Uma Thurman is mourning the loss of her father, Robert Thurman, who has died at age 84. The American Buddhist scholar passed away Tuesday morning, June 16, in Woodstock, New York.
Tibet House, the New York institution Thurman co-founded in 1987 to preserve Tibetan culture, announced the news. The organization wrote: "We are deeply saddened to announce that Robert A.F. Thurman, prominent American Buddhist scholar, co-founder of Tibet House US, author and translator whose teachings shaped countless lives, died Tuesday morning, June 16, in Woodstock, New York."
The post was captioned with Om Mani Padme Hum, a sacred Sanskrit mantra meaning "praise to the jewel in the lotus."
Over nearly four decades, Thurman's Tibet House hosted annual benefit concerts featuring Patti Smith, FKA Twigs, David Byrne, and Billy Corgan. The institution became one of New York's respected spaces for Tibetan cultural work.
Thurman's influence extended beyond academia. As the father of Uma Thurman, he shaped scholarly discourse and instilled his passion for Buddhism in the next generation.
