Buckland, MA – Jim Valby (James MacDonald Valby) of Buckland, MA was born on September 3rd, 1946 in Rochester, NY to Richard and Mary (MacDonald) Valby. On June 12th of this year he received the surprising diagnosis of stage 4 peritoneal cancer. Just 10 days later, on June 22nd, he passed away at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. The doctors and staff at the hospital were so kind, caring and respectful during his 2 1/2 days there.
Jim attended Roman Catholic elementary school and McQuade Jesuit High School in Rochester, NY. He graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont with a degree in physics. Later he studied with the legendary scholar of Tibetan Buddhism Herbert Guenther at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada for 15 years, receiving a masters and doctoral degree in Tibetan Studies.
Although Jim worked at a number of different jobs over his lifetime, including research engineer for Eastman Kodak, running a nuclear reactor, driving a schoolbus for children with disabilities, bookkeeper, etc., Jim’s principal life work was his continuing study and translation into English of the 9th century atiyoga texts he had been introduced to in graduate school, eventually making his translations of some of these texts available in printed form, as well as his ongoing work within the International Dzogchen Community of Choegyal Namkai Norbu. As the devoted student of Norbu Rinpoche, over many years Jim traveled to many centers and locations within this community, in the US and internationally, teaching courses or leading retreats to help interested people understand and apply the Dzogchen teachings on the nature of mind.
Jim was an open-hearted person who threw himself wholeheartedly into everything he did. He loved seeing his friends at the bank, post office, transfer station and Big Y. For many years he explored the back roads of Massachusetts, Vermont and many other parts of the US on his Honda motorcycle. He was an accomplished violinist who at one time played in the Springfield Symphony. He read voraciously, and in his later years the house was often filled with the sweet music of his fiddle tunes. He especially loved playing guitar and fiddle tunes with his sons Lawrence and Olin, and listening to albums composed and released online by his son Mehta. And he treasured the times spent at his old house on White Head Island in the Bay of Fundy, NB Canada, where he knew and cherished his friendships with so many of the people of the small island.
Jim is survived by his 3 sons: Olin Murray Valby of Houston, TX, Lawrence Vincent Valby of Canada, and Mehta Valby-Youngs of Saskatchewan, SK, Canada; his partner of 32 years Catharine Ishii of Buckland and her 2 sons Jamie Ishii, wife Kimberlee and 20-month-old son Ren of Bernardston, and Christopher Ishii and husband Ian Murphy of Cork, Ireland; as well as 2 brothers John Valby and wife Anne of Clarence, NY, and Gary Valby and partner Kathy Awkard of Silver Springs, MD; and 2 sisters Elaine Valby and wife Paula Kimper of Makakilo, Hawaii, and Mary Jane Hominda and husband Jerry of El Carmen, Chile.
Jim is remembered and loved by many people near and far. He liked to make people laugh and to laugh with them. He once admitted to his hope, over the course of his lifetime, to make a connection with as many beings as possible within his community, which he defined as every being in the universe.
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