The Reverend Dr. Gene Reeves—whose career was largely anchored in the academy, with interests first in process philosophy and then a major shift to Buddhist thought—died peacefully at his Chicago home on 8 May 2019, aged 86.
Dr. Reeves focused on process thought in his early career, but through contact with Japan’s progressive Buddhist movement, Risshō Kōsei-kai, he became increasingly drawn to broader interfaith activity, and especially to study of the chief Nichiren Buddhist text, the Lotus Sutra. He lived most of his last thirty years in Tokyo, studying, teaching, and lecturing on Buddhist topics in Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, and the US. In 2008, as a capstone to his long devotion to Buddhist thought, Dr. Reeves published The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic.
Gene Arthur Reeves was born on 2 April 1933 in Franklin, New Hampshire, to Eugene V. Reeves and Parmelie Twombly Reeves. He earned a B.A. in psychology at the University of New Hampshire (1956), an S.T.B. at Boston University (1959), and a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion at Emory University (1963). Mr. Reeves was ordained in 1961 by the United Liberal Church (now UU) of Atlanta. He served on the faculties of Crane Theological School (Medford MA) and Wilberforce University (near Dayton OH) before moving to Meadville Lombard as Dean and CEO (1979–1988). The seminary later named him Professor Emeritus and awarded him a D.D. honoris causa in 2014.
At his death, Gene was survived by his wife Yayoi Reeves, daughters Anna Kerr and the Rev’d Eva Cameron (UU), step-son Takuro Sato, sister Joyce Reeves, and five grandchildren. A celebration of Gene’s life was held on 13 June 2019 at the First Unitarian Church of Chicago. Memorial donations are encouraged to Meadville Lombard Theological School, 180 N. Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60601.