KUMAR LEWIS

An ambassador for peace and love...

Japanese

*********Public Memorial Ceremony****

April 7, 2007 in Occidental, CA

A public memorial ceremony and celebration of Kumar's life will be held on April 7, 2007. This will be a time for all who knew Kumar to come together to pay there respects, remember, reminisce, rejoice and celebrate Kumar's life. We want to include as many people as possible so please send an e-mail to Chinmaya and Jyoti for more info. Please be sure to spread the word on about this to all Kumar's friends throughout to the world. Invitations have been sent out to those we received addresses from. Please look for them in your mail soon.

We are currently planning our schedule for the memorial. Kumar's Aunt and Uncle - Hamsa and Moshe - are coordinating the schedule and would like to hear from you if you would like to do a scheduled presentation, address to the group and/or talk. Please contact them as soon as you can. Their e-mail address is filters@newmarketnaturals.com

We'll also would love to hear your ideas for the gathering such as activities, music, and mutlimedia. If you want to contribute please let us know. Send an e-mail with your contact information to:Chinmaya <chinsa@sbcglobal.net> and Jyoti <jyotilewis6@hotmail.com>. The time is drawing near and we look forward to seeing everyone.

The ceremony take place at the CYO Retreat Center in Occidental, CA at 1pm Saturday April 7, 2007. There will be food, music and presentations all in the spirit of Kumar!

Location- map	Directions
CYO Retreat Center 2136 Bohemian Highway Occidental, CA 95465	Directions from San Francisco Airport
	Directions from Oakland Airport
	Directions from San Jose Airport

Accommodations: ***CHECK THIS MAP****

Closest accomodations (not sure on pricing or availability) :

Holiday Inn Express 1101 Gravenstein Hwy South Sebastopol, California 95472-4861 (707) 829-6677 http://www.winecountryholidayinn.com/

Occidental Hotel 3610 Bohemian Hwy Occidental, California 95465 (707) 874-3623 http://www.occidentalhotel.com

There are also many hotels in Santa Rosa and the surrounding area.

You can use these Towns or zip codes in your online search : Sebastopol - 95472, Santa Rosa - 95401, Rohnert Park - 94928, Occidental - 95465. Other towns include Monte Rio, Guerneville, Graton.

Online Accomodation Searches and Reservation sites: HOTWIRE.COM, ORBITZ.COM, KAYAK.COM, TRAVELOCITY.COM , PRICELINE.COM , HOTELS.COM

Please contact us - Chinmaya, Jyoti, or Newmarks - if you are having trouble finding accomodations. We would love to help, anyway possible.

Events Regarding Kumar's Death

Thursday, March 16th, Our beloved Kumar Lewis was shot and killed in Nairobi, Kenya. He was staying in the house of a friend by the name of Peter Orwa. Peter was also shot and his condition has recently been upgraded to “stable”, although he is still in a coma.They were both shot by a stranger who entered the house in the morning, Kumar was practicing Yoga at the time.Kumar was on a 3-4 week leave from his duties with the Peace Boat and he traveled to Kenya to play music there; Kumar was a fantastic drummer and had previously lived in Ghana where he studied African rhythms with various types of percussion instruments.He was also steeped in Reggae Music and culture from Jamaica.

Friday, March 17th, after hearing the tragic news, Kumar’s mother, Ischi and his sister and brother, Jyoti and Chinmaya boarded a plane for Nairobi. They are heart-broken but have managed to stay strong with the single purpose and focus of bringing Kumar back home (to Sebastopol, California – 60 miles north of San Francisco).

Sunday, March 19th, Kumar’s family arrived in Nairobi and were met at the airport by Ryo, coordinator from the Peace Boat, Sam, Peter Orwa’s son, and two good friends and colleagues of Kumar’s Uncle, Hanno Bliss (Achim Braun and Rainer Walz), all of whom were there to assist the family in accomplishing their mission. With the help of a lawyer, one of Hanno’s friends, Ischi, Jyoti and Chinmaya were able to see Kumar who was at the funeral home. It was vital to the family that they see Kumar before any procedures were done. The following is an account from Jyoti, Kumar’s sister.

“when we arrived at the funeral home we were greeted by a wonderful man who was caring for Kumar, guarding over Kumar. He led us into the room where Kumar was lying…..he was lying there with blue velvet and flowers around him….he looked so saintly, he looked so manly with a beautiful gotee that he had grown…..there was a bright aura around him….he looked so peaceful, almost angelic.….he’s so beautiful, he looks like a god….he is a prince……he is the prince of Africa right now……we were with him……we were able to set him free….he is free now.”

Monday, March 20th, Ischi returned to the funeral home to spend more time with her beloved son, Kumar before any procedures began. Kumar’s body was released from the funeral home and his African musicians, whom he played with, came to perform for the last time for Kumar. Then, Kumar’s body was autopsied to determine the “cause of death” and the death certificate was issued.

Kumar’s body will be cremated, and on Tuesday the family is going to the nearby state park reserve to commune with nature at Kumar’s favorite place in Kenya. The plan is to cast some of Kumar’s ashes there. Kumar loved Africa so much, the music and culture, that it is only fitting that a part of Kumar be left on African soil.

Ischi, Joyti and Chinmaya will leave Nairobi on Wednesday, taking with them Kumar’s ashes and his personal belongings. Hamsa and Moshe, Kumar’s aunt and uncle, are arriving in San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon and will drive to Sebastopol to help get the house ready for the families’ return and meet with close family friends. On Thursday they will pick the family up from the San Francisco Airport, take them home, and stay with them for the following week to be of support in this time of tragedy. A memorial fund is in the works... it will be called the "KUMAR LEWIS MEMORIAL FUND". If you wish to donate to the fund, please visit this site throughout the week and look for the link...... hopefully by Friday, March 24th, 2006.

Tuesday, March 21st, Please keep the family of Peter Orwa in your thoughts and prayers.... Peter passed away today due to complications related to his shooting.

Thursday, March 23rd, There are two way to financially contribute to Kumar's memorial fund. Click Here

Wednesday, March 29th, Jyoti, Kumar’s sister will be leaving for Tokyo on Wednesday, March 29th and returning on April 5th. Her purpose is to connect with Kumar’s friends and to go to all of the places in Tyoko that Kumar worked, ate, played…. She will be visiting the Peace Boat and spending time with Kumar’s co-workers and friends. She will also be gathering all of Kumar’s belongings and bringing them back home.

Tuesday, April 11th Kumar's 31st Birthday. A small memorial service was held at Ischi's (Kumar's Mom) house in Sebastopol, CA. A public ceremony will take place sometime in the future and will be announced widely.