Both he and Rosemary were elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada when it was formed in 1948.

In 1953 they tried to pioneer to the Comoro Islands but could not get residential status from the French government so they settled in Eshowe Zululand, now South Africa. When the government would not renew their licence to trade they moved to Port Elizabeth.

They returned to Canada briefly in 1963 and pioneered to Guadalajara, Mexico and travelled extensively throughout Central America. Rosemary died at her post in February of 1980.

In 1980 he married his second wife, Donya, and together they travelled through the Americas, China, India and Europe until they both passed. [BW20 p993-995; Bahá'ís of Canada]

His biography and that of his wife Rosemary, Tending the Garden was written by his niece Ilona Sal Weinstein. This publication is also available in the e-book format.

The passing of Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, John Aldham Robarts at Rawdon, Quebec. He was born in Waterloo, Ontario 2nd of November, 1901. [VV124]
• Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
• See BW20p801-809.
• For his obituary see BINS250:10.
• For picture see VV124.
• For the story of how he came to learn of the Faith see SBR137.
• See LoF473-495.
• A 50-minute film entitledRetrospective, a Ciné Bahá'í production, was made as a tribute to the Hand of the Cause John A. Robarts on the occasion of his 40th anniversary as a member of the Bahá'í community.

The passing of Doris McKay (b. Doris Henrietta Hill 29 September, 1894) in Charlottetown.
• She married Willard Judd McKay 30 June 1923. In 1925 she and Willard attended a fireside given by Howard and Mabel Ives. In 1929 she made her fist travel teaching trip to New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Boston, Portsmouth and to Montreal. She was a frequent lecturer at Green Acre. In 1939 she returned to Canada to staff the Bahá'í booth at the Canadian National Exhibition and to visit communities in Hamilton, Montreal and Moncton where she took up residence in 1942. In the fall of 1943 they moved to Prince Edward Island to help win a goal of the Seven Year Plan by establishing a local spiritual assembly in Charlottetown.
• In 1928 while still a resident in the US and a member of the Outline Bureau of the National Teaching Committee she developed "36 Lessons", some of the first deepening materials and study outlines for the American believers. She was a contributor to the Star of the West and later The Bahá'í World.
• Her autobiography Fire in Many Hearts, written with Paul Vreeland, was published in 1991 by Nine Pines Publishing and was republished by George Ronald under a new title Fires in Many Hearts - Memoirs of an early American believer. [BWIM30-32]

Doris McKay was born in New York state in 1894. She married Willard McKay in 1923 and took up residence on a successful fruit farm. The greatest adventure of Doris and Willard's lives began two years later, when they embraced the Bahá'í Faith through the teaching efforts of Howard and Mable Ives. This book tells the story of that adventure — of Doris and Willard's work and warm friendships with people such as the Ives, Grace and Harlan Ober, Louis Gregory, May Maxwell, Martha Root, Dorothy Baker, and other early American Bahá'ís. It tells the story of the McKay's work in the racial amity field and their eventual pioneering move to Eastern Canada in the 1940's. Doris tells her story with clear-sightedness, zest, and love. This book provides an intimate glimpse into the spiritual life of a dedicated Bahá'í teacher and the development of the Bahá'í Faith in America.

The book was republish in 2021 under a new title, Fires in Many Hearts; Memoirs of an early American believer by George Ronald Publishers.

The passing of Roger White, writer, editor and "poet laureate" of the Bahá'í community, in Richmond, British Columbia (b. in Toronto on 2 June 1929).
• Roger served at the World Centre for some twenty years as a secretary and as manager of the publishing department when many important new volumes were published. Under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice, he was responsible for compiling and publishing volumes XIV to XIX of The Bahá'í World, as well as editing the invaluable compendium of volumes I to XII, published in 1981.
• He published, at his own expense, a book of poetry called Summer Window for which he did the drawing on the front cover.
• Another Song, Another Season (1979), The Witness of Pebbles (1981) and a tender and eloquent novel which presented a semi-fictionalized account of the early days of the Bahá'í Faith in Paris, A Sudden Music, was also published by George Ronald in 1983.
• This was followed by a biographical tribute to the poet Emily Dickinson in the form of more than 100 poems: One Bird, One Cage, One Flight (Naturegraph, 1983).
• A short, historical account of the martyrdom of 'Alí-Asghár of Yazd entitled The Shell and the Pearl was published by George Ronald in 1984.
• Occasions of Grace (George Ronald, 1992) was published after he retired from service in Haifa in 1991 following a major heart surgery.
• He returned to Canada and was diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly after.
• His last two collected works of poetry were Notes Postmarked the Mountain of God (New Leaf, 1992) and The Language of There (New Leaf, 1992).
• He also completed the text for Raghu Rai's photographic celebration of the Bahá'í House of Worship in New Delhi, Forever in Bloom. [Bahá'í Studies Review, Vol7, 1997]
• See Bahá'í World 1994-95 pg249 for an article by Anne Boyles entitled "The Language of the Heart: Arts in the Bahá'í World Community" for mention of Roger White.
• See The Journal of Bahá'í Studies Vol. 26 no 1-2, 2016 p91 "Reflections on the Art of My Poetry" by John Hatcher. It is based on a telephone interview with him shortly before his passing.
• For Roger White's obituary see BW92-93p276.

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Mary Zabolotny McCulloch (b. 9 November 1918 in The Pas, MN). As a single woman she had fulfilled the difficult goal for the Ten Year Crusade in Anticosti because the entire territory was under the control of the Wayagamack Pulp and Paper Company and residence on the island would necessitate employment by that company. She was only able to stay for a few months but nonetheless won the accolade. She visited the island on three occasions in later years.

She married Ken McCulloh in 1958 and they settled in Baker Lake in 1958 where Ken had been pioneering. They stayed until 1979 [BWIM277]

• Find a Grave

She became a Bahá'í in Montreal in 1956 and married Glen Eyford in 1957. She and Glen served in Iceland and in India. Returning to Canada she served as an Auxiliary Board Member and as chair of the National Spiritual Assembly as well as a number of local and national committees. [BW1995-1996p313]

The passing of Novella Rose Hyde at home in Courtney. She was buried at the Courtenay Civic Cemetery. Novella was the wife of Eric Hyde and the mother of Karyne, Sharle and Valery. [Comox Valley Obituaries 1986-2008]
• Novella was the daughter-in-law of Maisie Hyde who enrolled in the Faith in 1936.

The passing of Noel Wuttunee. Mr. Wuttunee was the first Native Canadian to accept the Faith in Canada. He passed away in Seattle, WA. He was well-known in the mid-fifties and early sixties for his evocative artwork and his ability to teach the Faith to his people. He was taught the Faith by fellow artist Gerda Christofferson, whom he later married. Mr. Wuttunee had lived in the United States since the mid-sixties. [BC vol 9 issue 3 Sept 1996 p27]
• Gerda Christofferson passed away in Calgary 14 July 2012. [Calgary Herald]

The passing of Ronald James Parsons (b. 8 May, 1926, Moose Jaw, SK).
• Mr Parsons had been an ordained minister of the United Church of Canada. He first learned of the Faith in Ear Falls, Ontario in 1960 from Carol and David Bowie while assigned to nearby Red Lake. His next church assignment was in Strathmore, Alberta where the Bowies referred him to Lily-Ann Irwin who nurtured him into the Faith. [Spring 1961]
• He served on the National Spiritual Assembly from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1971 to 1974. He was a member of several Local Assemblies and served on the Auxiliary Board throughout the 1970's and 80's.
• The June 1961 issue of Canadian Bahá'í News reported that he resigned from the United Church of Canada and declared his faith in Bahá'u'lláh. [CBN No 137 June 1961 p11]
• See [CBN No 143 December 1961 p8] for the loving message he sent to his fellow clergy concerning his decision to leave the church.
• After resigning from the ministry he enrolled in university to train for his new vocation, teaching. He served as a vice-principal and a principal.
• In 1949 he married Rita Olive Blake and together they raised four children. [BW1997-98p276-277] iiiii

The passing of Florence Virginia Wilson Mayberry (b. 18 September 1906 in Sleeper, Missouri) in Marshfield, Missouri. She became a Bahá'í in 1941 in Reno, Nevada. From 1954 to 1959 she served on the first Auxiliary Board for North America covering the Western States and Canada. While serving as an Auxiliary Board member, Florence was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States in 1959. Shortly after the Mayberry family pioneered to Mexico in 1961 where Mrs. Mayberry was elected to serve on the National Spiritual Assembly of that country and participated in the first International Bahá'í Convention in 1963. In 1968 she was appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America, then in 1973 she was appointed as one of three Counselors of the newly established International Teaching Center where she served for 10 years. [BW26p275]
• Her autobiography, The Great Adventure was published by Nine Pines Publishing in 1994.
• She was a mystery writer. She had a number of stories published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
• Find a grave.

Her greatest love was teaching the Native people of Canada and Greenland. She travelled to Australia, Europe, Southeast Asia and attended the dedication of the Houses of Worship in the the United States, Samoa and in India. [BW28p309]

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Audrey Robarts (née FitzGerald) in her 96th year. She was buried with her husband, Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, in the Ecumenical Cemetery in Rawdon. He had predeceased her on the 18th of June, 1991. [BW00-01p272]
• After the passing of her husband she had travelled to four countries in southern Africa in response to a request from the National Spiritual Assembly of Botswana where she was known as the "beloved mother of our country".

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Una Dean, née Townshend, in Edmonton, Canada. Una lived a full life of Bahá'í service. In 1946 she was the first Bahá'í in Dublin and was later a member of the first spiritual assembly. She also helped to form the first spiritual assembly in Liverpool. In October 1953 she was the first Bahá'i in Malta, a goal of the Ten Year Crusade. In 1954 she returned to Ireland to tend to her ailing father and to assist him in writing Christ and Bahá'u'lláh. After his passing in 1957 she moved to America, met and married her husband, Dick Dean, and moved to Edmonton where she served on the Local Assembly until 1987. [BW02-03p269; Find a grave]
• See Bahá'í Chronicles.

The passing of Ola Pawlowska (b. Ola Clemens 14 February, 1910 in Lakta, outside Cacow, Poland) in Newfoundland, Canada. Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for St. Pierre and Miquelon, translator of the Writings (into Polish), pioneer to Poland, Luxembourg and Congo (30 years), Auxiliary Board Member. She had fled her native Poland iduring World War II and settled in Canada where she became a Bahá'í. [BW'03-'04pg236, BWNS248]
• For her biography see Legacy of Courage: The Life of Ola Pawlowska, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by Suzanne Schuurman, published by George Ronald in 2008.

The passing of prolific author and founding member of the Association for Bahá'í Studies of North America, Dr. William S. Hatcher, in Stratford, Ontario. (b. 20 September, 1935 in Charlotte, NC).
• He served on the National Spiritual Assemblies of Switzerland (1962-65), Canada (1983-91) and the Russian Federation (1996).
• He was an associate professor of mathematics at the University of Toledo for three years before coming to Canada in 1968 with his wife Judith. He served as professor of mathematics at the Université Laval until 1995.
• He was appointed to the first Board of Trustees of the Huqúqu'lláh for Canada in November of 1991. [CBNJan92 p2; 14 November, 1991]
• He was the author of vast number of articles and books including, Logic and Logos (1990), Love, Power and Justice (1998), and The Bahá'í Faith, The Emerging Global Religion (co-authored with Douglas Martin). [BWNS416, BW05-06p240-241]
• The Universal House of Justice wrote in tribute: "The Bahá'í world has lost one of its brightest minds, one of its most prolific pens. He will long be remembered for his stalwart faith, forceful exposition, and penetrating insights."
• The family of Dr. Hatcher built an on-line repository of his collected works. Contributions of recordings of his talks or other works by William Hatcher can be submitted for consideration for the site by using the contact form.

His wife Allison, (b.1942 on the Siksika Reserve), was given the name, "One Who Likes Victory." The Healy family have represented their Fist Nation at the Calgary Stampede Village and took an active role in the activities.

Sharing their culture both at home and abroad has become a way of life for the Healys. World travellers, they have taken their traditional culture and spiritual beliefs to such widely-scattered places as Siberia, India, New Zealand, Scandinavia, St. Lucia and Dominica, and Greenland. On their overseas trips, Allison and Earl often meet with aboriginal people. They found similar concerns everywhere, such as the loss of indigenous languages and the need to teach them to the young people. Some of the cultures have lost their dances and are trying to bring them back. [IndigenousBahais.com]

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Jameson (Jamie) Bond (b. 6 November, 1917 Toronto, ON) in Duncan, BC. [SDSC262, 387-388, 406]
• For a biography see Sole Desire Service Cause An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown published by George Ronald.

Gale was a member of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Milton and formerly lived in Shelburne and in Saskatoon.

She was the mother of Dr. Susan G. Burland (George T. Plumb of Hinsdale, Ill.), Anne L. Burland of Albany, N.Y., and William B. Burland of Saskatoon. [from the Halifax Herald 10/18/2007]

She first learned of the Faith from Val (Mrs Hayden Nichols neé Valeria Lamb in Lisbon in 1948. Val had been taught by Beulah Storrs Lewis in 1936 in Los Angeles. [DRDA157]

She pioneered to her native Hungary, Säo Paulo, Brazil, various place in Canada and spent three and a half years in Martinique.

In 1995 she published her first autobiography, it was in Hungarian. Her English autobiography was called Dreams, Nightmares, and Dreams Again and it was published in 2000 by White Mountain Publications. [DNDA76]

Her Master's thesis at Laval University was A proposed world order: Baha'i teachings and Institutions 1968. [DRDA120,144]

The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Gale Bond, née Keass (b. 13 November, 1919 in Emod, Hungary) in Cowichan, BC. [SDSC397]
• See Sole Desire Service Cause An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown published by George Ronald for a biography.

The passing of former Universal House of Justice member Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam in Vancouver, Canada. He served on the Universal House of Justice for forty years since 1963. [BWNS964]
• See Life of Hushmand Fatheazam as told by Fariborz Sahba.

The passing of Redwan Moqbel in Winnipeg. He was recruited to the Department of Medicine, University of Alberta as a Professor in 1995 and served as the Director of the Pulmonary Research Group. There he received such prestigious awards as Alberta Heritage Medical Senior Scholar, Heritage Scientist and Heritage Senior Investigator. In 2008, Redwan became Professor and Head of the Department of Immunology at the University of Manitoba, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta. He was well recognized for his mentorship of young biomedical scientists, whom he encouraged to adopt "a noble goal." [Winnipeg Free Press]
• Celebration of Life.

He was survived by his wife Dr. Marion Woodman, an internationally-known author and psychoanalyst, who passed away in 2018. [CBNS 27 March 2014]

A film called Rebel Angel was made about their marriage.

For nearly forty years Mr Woodman was Professor in the Department of English at the University of Western Ontario, where he taught Romantic literature, until his retirement in 1989. In 1993 he received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Keats-Shelley Association of America.

His publications include: The Apocalyptic Vision in the Poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley and a book about celebrated Canadian poet and fellow-professor at the University of Western Ontario, James Reaney.

Mr Woodman contributed several articles to The Journal of Bahá'í Studies.

The passing of Raymond Theodore (Ted) Anderson (b. 5 August 1924 Mount Horb, WN) in Innisfail, AB. [Find a grave]

He earned his BA and two master's degrees in Oregon and Chicago where he became a Bahá'í. Ted met his wife Joan Storie at the Bahá'í House of Worship in Chicago. They married in 1951 and pioneered to Whitehorse in 1953 where they earned the title, Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. During their time in the Yukon they were adopted by the Tlingit First Nations of Carcross-Tagish. In 1965 Ted was appointed as an Auxiliary Board Member for Alaska by Zikrullah Khadem and served in that capacity along with Howard Brown.

Ted and Joanie relocated to Red Deer, Alberta in 1972 and Joanie passed away in 2000. [Bahaipedia; CBN 410 p5; Find a grave]

• See mention of the Andersons in A New Skin for an Old Drum: Changing Contexts of Yukon Aboriginal Bahá'í Storytelling by Lynn Echevarria.
• See as well The Yukon Bahá'is: Establishing an Archive of Historical Materials and First Nations Life Histories by Lynn Echevarria.

She and her husband, Dr Mirza Javid, had been residents in the Hamilton area since 1968 when he was employed by the public health department. Prior to that they had lived in Montreal where they had settled when they first arrived in Canada in 1966. Aghdas was famous in the Hamilton area for her Friday night firesides which she held faithfully, sometimes attracting as many as 80 attendees.

In 2001, she was chosen to be among a group of Canadian Baha'is — part of 4,500 from around the world — to travel to Israel to witness the opening of a kilometre-long series of garden terraces surrounding the Bahá'í temple on Mount Carmel. [Bahá'í Canada Vol 14 Issue 3]

Every year she would hold a tea to which she invited local dignitaries. [Bahá'í Canada Vol 16 Issue 1 May 2003 p31]

She had been predeceased by her husband in in 1999. She left children Sussan, Ladan and Jasmine, four granddaughters, one grandson, one great-grandson and family in Iran, England, Germany and Brazil. [Hamilton Spectator; Dignity Memorial]

The passing of Don Otto Rogers (b. 1935 in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan) a former member of the International Teaching Centre, in Picton, Ontario. He was buried in the Rose Cemetery in Waupoos, ON.
• He enrolled as a believer in 1960 while resident in Saskatoon. [CBN No 124 May 1960 p6; Bahá'í Canada 30 April 2019]
• He served as an Auxiliary Board Member and then as a Continental Counsellor followed by a decade as a member of the International Teaching Centre and upon returning to Canada, served on the National Spiritual Assembly. [BWNS1323; Wikipedia.]
• As an accomplished artist, he was known as "Otto Rogers". He taught at the University of Saskatchewan (1959-1988) after receiving his MA in Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin. Mr Rogers helped sustain the Emma Lake Workshops, a meeting place for some of North America's leading artists including Barnett Newman, Jules Olitski and Mr Rogers himself. His work was held in more than 30 public collections including: the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
• His website.
• His works at the Oeno Gallery in Prince Edward County.
• Canadian Art.
• Video The Artist In Us Interview—Painter Otto Rogers.
• A talk by Otto Rogers entitled Artist's Studio.
• The Canadian Encylopedia.
• The National Gallery of Canada

His publications:

• Otto Donald Rogers.
• The 27th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture The Artist and the Grammarian.

A publications about his work:

• "Otto Donald Rogers" by the Buschlen Mowat Gallery.
• See a trailer for a video called Approach to a Sacred Space made by 9starmedia.

The passing of Hossain Banadaki Danesh in Victoria, BC
• His major publications were:
  • The Violence Free-Society: A Gift for Our Children. Bahá'í Studies. Vol. 6. 1979.
  • Unity: The Creative Foundation of Peace. Bahá'í Studies Publications, Ottawa 1986.
  • The Psychology of Spirituality. Paradigm Publishing, Manotick, Ontario 1994.
  • The Violence Free Family. Building Block of a Peaceful Civilization. Bahá'í Studies Publications, Ottawa, Canada 1995.
  • Conflict-Free Conflict Resolution (CFCR): Process and Methodology. with Roshan Danesh. Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, Vol. 11, No. 2, Fall. (March 21, 2004).
  • Unity of Faith and Reason in Action 2010.
  • The Unity-Based Family. An Empirical Study of Healthy Marriage, Family, and Parenting. H.B. Danesh, MD, FRCP(C), with Azin Nasseri, PhD. Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 1 edition (1 April 2017). It was illustrated by Katia Breton.
  • The Mysterious Case of the IWs: A Story to Help Children Cope with Death Published by Efp-International Press (April 16 2012).
• For a more complete list see his website.
• Documents by Hossain Danesh on Bahai-library.com.
• YouTube.
• See His website.
• See article by his son Roshan Danesh about the passing of his father and his son. [Times Colonist 30 July 2020] iiiii

The passing of former Universal House of Justice member James Douglas Martin (b. 24 February 1927 in Chatham, Ontario) in Toronto. [CBNS]

He was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada from 1960 to 1985 and served the last twenty years as the general secretary. In 1985. He was appointed director-general of the Bahá'í International Community's Office of Public Information at the World Centre. He served in that capacity until 1993 when he was elected to the Universal House of Justice. He retired from the House of Justice in 2005 due to considerations of age and related needs of the Faith. [BWNS1455]

• In 1984 he co-authored the introductory text,The Bahai Faith: The Emerging Global Religion with his friend William S Hatcher.
• His essay, The Missionary as Historian: William Miller and the Bahá'í Faith was a review of William McElwee Miller's book The Bahá'í Faith: Its History and Teachings.
• His series of talks entitled Historical Consciousness and the Divine Plan was packaged as a compact disc and has been made available on Bahá'í Library.
• His paper Persecution of the Bahá'ís of Iran 1844-1984 published in Bahá'í Studies in 1984 is available in PDF.
• His article Humanity's Coming Encounter with Baha'u'llah was published in American Bahá'í in 1992.
• In 1998 his article Bahá'í Faith was published in Canadian Encyclopedia.
• The Mission of the Bab: Retrospective 1844-1944 as published in Bahá'í World. [BW23p193]
• Bahá'í Canada 30 September 2020. iiiii

The passing of William (Billie) Ekomiak (b. 23 December 1943 in Cape Jones, QC (now Pointe Louis-XIV)), in Messines, Québec from complications of COVID-19. He was buried in the Cimetière St. Raphael in Messines, QC. [Obituary]
• His mother, Lucie Menarik Ekomiak, passed away while he was a small child and he was adopted by Aunt Martha and Uncle Thomas Ekoomiak.
• He was educated at St. Phillip's Anglican school in Fort George (Chisasibi), located further south on James Bay.
• Billie was one of the first two Inuk in the world to become a Bahá'í. He first heard about the Faith in the home of Arthur and Lilianne Irwin in Ottawa and enrolled as a follower of Bahá'u'llláh at a Naw-Rúz party in 1965 in Beau Lac along with his cousin, Johnny Weetaltuk.
• He trained as an electrician in Winnipeg and assisted in the building of the Bahá'í Houses in both Baker Lake and in Iqaluit.
• For a history of the Ekomiak (or Ekoomiak) family see Speechless by Maureen Flynn-Burhoe.
• Billie felt his life's mission was to share the news of Bahá'u'lláh with Indigenous Peoples and he crisscrossed Canada and the United States offering firesides that wove together the teachings of the Faith with First Nations' prophecies and spiritual insights. His most memorable presentation was at the International Teaching Conference in Anchorage in 1976. [from the announcement of his passing by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of La Pêche]
• In the early 1970's the CBC contracted musicians to produce 45-RPM discs for its Northern Service. Billy was one of the 75 musicians recorded. [Encyclopedia of Native American Music of North America p248]
• An example of Billy's fiddle playing can be viewed on YouTube. It was recorded at an event in Wakefield.
• A talk has been recorded and presented on YouTube.iiiii
• See Report/Memoirs of Bill Ekomiak.

   After leaving a career in market development in the federal tourism agency that included postings in Sydney, Australia and St. John's, Newfoundland, Marlene served in the community development department of the Bahá'í National Centre in Thornhill, Ontario. Back in St. Marys, she devoted her life to working at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, travelling and writing. She loved working as a Festival usher and, more recently, as a volunteer tour guide. Many of her trips involved Bahá'í service projects in destinations such as Cyprus, Ireland and Western Samoa and some quirky journeys such as travelling on a cargo ship from New York City to Chile and back.

   Marlene authored two biographies, Take My Love to the Friends: The Story of Laura R. Davis and Faithful Friends: Founding the Toronto Bahá'í Community 1919–1938, one play named Tabreez, several dramatic readings and essays and a dozen essays on Shakespeare plays. Joining a group of writers at the Desert Rose Bahá'í Institute in Arizona for annual winter gatherings, she co-founded the "Write Life", an annual writers' retreat, serving as a co-facilitator for two years. Marlene was named the first Writer in Residence at Desert Rose.

   For a list of Marlen's Dramatic Readings see Bahá'í Library.

From Saskatoon Star Phoenix
18 August 2021
thestarphoenix.remembering.ca/obituary/bruce-filson-1083051604:

The beloved soul of Bruce Kenneth Filson winged its flight from this earthly plane on August 13, 2021. Bruce, aged 68, was surrounded by family after fighting a sudden battle with aggressive cancer and associated complications. Dear father, husband, brother, son, and community member, Bruce "contained multitudes." His joie de vivre and the ever-present twinkle in his eye will not be quickly forgotten.

Born in 1952 in Saskatoon, Bruce was raised initially on a farm and then in the city. During his high school years at Evan Hardy Collegiate, he was elected co-leader of the student council and played football for the Hardy Souls, helping take the team to the provincial championship game. He remained a lifelong sports fan, following football, baseball, World Cup soccer, and Olympic and other sports, and he played golf into his final year.

Though he and his wife, Margaret Bremner, grew up mere blocks from one another and attended the same high school at the same time, they only truly met as undergraduate students when each joined the Bahá'í Faith. They married in 1978 and raised three daughters together (as well as a dog, two cats, three rabbits, and who knows how many fish).

Bruce studied French at the U of S and later earned a master's degree in Comparative Literature from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Education degree from the Université du Quebec à Rimouski. He was a language lover and gained skill with English, French, German, and Mandarin. In order to serve the needs of the international Bahá'í community and for his own edification he left Saskatchewan after university and moved to Rimouski, QC, then Montreal, and then the Ottawa area. He later left Canada for periods of time, living and working in China and Dominica. In his final years he had moved to Surrey, BC, to be nearer children and grandchildren.

Bruce had a diverse and colourful vocational life which, though it met with little financial success, was fulfilling and rich in every other respect. For a number of years, in Canada and in China, he taught high school and college-level English and French. But he also worked variously throughout the years as a writer, publisher, translator, salesman, and civil servant. He was a newspaperman in the perpetual year of 1886 at Upper Canada Village, a living history site in Ontario. In the early 1990s he co-founded and ran Nine Pines Publishing, remembered for its contributions to Bahá'í literature (notable works published include The Psychology of Spirituality by Dr. H.B. Danesh; Fires in Many Hearts, the memoir of Doris McKay; and poetry and prose by long-time Bahá'í pioneer to the Magdalen Islands, Larry Rowdon). Later he co-founded and founded small presses September House and September Pines as well. B.K. Filson was himself also a poet: his work was published in various journals and in two volumes (Angel Ruckus and Parallelograms); he led workshops and gave readings; and he was an active member of writers' groups in Ottawa, ON and Surrey, BC. He won an award for Excellence in Bahá'í Studies: Creative Writing from the Association of Bahá'í Studies and gave a reading of one of his long poems at an annual ABS conference.

More recently he was delighted and proud to have opened and owned King Me Boardgamery and Café in Saskatoon and, still more recently, run the online game shop Mr. Dice Guy. His fondness for tabletop games and good coffee, his commitment to building community, his desire to provide a gathering space for friends young and old, and his love of teaching and learning combined with his friendly demeanour meant that the establishment in 2017 and success of King Me constituted a professional and personal dream achieved.

Bruce's life as a Bahá'í, his dedicated service to the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, was a hallmark and a guiding light to others. He joined the Faith in 1971 and travelled to Quebec, China, and Dominica to assist the Faith. He served as an elected member of Spiritual Assemblies in Rimouski, Montréal, Hull (now Gatineau), Osgoode (now amalgamated into Ottawa), and Saskatoon. He sometimes served as a delegate to the Bahá'í National Convention, once alongside his brother Gerald. He and Margaret also served as custodians of the Bahá'í Shrine in Montréal for five years, receiving Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum in their suite during her visits to Canada.

Bruce is survived by his wife of 43 years, Margaret Bremner, brothers Glen (Luisa) and Gerald (Judy) and sister Mary Jane (Shane English), daughters Chloë (Robin Wilson), Lydia (Gregory Coles), and Veronica (Shahruz Moshtael), granddaughters Gavia, Ida, and Fern, and a baby grandson soon to arrive. He was predeceased by his eldest brother Robert in 2011.

Interrment and a memorial program will take place at 1 p.m. (PST; arrive at 12:45) on Friday, August 20 at Valley View Memorial Gardens in Surrey, BC. The program will be live-streamed for far-away mourners.

Published on August 18, 2021

She had earned a medical degree at the age of 52 and practiced as a family and palliative-care physician.

In 1984 she became active in the nuclear disarmament movement and a member of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Canada and co-wrote a book, Enough Blood Shed: 101 Solutions to Violence, Terror and War.

Awards she received over the years include the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal from the Governor General, the Gandhi Prize, the Award of Excellence from Doctors of B.C. and, with Down, the 2019 Distinguished Achievement Award from the Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention. [Condolences; Times Colonist 18 December 2022]