Longtime Washington, D.C. sangha member Vivi Spicer died on
Monday, Jan. 26, at her home in Silver Spring, Md., after a lengthy
battle with breast cancer. Vivi was a devoted student of the Vidyadhara
and of Shibata Sensei since the early 1970s. She was a regular fixture at
Vajrayogini feasts and fire pujas until her husband, Peter Turnbull,
suffered a devastating stroke in 2005. After that, until his death in
2024, Vivi devoted herself to Peter’s care, helping guide him to a
degree of recovery far beyond what medical professionals had deemed
possible.
Vivi was disciplined, elegant and generous, and was able to maintain
the warm and welcoming home environment that she and Peter had
established. She continued to welcome kyudo students to practice in
her backyard on a monthly basis, as well as managing the D.C.
Shambhala Center bookstore. Professionally, Vivi helped manage one of
the largest collections of works by Edvard Munch in the world. She will
be deeply missed by her many friends, colleagues and neighbors.
Despite our different lifestyles and approaches,
Somehow, we were able to be constant friends
For so many years.
Now, re-reading her email messages,
I notice things that I had somehow missed.
Very tender expressions of love.
May this Warrior Woman find a life
In the obstacle-free land of Sukhavati.
She has done enough.
I've known Vivi the past 35 years...and others know her much better than I. But...I could say a few things. Viv's husband Peter died near a year before she, and she spent near the last 20 years looking after his care. I would come once a month to their home, and spent time with Peter....which got initiated because of the relationship I had with Vivi. I think Peter's stroke back then near 2005 may have even happened near when she was on a vajrayogini retreat at Karme Choling, serving as choppon. Vivi was eager to be mindful of ritual details, and...appreciated when she could grab even a few minutes in the last 20 years to practice, which she was otherwise looking after Peter. She also made time, near weekly, to have kyudo run in her backyard....and many of her kyudo students showed up to say the final good byes that we had for her locally. Vivi came from the south, had a sense of manners many of us never had, and hated some versions of modern electronics (cell phones & zoom) like the devil. In the 90s, I recall that in our Dharmadhatu or Shambhala Center newsletter, she ran something of a friendly news column, helping the local sangha know about little details of interest that were going on in the community. I don't know what to attribute my own less than excellent relationship with Vivi in only and just the last year, and was thankful to be reminded AT her sukhavati that her and my many years with her were long, for which I was grateful. I wasn't able to see her in those last days, but am glad I brought chocolate chip cookies with me when I went to see her, and even though I don't know if she had any (though I saw her take similar in her waning days), I know she was offered them, which I am happy for. Perhaps we are all only one of a kind...but Vivi was particularly so...a very dedicated practitioner, and full of devotion of the right kind.
