RIP Gay Merrill Gross

06-28-03

 I can't remember if my first OUSA convention happened before or after 9/11.

 I think 2000 or 2001 was when I first started discovering modern origami designs. Then went to my first WCOG meeting. I'm thinking maybe it was after 9/11, but am not totally sure.

 Maybe 2002 was my first OUSA? I think the previous year I had met Joel Bauer; and he eventually was vacationing in Hawaii where he discovered a street artist named Won Park. It's because of Joel Bauer that Won Park was put in touch with the origami community and attended his first OUSA meeting (If it wasn't in 2002, maybe it was 2004? And Won and I became connected through Joel).

 I was familiar with a few people by name prior to my first OUSA, due to correspondence on the origami mailing list. Andrew Hans (we started corresponding when I, John Andrisan, and Jim Cowling each independently came up with a version of Stephen Delecat's $ t-shirt with tie, then shared photos. I remember back then being shocked how knowledge of how to fold the model quickly spread to the east coast and throughout; and I believe Delecat then released diagrams the following year in The Paper). Rob Hudson was another one. He and I childishly broke lances on the O-List and I think an admin had to step in and admonish us. I thought it would be awkward during our first meeting, but things were cool. I believe we may have finally met when he took my Louis Cooper Angel class. I thought he was a crusty old guy but it turned out he was young. 😂 I enjoyed his humor on the Origami-L when he and I ribbed June Sakamoto with being the most beautiful lady in origami. 

 Through the Origami Mailing List, I had contacted Fumiaki Kawahata and asked him for permission to teach his Jedi Master Yoda model and also sell ones I folded, in the Gold Mine (selling is how I managed to afford my trip to NYC). He said yes, but probably not call it Yoda because he said he hadn't consulted George Lucas. 😀 

 My Yoda class involved teaching how I bonded tissue foil with unryu to get the color and texture for the Jedi Master.

 I remember my class took place in the hospitality area of the Fashion Institute of Technology, where folders usually hung out between classes to chill, share, and fold at leisure.

 As I was teaching my class, I pulled out a can of spray glue to show how I bonded the paper to the foil paper. Up to that point, it hadn't occurred to me how that probably shouldn't be done indoors. Well, sitting behind me at another table was Gay Merrill Gross. And after her initial shock and horror, boy, did she lay into me! She was in a bit of panic, informing me about her health condition. I don't quite remember how we got through that first impression and initial interaction, but we became friends after that. She was one of the highlights of my trips to OUSA conventions.

 I remember once, I think she told me a political joke that might have involved a storigami- I do remember some sort of prop with the joke. And the joke was a rib at George W. Bush. I gently let her know I was a supporter of Bush Jr. She had such a sweet reaction of shock on her face and apologetic, "oh...". It wasn't one of disappointment in me for my choice in political support, but one of surprise (how can someone as nice as Michael Sanders be a Republican?) an embarrassment with the assumption that the whole world hated Bush. I reassured her that it was okay and I wasn't in the least bit offended. I may have even found the joke clever and amusing. 

 Over time, I stopped attending OUSA Conventions yearly. But Gay would occasionally remember me and share something of her work via email (I wish she were on social media- namely FB- so we could have shared more of what was going on in our lives).

 I hadn't been in touch with Gay in quite a while. When I saw a mutual friend make mention of her in an FB post, I asked how Gay was doing. Well, within the next couple of days, people began messaging me about how Gay had passed a couple of weeks ago.

 Gay was one of those origami luminaries that I admired and appreciated and who I took for granted would be around forever. Even with her seeming physical fragility. I just assumed.... 

 I've missed her; and now that she's gone, I really miss her and have the regret of never having expressed to her how much she meant to me. How much I learned from her.

 One of the things I always wanted to learn from her was how she fanned a stack of paper like a magician. I first saw her do this in an old Home & Gardens video (available back in the early 2000s but can't find it anymore) that featured either PCOC (maybe in San Francisco?) or some other origami event. And in the video, Gay fanned a stack of paper, then took one sheet and told a storigami that involved a whale and a penguin. I used to know it and if I gave it a moment, can probably retrieve memory of the tale and the folding sequence. That and Anne Bedrick's teaching tale with Deg Farrelly's butterfly are the only ones I've ever bothered to learn. (https://www.giladorigami.com/SW_tale.html)

 Gay did show me how she did it one year as she knew of my interest in it; but for some reason, I didn't bother to practice it myself and now memory of how she did it has faded. 

 Memory of Gay and what she contributed to the world, however, will remain firmly fixed in the best corner of my heart. https://www.facebook.com/OrigamiUSA/posts/989061410009069

Rodney Kageyama

I heard that Rodney passed away this morning.  He was a mainstay as an MC at cultural events like The Autumn Festival at the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival.  He and I always exchanged greetings and he'd sometimes promote my origami booth when MCing.  He was also on a television show with another friend of mine ("Quantum Leap"?).

Francis Ow's Love Birds

Like many in our origami community, I was charmed and in love with Francis Ow's heart-themed origami creations, along with the clever names for his models.  And like many in our community, I felt the pain of loss that his death brought to those such as myself who admired his work and personality, but never had the pleasure of opportunity in meeting him.  Greater is the pain felt by those who knew him, personally.  He will be missed by family, friend, and fan. 


Sara Adams:

"When the sad news of Francis Ow's passing reached me, I wanted to take some time to remember him and his loving, generous nature. I decided to fold something in his memory and chose a model from the free e-book he made available earlier this year. Indeed, it was the first model I folded after giving birth to Finn. Life and death were so close here, and I do hope Finn will have a full life and spread as much love as Francis did.
As a special tribute, I decided to make a tutorial on his "Love Birds", which I hope will continue to spread Francis' love through origami."

Video tutorial here.

Mark Kennedy

Waking up to the news of Mark Kennedy passing.

For me, he was a fixture and featured attraction at Origami USA conventions in New York.

Like Mark and Arlene, I spent a good amount of my Convention time in the Gold Mine, selling items that helped fund for my trip. The Gold Mine had a lot of down time when most potential customers were in rooms taking folding classes. For me, Mark's jokes never got old because it was so funny to watch the reactions of kids and parents interacting with him. He'd always tell kids that it was their lucky day because he had a special going on for kids under 12 (or whatever age he said) and allow for them to choose a free pin from a special box of them (Mark and Arlene fold and lacquered origami pin/brooches).

He and Arlene were always generous with their time and energy, freely teaching models he knew and sharing diagrams in his possession.

My one regret was always taking such short trips to NYC, that I never made it to one of their after-Convention fold-and-feed gatherings.

Thank you for the treasured memories, Mark. You touched so many lives- mine being one among them.

The video clip is from OUSA June 24, 2007.

You can see more tributes and memories of Mark shared here.

Yami Passed Away Christmas Evening

July 29, 1936- December 25, 2017

3-27-2013

Descanso Garden

Original photo taken by Yami's friend Kazuyoshi ITO

April 6, 2008
Cherry Blossom Festival, Little Tokyo 

From Chikako:

Dear Yami's friends,

This is Yami's daughter Chikako writing from Yami's account.

Yoichi "Yami" Yamauchi passed away yesterday. His health had been declining for some time. His body expired and he passed away peacefully yesterday evening. Per Yami's wishes, his body is being cremated and his ashes will be scattered at some point in the future. There will not be a public funeral or service. Condolences can be posted on Facebook. Even though Yami was a public figure, please respect his family's privacy.

Kind regards,
Chikako Yamauchi

may 26, 2007 
Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA

The Greatest

My apologies to whoever photoshopped this.  I remember it was posted in an album of famous people and origami.  I would love to give credit to whoever credit is owed to, if someone can help point out the way.

The Blind Origamist

Japanology 28th : Origami [2] by abricot5725


Hat tip:  BOS

WCOG's John Andrisan Passes

2-1-2015 From L to R:  John Andrisan, Jim Cowling, Ron Fujioka

Yami and I have been communicating back-and-forth about various things (Larry Davis, for one, will be in Southern California for a visit).  I had talked to Yami this morning; then in the afternoon, picked up another voicemail from him, saying something about "Jan Anderson" dying.  I had no idea what he was talking about or who Jan was.  Yami's thick accent muddled the name:  John Andrisan.  I figured out later, when I started getting wind of John's passing through various people and sources, as word began to spread throughout the day.

John's been a mainstay, the bedrock of the Westcoast Origami Guild; a pillar of the larger origami community in Southern California.  He's always been around, since I've been involved.  It's difficult to believe that February 1st at Marti's is the last time I will ever see him.

I'd like to share what Chila wrote to the O-List, regarding John:

Rest in Peace, Russell Sutherland

I just learned that Russell Sutherland passed away Wednesday night.  Rob Hudson wrote out the following:

Tonight I am mourning the death of Russell Sutherland, a good friend of
mine since 2003, who died at his computer last night. Russell had struggled
with many, many medical issues, and was in pain and bad shape, limiting the
time he could physically work with his hands to create his origami art.
Russell had a lot against him, from poverty to lost nerves (thoracic), but
always looked forward to a time where he could be an Artist-in-Residence,
doing his origami and sharing the art with others.
Russell was there for me in some very personal struggles, and I helped him
when I could. His conflicts and struggles with others dwarfed mine, but his
were much higher stakes, from fighting for basic finances and living
conditions to struggling to retain his identity as an artist as others
sometimes took credit for the work.
This made Russ exceedingly upset, and, I fear, his outbursts reflected
poorly on him to those who didn't understand the level of his pain and his
convictions and how much he was a part of the work and relationships that
he made.
Regardless, over the past few years, Russell never hesitated to contact me
to see how *I* was doing. In reviewing our conversations and logs, I see so
many times where he was enduring severe pain and life stress, and yet still
produced his art and listened. And despite my own complaining and middling
issues, Russ followed my tiny struggles and always, always opened and
closed our conversations with "remember that you can always call me to
talk."
I'll miss you, Russ - wish I'd picked up the phone more and pissed and
moaned less.

I feel some guilt at this unexpected news- like I didn't do more to reach out to him; or recognize that he might have been reaching out to me for help, some guidance, support, or just a friendly ear.

We hadn't communicated in some time; but on FB in September of 2011, he messaged me through FB chat, out of the blue.  In reflection of our conversation, I believe he was reaching out in need of someone to talk to- downplaying the rough times he was going through; yet needing to share for some moral support from someone who would listen.  I now feel guilt that I did not listen more carefully to all that was going on with him.  I could sense he was troubled even as he tried to "put on a good face" and stay positive in our chat.

I first met Russell at OUSA in NYC.  The following are from OUSA in 2005:

With Lar

Hyperbolic Paraba "Lloyd"
One-of-a-kind piece, Created and Folded by Russell Sutherland
March 2005

Exhibited at OUSA 2005 and given to me as a gift.

 More of his masks/busts from the 2005 OUSA Convention can be viewed here.

More of Russell's fantastic artwork can be found at his site.

Phyllis Snyder

March 13, 2010, WCOG at Pico Library

I got word through Beverly Baudino that Phyllis Snyder passed away at around 7pm, February 27th:

She was in Torrance Memorial Hospital and suffering from several compilations. Her pneumonia with 3 blood clots in the esophagus made it difficult to swallow and breath. She was a real trooper and tried till the end. Her family was with her.

I learned a lot from Phyllis over the past decade that I've known her and the WCOG.

Around 2001/2002, when Herman Lau's $ flower-in-a-pot was not as commonly known, she was the one WCOG member who had kept notes (when Lau had taught it to members years earlier) and was able to refresh her memory enough to teach it to those of us who were in search of it like the Holy Grail of moneyfolds, at the time. (Later, Herman Lau went out of his way to teach it to me "correctly"- he said everyone was getting the proportions wrong- so I could teach it at OUSA).

Phyllis also introduced me to the angel designed by her friend, Louise Cooper, and derived from the Neil Elias angel.

Phyllis always loved the way I fold Montroll's horse and would repeatedly ask me to fold the head so she could watch and learn how I got it to be 3D.

Over the years, I've worked with her at festivals and kept company at WCOG meetings; and have enjoyed sharing and learning from her. She had a wealth of experience and knowledge and a generous spirit to share it all.

Phyllis will be greatly missed. More to come later.

February 20, 2009 Phyllis with a napkin rose folded and given to her by Won Park

Also blogging:

Origami Mommy's Blog

Eric Joisel (11/15/1956 - 10/10/2010)

His friends and family have lost a loved one. The origami community has lost a master and pioneer. The world has lost a true artiste. His work deserves to be marveled at in every museum as art- definitely not "kid's craft". His sculpted origami work truly elevated the field of paperfolding into a respectable medium for artistic expression.

I always hoped to meet him one day at a convention; the chance to do so in this world has now passed.

My limited contact with him consisted of him granting me permission to sell his cartoon rat- one of my favorite folds. All of Joisel's models have charm and humor. They are enchanting and exquisite...like wooden sculptures and clay statues, not folded paper. To look upon Joisel's origami masterpieces is to be humbled by awe and beauty.

This is the legacy he leaves behind- a gift to the world.

Also blogging:
Nick Robinson

In Memory of Vernon Isaac, May 25, 1948 - April 10, 2009

From L to R: Michael Sanders, Won Park, Vernon Isaac
Photo by Susan Dugan, OUSA 2002

Wendy Zeichner writes to the OUSA mailing list:

It is with great sadness that I announce that Vernon Isaac (our own
Metrocard modular man) passed away last week (from lung cancer) in
South Carolina with his family by his side.

The family is having a Memorial Service in New York on May 16, 2009 at 5pm.
It will be held at:
Garden of Prayer Cathedral Church
1874 Washington Avenue (off Tremont Avenue)
Bronx, NY 10457

I did not know Vernon well; but I knew him as soon as he entered a room, at my first OUSA Convention. He has the kind of presence and personality that floods a room..

For the benefit of those who did not have the good fortune to meet Vernon, and for the sake of those of us who fondly do remember him and who will miss his physical presence at OUSA in June, I pieced together some videoclips I took primarily from OUSA 2005. I'm sorry it's choppy, but in 2005, the digital camera I was using could only take 10 second clips:





As brief as it is, I hope it gives the viewer a good sense of Vernon's personality. Vernon is the kind of person one does not soon forget. He has this innate charm and ability to make instant friends. Following are email comments from the OUSA Members List (to be updated):

I met Vernon for the first time in New York 2002. He was very friendly and kind. We will all miss him very much.

Won Park


Hello.
Vernon was a very origami active person. I met him several times in all the New York Conventions I have been attendded, also in the last Charlotte Festival in 2002 and the last time at the LIFE Festival in Long Island in 2007.

His death was a very big lost to the origami world, because sometimes you remember more a person for his origami charisma than for the other things he did. He likes to be with the people teaching his modular models.

Jose Tomas Buitrago


Wow. I'm so sorry to hear this. I had no idea that Vernon was ill.
This is very sad news.

Vernon was a strong presence at every New York origami convention.
I know of many first-time convention-goers who were befriended by Vernon
and delighted by his enthusiasm and talents at teaching.

I, for one, continue to use a teaching tip that I learned from him:
Whenever I teach a model and we complete a step that has to be done
on the other side of the paper or on the other half of the paper (like
a cupboard fold), then Vernon would say, "And you know that last move we
did? We liked it so much, that we'll do it again!" I love that line,
and I think
of Vernon whenever I use it.

--- Tom Hull


I am heartbroken. I was one of those first-timers at the convention and at
NYC Folding Sundays that Vernon befriended. His pure joy in both origami
and life was always infectious. I could never talk to Vernon without ending
up with a grin on my face. Is there a way that we could establish an annual
convention award (no prize, just the recognition and appreciation) for
someone who personally contributes the most to nurturing the origami
community by taking others under his or her wings?

I would be happy to help make this happen as my own way to remember this
wonderful man.

Naomi Rodolitz


Seeing Vernon was one of those little things at
convention that I always looked forward to. He was always there with a
smile and a big bear hug, welcoming, funny and generous. I'll miss him
a great deal.

Anne LaVin


I didn't know Vernon very well. I don't know many of the folks I see
at convention very well (and my inability to attend regularly doesn't
help).

The tapestry of the convention is woven from many threads; Vernon was
flamboyant presence and his thread will be missed for many reasons. I
too did not know he was ill, and I am very sad that I missed the
convention last year and another chance to see him.

-D'gou

Douglas Philips



I am deeply saddened to read that Vernon is no longer with us. I have met
him at many OUSA conventions. He was a master of Metro card modulars and
always so generous with his time and a supply of metro cards. My prayers are
with the family.

Ravi Apte


What was the name of the really long metro card creature he made? Was
it Jake the Snake?

He will be greatly missed. He was such a kind and generous man to us
out of town folks.

Lori Gregory


I think the award should be a Metro Card Jake the Snake, about six
feet long, as close to Vernon's height as possible. The recipient
shall wear the award as a boa during the ceremony and for the
remainder of the evening.

This represents not only Vernon's interest in modulars, but also his
presence, which, like a giant snake, was impossible to ignore.

Plus, it's pretty darned funny, and I guarantee he would appreciate it.

I volunteer to help fold and assemble the units. I think we could make
at least two to three years worth of awards during this year's
convention, particularly if we start early.

Rob Hudson, who misses Vernon's bawdiness terribly



One of my favorite convention memories is teaching Vernon Isaac how to
fold the modular Jitterbug, a model that was wildly popular a few
conventions ago. I was explaining that you had to "fold this edge to
the imaginary line between these points," and he looked at me with a
straight face and said, "but I don't HAVE an imaginary line there."
He was a genuinely funny man - how sad to hear that he's gone.

Scott Cramer

Photo by Michael Sanders, OUSA Convention 2007

Hi all,
Thanks so much for sharing your memories of Vernon (I laughed and
cried.) I plan to pull together everyone's remarks to send to
Vernon's family. I especially enjoyed the stories about Jake the
Snake and I will see if we can arrange to have Jake make one more
Convention appearance.
/Wendy Zeichner


I will never forget, my first class at my first Origami convention
ever (in New York) and the teacher was Vernon.
Oddly, I am teaching an origami class today and was picking out models
to show the class and what comes out of the box, the same model, I
folded in that class.

Vernon will surely be missed. His personality and lively spirit will
be most missed at Origami Heaven festival, which he has religiously
attended and entertained several
attendees. I have uploaded some of his pictures (which captures so
beautifully who he truly was).

Please check his photos
(you dont need facebook account).

Shrikant Iyer


I met Vernon twice and liked him very much. He was very enthousiastic and was able to let everybody fold with the metro cards. He was a fun man. I am sorry he passed away, but I feel lucky to have met him.

I am happy to see all the reactions on this list and the initiative to create an award.

Best regards to his family and friends,

Paula Versnick from Holland.


I too knew him and liked him and looked
forward to seeing him at conventions and will miss him now that he's
gone. He was a remarkable (and remarkably outgoing) person, and he made
conventions more fun for a lot of people.

Michael Naughton


It was with deep shock and surprise to learn of Vernon's Death. We had no idea that he was sick.
Vernon had visited our house a few months back to attend a monthly origami meeting. He brought us a section of Jake the Snake made out of Japanese metro-cards. I had picked up some cards while in Japan. More were given to me by visitors and guests - what better place for them to live than with Vernon. Vernon said that he had decided to give up Jake. The last I remember was that Jake was over 53 feet.
We will bring the section to Origami Sunday tomorrow.
We had passed along the announcement to members of my local group, Vernon will be remembered fondly and missed by them as well. He showed up infrequently and larger than life; loud and boisterous and full of jokes.
Mark Kennedy - Arlene Gorchov


I too was very fond of Vernon. I guess I was sort of unaware
of what his presence contributed to the convention since I saw him at other
times in NY and he was always upbeat, fun to be with and greeted me with
open arms - literally - he was a great hugger. I can see as a first timer or
someone who only saw him once a year how his impact would be greater.

Jean Baden-Gillette


HI All
Vernon will always be a great person to know and will be missed.
I know I already miss him.
He touched a lot of people's minds and hearts.

Michael Verry

In 2001, my first convention, I met Vernon on the elevator between
classes. He was asking people about exchanging the state quarters
with the D mark on them for P marked quarters that he had. I was
interested in collecting these quarters so we introduced ourselves to
each other and from that point on at each convention we exchanged
quarters. Vernon was always the first person I would look for at the
convention because his smile and bear hugs were so welcoming. He
taught me one of his metrocard modulars. Being my first time to
create a modular, locking it together was a difficult task. He gently
took my hands and placed all the pieces in them and helped me lock the
last piece in.

This was the kind of person he was, kind and sincere to the last
"detail." I will miss him greatly.

Jennifer Gerring
Houston, TX

(Susumu Nakajima on the left, teaching the mouse cap)
Photo by Michael Sanders, OUSA Convention 2005