by Ishman Clarke
Long time Subud brother, Jayana Emory, passed away on February 1, 2023 at 3:13 PM. He was opened in the mid-60’s and was an active member for a good part of his life.
He grew up in Steinbeck country (the fertile Salinas Valley) with the companionship of his dog and horse. He was a Clinical Psychologist and most recently worked with youth at risk.
Jayana is survived by wife Cathy, former wife Laura, his children Danny, Halima, and Rolf, and his grandchildren.
He was a dear friend who will be missed and always remembered. May the lightness of your spirit be the wings of your journey, old friend!
You are invited to share your own remembrance of Jayana Emory in the comment box at the end of this post (see below under “Leave a Reply”).
For background and stories about the San Diego Subud Center in the late 1960’s, when Jayana joined the group there, see this article by Ruben Andrews.
See Sulfiati Harris’s comment on this post below to find out the names of these Subud kids who attended a nursery school run by San Diego Center members in the 1970’s.
We are so sad to hear of this! I remember Jayana as a vibrant and loving man. He and Laura were a mainstay of the group when Sjarifuddin and I lived in San Diego. We moved there from Phoenix around 1977 with our two daughters and our son Sofan was born in San Diego.
It was an active group. When I lived there we met in the current Subud House and had many fun times. I especially remember when we turned the place into a sort of haunted house with Luke Comey being a space pirate! It was very elaborate.
We also had a preschool in I believe the home of Abdullah LeClair and his wife Ishvani in National City. Here is a priceless photo taken by Rohana Novlan. Top row: Debbie Mangum, Stefan Grafstein, Michael Troxell, LeClair’s son (name?). Middle row: Roekmini Harris and Halima Emery. Bottom row: Ruth Comey, Sabrina Harris, Kayla Grafstein and Louise Comey.
May God bless Jayana on his journey forward.
Love,
Sulfiati and Sjarif Harris
God bless him 🙂 — Met Jayana in Salt Lake & stayed with him & Laura for a day or two in August 1969, on our way to Bapak’s visit to L.A. a week or two later. Recall our brief visit as very enjoyable & Jayana & Laura very hospitable. Lucas Hess was also member of the local Salt Lake group that summer, & we must have been there for a group latihan on a Saturday. Afterward, Jayana needed to test, & perhaps i recall this because it is the first time i’d been invited to participate in a group test. I was not an official helper & i’d only been Subud for a year. The test was which of two job offers or opportunities Jayana should accept or pursue. One was for Oakland, i recall, & the other for San Diego. Lucas received for Oakland, & i received for San Diego. As it turned out, Jayana went to Oakland then, & a year later went to San Diego. Recall this because it was my first experience of group testing, & for myself receiving what seemed Jayana’s more permanent destination (nothing is permanent in this world)… & thus overall the experience gave me an early confidence in my receiving, even tho i did not become an official helper for another 21 years 🙂
Safiah Dhada says:
February 11
Thank you. I never knew him, but wish him well on his journey! Also, what an amazing history of Subud San Diego in the link at the bottom, by Ruben Andrews. Well worth a read!
Sebastian Tiano says:
February 11
I was opened at the Miramar Hotel on August 28th of 1969. More recently, I had lived in Thailand for 19 years. I returned to LA on New Years Eve of 2019. I had intermittent contact with Laura Emery and regret not asking re Jayana’s whereabouts. I, too, admired and loved the man.
May Almighty God guide and bless him.
So very grateful that I got to be with him at the ‘home going’ time, to not say goodbye but see you later. What a magnificent friend and brother he was to me from the very day I met him and Laura, my beloveds in the early 70’s and became best friends for Life. The beauty of Jayana’s soul was so well captured in his spiritual name….tender, quiet smiling, caring and quick to laugh and embrace all who loved him. His quiet wisdom was only second to his inner shining presence. He was Friend…in all its ever-loving ways. Always will stay with me and so missed. I once gave him for his birthday an art piece called Happiness. (with his broad smile always shared)….and for his legacy of the beautiful Laura and their sweetest of children, Rolf & Halima and lovely Chloe & Ryan & Danny…..and his own ever-present K I N D N E S S…We signify you! and Love you Dearly Jayana💛.