Here’s the story according to Fran behind the yellow hat on her head scattered with diamond rhinestones. Rinpoche was visiting Rocky Mountain Dharma Center, and at some point he quite unexpectedly paid a visit to the Vajra Yogini group retreat practitioners right in the middle of the Sadhana donning this same British looking ladies hat veil and all. Fran somehow managed to obtain the hat, kept it for many years and at some point gave it to me. I in turn kept it for many years and then gave it to one of our Boulder Sangha ladies — can’t remember just who.
With a deep heart smile for our one and only Fran,
Steve Roth
Photo by Rachel Homer
The portrait of Fran taken by me [Rachel Homer] is from the first four karmas fire puja conducted by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche which took place at RMDC at Camp Amakula in 1985. It was taken during the enriching session when we were all dressed in yellow. Even the hat Fran wore was yellow with yellow veils. Afterwards, upon seeing the photograph. Fran asked that it be used for her sukhavati.
Ever energetic, I think it is important to remember that in addition to work for the native peoples of North America, Fran also continued well into her eighties to work for the benefit of others. Fran was actively involved in the food recovery movement in which leftovers from farmers markets and elsewhere is collected to be made available to others in our society who may be food insecure.
