Dear sisters and brothers,
I learned just a few minutes ago that our dear friend and cosmos scholar, John Causland, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack (yesterday or this morning, I believe.)
So many of us enjoyed his enthusiasm for the starry realms, his gracious hosting of telescope treats at countless Urantia gatherings, and his passionately held views on the boundaries of our superuniverse home.
Bon voyage, John, dear friend and brother. See you soon, ... "in the blink of an eye."
Marvin Gawryn
****************
Oh NO! Such a dear man, so dedicated to exploring and sharing his knowledge and insights of our cosmos. A big loss. I’ve always enjoyed his company and am most grateful to have seen him at SS this year… Now, friend, you’re about to explore those heavens in reality -- Godspeed, John Causland!
Thank you, Marvin…
Pamela Chaddock
*****************
Marvin,
I am shocked because we were together at the S.S.S. and had a wonderful long discussion of his ideas, personal and cosmic.
He appeared to be in good health but appearances can be deceiving.
As with so many of our brothers and sisters taking leave so suddenly, a void is left reflecting their personality gift of God’s love.
Thank you,
Doreen Heyne
****************
Marvin,
This is so untimely! I can’t believe it I am shocked to hear this. I was just recounting to my family and friends the other evening on my Star exploration with John just a few weeks ago in Chicago for the SSS19. I am so saddened to hear this news; I so enjoy his company and discussing The Urantia Book and the wonderful Cosmos we live in. He will be sincerely missed by me and I know countless others as we look up into the nighttime sky.
Great to know that we shall see him again! See you on the other side John…
With Love,
Emilio Coppola
*******************
John Causland's sudden passing is a total shock on so many levels. He always lit up the room with his wit, awesome knowledge and wonderful sense of humor. John was on my short list to ask him to be a featured guest on my podcast program this coming Fall. His lectures on the cosmos always totally filled the large rooms when the Fellowship got together. John is now starting to explore the cosmos up close and we all wish him the very best and much love as he feels even more of God's limitless love. He already is very missed indeed.
Sincerely,
Nick Curto, USGNY Outreach Chair
**********************
What a sweet brother ~
John was a visionary leader amongst the larger UB community and an anchor within his Michigan region, where I’m sure his departure will be deeply felt.
JC must have pleased the revelators with his expanded cosmic consciousness and his generous spirit for sharing his talents.
One of the traits I most enjoyed about John was his soothing voice and communication style ... which included articulate language projected from his gentle cadence. Truly unique.
Certainly we will recognize one another - on the other side - through our unique personalities, which I believe will be aided by familiar tones of audio identity.
Be listening for you John!
Thank-you for your loving contributions to planet Urantia.
Your brother in spirit,
Tony Finstad
*************************
Dear Marvin and All,
I send loving thoughts and prayers to John's immediate family, as well as all others who have known his exuberant love of the cosmos, which he so unselfishly shared with so many, including me. Dear John enjoy the ride. So glad I hugged you at the SSS in Chicago. You are on your way.
Namasté
Karen Larsen
****************************
Marvin and All,
I remember John's array of telescopes at the IC at the YMCA of the Rockies. I was honored that he asked me to guide one of the scopes to keep it on target. I remember another time when he and I and another person made presentations back to back but I don't remember which IC it was. Mine was on the science of the UB; his was on the make-up of Orvonton. He had an excellent presentation. I'll bet he will be working at the observatory on Jerusem before long. 46:5.30 I look forward to saying "hi" to John and finally finding out what actually constitutes Orvonton.
Dick Bain
*******************************************
Farewell for now, John, great friend and cosmic colleague!
You came so willingly to our last and most effective North Texas Conference / Retreat a few years ago. You arrived half a day early at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and I was so happy to have been free to meet you there and to enjoy lunchtime conversation with you near the airport and then to continue listening to you all during our ride along the backroads north of Dallas to the Camp / Retreat -- the venue for that gathering !
How many great updates did I benefited from you, over and over, by discussing with you, or rather mostly by listening, as you so freely and seemingly effortlessly "discoursed" on the "nothing-less-than-radical-and-fundamental-revolution" our scientific world has experienced in its understanding of: the stages of galactic formation, the varieties of solar system development, the forces that shape nebulae the current estimates of the relative proximity of our far-flung starry neighborhood, our "galactic cluster" and so forth on and on! Very valuably, you helped us all to achieve a better appreciation, even for the enormity of the living cosmos itself.
Who among us, could it be said, remained (or at least did his best to remain) as concurrently abreast and presently informed about the apparently endless ongoing successions of decisive breakthroughs, laboratory demonstrations, experimental findings, or theoretical revisions about the nature, origin and destiny of the universe -- as you, John? You seemed to me to be quite comfortably at home in an ever-increasing number of universe sectors -- as though they were as familiar as your neighborhood. You seemed to be on speaking terms already with star students of long experience and cosmic acumen. In short, I found your familiarity with details of cosmic knowledge almost as awesome as the universe itself, humanly speaking. Fascinated by everything "out there," you were clearly gifted, and unquestionably adept, as well as personally generous, at making as much sense as could be made IMHO of the vast an ever-enlarging sum of data about the cosmos. I found you truly helpful in the ongoing task of relating and updating the cosmological revelations of The Urantia Book (admittedly "not inspired" and subject to revision "very soon") with man's continually improving approximations and irrepressible attempts to understanding the heavens above and around him.
Now, onwards you go to greater classrooms in the sky and to study with more astute mentors and research groups, to evermore enlightening lessons and expanding understanding of the universe as you prepare yourself for, I won't be the least surprised, a millennium or more of intense but happy study with a star student colony.
Godspeed awe-inspiring, "star-gazer," endearing earth-friend, thank you ! "Knowledge is possessed only by sharing. " (48:7.28)
"Sharing is Godlike--divine." (111:5.1)
David Glass
**********************
Sad to hear of John’s exit from 606. Will miss Johns patient telescope tutorials. After a day of conference workshops- some embracing UB cosmology, there was nothing quite like viewing the wonders of Monmatia through Johns telescope to “make it real.” Thanks John, you’ll be missed.
Paul Anderson
***************************
Omigosh. I am glad I got a chance to see him at the SSS this summer. We had a really interesting conversation about whether what is said to be the real shape of the universe is definitive or just the latest estimate based on assumptions which may or may not be true. Now I am no slouch when it comes to taking complex subject matter on board and picking apart what various statements do and do not mean, but he had a much better grip on the ins and outs and distinctions of these things than I do, and he was so patient in explaining. (I think his comfort with ambiguity and open questions will stand him in good stead as he takes his avocation to the next level.) And he made sure I got to see Jupiter that final night, with two moons. (I know some people saw 3, but I was quite content.) On more than one occasion in recent years I got to tour the Adler Planetarium with John. I remember one discussion, in between the astronomy, about scientists' reputation (often deserved) as eccentric people. But I found John quite normal!
A picture comes to mind of Paul Snider and Linda Buselli saying "John! what are you doing here?" And him replying "I don't know what happened! But here I am." And then they say, "Well, let's find out who we can talk to about getting your Star Student application started." And he's like "Fine, but I also want to know where I can get a Melchizedek University sweatshirt like yours."
Cece Forrester
*************************
https://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/annarbor/obituary.aspx?n=john-r-causland&pid=193760901
