Marine's Memorial Club
609 Sutter Street
San Francisco CA 94102

Pacific Institute holds its bi-annual Gala Dinner at the Marine's Memorial Club to honor individuals with the Eldership Award, recognizing their lifelong contributions towards a society that encourages and embraces Eldership just as much as youth. The dinner will also help Pacific Institute to further its specialized programs, such as the Gerontological Wellness and Expressive Arts Therapies Programs.

This Year's Honorees:

Sensei Keiko Fukuda
Honorable Sensei Keiko Fukuda is the highest-ranking female practitioner of judo in the world. She was born in Tokyo, and began the practice of judo in 1935 at the age of 21. Fukuda Sensei is revered as the last living disciple of Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo. When Fukuda began taking lessons in 1935, she was one of only two dozen women in the school, which is known today as the Kodokan International Judo Center. Kano had invited her to study judo because of her martial art lineage. She was the granddaughter of a renowned jujitsu master, Fukuda Hachinosuke, who had taught that Japanese martial art to Kano.

As featured recently in cbs5 ".... Sensei Fukuda....A San Francisco woman, in her 90's is inspiring others in the ancient art of self-defense and making history as well. Keiko Fukuda has Parkinson's disease, arthritis in every joint, a triple bypass and has recovered from two heart attacks. In a small studio in San Francisco's Noe Valley, the 92-year-old Fukuda holds court. She's had a hold on judo the past 80 years. The top female practitioner of the sport - ever. Fukuda came to lecture in the Bay Area 40 years ago and never left. She's a pedigree. Her grandfather was a famed samurai jiu-jitsu warrior. She attended the first judo class which ever allowed women. Fukuda is now a 9th-degree black belt. No woman has ever achieved that rank in history.

"She's the best teacher. In fact, the highest ranking teachers in the world come to study with her," said judo black belt Fran Christie. Her students can be 70 years her junior. The mind is sharp - her body is not. But her spirit is something else. "She will start a sentence with, 'When I get old,'" said friend Shelley Fernandez. "She does not see herself as old."

Fukuda is not one to throw her weight around. Unless some unfortunate rookie steps in, not knowing what to expect. Her stature is small but her importance can not be overstated. Fukuda has blazed a path that has taken her where no woman has ever gone before, and because of her the history of her sport must constantly be updated..." (© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

With a total devotion to her art, Sensei Keiko Fukuda continues mentoring women all ages and teaches them discipline, self-defense, and love for the sport...and themselves. Pacific Institute is honored to have Sensei Fukuda as one of the 2008 Eldership Awards recipients.

Click to see Sensei Fukuda in action

John Levy
John L. Levy has over 25 years experience in private practice working with individuals and families on issues involving inherited wealth. He has made presentations and led discussions for financial planners, estate planning attorneys, family office managers, bank trust officers, investment advisors and other professionals throughout the U.S. John is the author of Inherited Wealth: Opportunities and Dilemmas (2008), as well as numerous articles.

John has also served in managerial positions with non-profit organizations devoted to psychological and spiritual health. Organizations for which he has worked include Sequoia Seminar, the American Friends Service Committee, San Francisco Venture, the Association for Humanistic Psychology (as Executive Officer), the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco (as Executive Director), and the California Institute of Integral Studies (as Interim Provost). Previously he worked in heavy construction first as an engineer and later as an executive. John has a BA in Engineering and an MBA, both from Stanford University.

As a pioneer in the field of existential humanism, John Levy has helped open doors to more possibilities of healing, growth, and insight. His work has served as a catalyst in forming our understanding of the human psyche and spirituality. John Levy has significantly influenced the social contributions of many, as well as the philosophy that Pacific Institute utilizes of raising people's awareness of care for others and the planet. Another honorable recipient of Pacific Institute Eldership Award.

Click to learn more about John Levy