Will Schutz

SCHUTZ, WILL

Completed his life peacefully with his family on Saturday, November 9, 2002. He is lovingly missed and his life is celebrated by Ailish, his wife and partner of almost 20 years; his five children, Laurie, Caleb, Ethan, Dana and Ari; his grandson, Jez, and his daughters-in-law, Cheryl and Lorin.

Will was a man of many facets and of great accomplishment. He is remembered throughout the world by so many whose lives he touched personally and professionally. He was a scientist with a brilliant mind and a father, lover and friend with a gentle soul and generous heart. Will invented a pioneering and iconoclastic approach to enable people to experience joy and discover and live their potential.

He was also a simple man, in his own words, a "Jew boy from Chicago." He is remembered by those closest to him as he consumed hotdogs and garlic fries with mustard stained hands gripping a scorecard, not once taking his eyes off the team he loved for so long. He lived for handball, to rhythmically move his body to the Benny Goodman orchestra, for openness and for choice, and to bring his work on FIRO, Encounter and The Human Element to people throughout the United States and the world.

Beyond his immediate family so many people remember him for a life changing experience - in encounter at Esalen, in time spent with him in a workshop in organizations all over the world, and through teaching and learning his transforming Human Element approach to individual, team and organization development. His comical expressions and insightful humor were always a reminder of life's joy and surprises.

He was born in Chicago on December 19, 1925. He served on the faculties of Harvard University, UC Berkeley, Antioch University-San Francisco, the University of Chicago, Einstein Medical School and others.

During his time in the Navy, he developed the FIRO-B questionnaire, which is internationally known as one of the most widely used instruments in the field. In his life, Will wrote eight books including the best-selling "Joy" in 1967, "Here Comes Everybody" in 1971, "Profound Simplicity" in 1979, "The Truth Option" in 1984 and "The Human Element" in 1994.

A memorial celebration will be held for family, friends and colleagues at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, on Sunday, November 17, at 11 a.m.

Arrangements by RUSSELL & GOOCH FUNERAL CHAPEL, 270 Miller Ave., Mill Valley, CA 94941. (415) 388-1573.