Long time Subud member Rainer Burrows died peacefully at home yesterday morning (3/12/18) cared for by his wife Helaine. Rainer and Helaine had been members of the Bellingham/Skagit Valley group since 2006. He retired from active helper duty to become an Honorary Helper in 2014. The name Rainer, which was given to him by Bapak, was instrumental in providing him the courage and confidence required to act as Bapak’s helper. Rainer neve
Rainer was opened in 1959 or 1960 in Liverpool, England.During these early years John Bennett visited Subud centers,helping Bapak strengthen the groups. One such gathering brought Bapak to nearby Manche
Rainer emigrated to the US in 1968 and was subsequently asked to assume helper duties that year. This caught him by surprise since, in Britain, only married men became helpers. Rainer’s wonderful helper card is titled “Subud North America Helper No. 281” and is signed by the chairperson at the time, Victor Masters. In 1970 Rainer was appointed by Bapak to be one of the first so designated “Regional Helpers” and served the Midwest Region. In about 1972 Bapak named five new National Helpers, Rainer among them, and asked another to continue a second term.
Rainer and his wife, Helaine, moved to the Greater Seattle area in the fall of 1975. During the National Committee term of Hanafi Libman, Rainer was asked to sit in on weekly meetings. The years of National Helper work throughout the 70’s were critical to the substance of Rainer’s spiritual life; challenges met and decisions made shaped him.
The helper dewan in which he played a part attempted to be cognizant of the well-being of individual members of Subud USA, the country membership as a whole and the US role as part of the Subud world.