The following message was shared by the North American Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA), reposted here with permission.
It is with great sadness that we share with you that Dr. David Slawson passed away on Sunday, April 4th. Dr. Slawson was an important member of the Japanese garden community and made invaluable contributions to our field during the last 40 years. He was born in the suburbs of Clevaland, Ohio in 1941 and first visited Japan as a Marine. He became enamored with Japan and its gardens, obtaining both a Masters degree and a Ph.D. in Asian Studies. His dissertation was later published as Secret Teachings in the Art of Japanese Gardens.
Over his long and accomplished career, Dr. Slawson constructed numerous gardens including the Japanese gardens at Garvan Woodland Gardens and the Cleveland Botanical Garden as well as at Carleton College, Smith College, and The Aspen Institute. He was a founding NAJGA board member and was honored by NAJGA in 2014 for his achievements. Our thoughts are with his family as we share this news with you and acknowledge his very important contributions to the Japanese garden field.
UBC Botanical Garden offers our condolences to Dr. David Slawson’s family and remembers with gratitude Dr. Slawson and his invaluable work in the Japanese garden community.
