David Chadwick, an American Zen Buddhist priest and writer, died on February 23, 2026.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 9, 1945, he moved to California in 1966 to study Zen with Shunryu Suzuki. He was ordained as a priest in 1971, shortly before Suzuki’s death, and later assisted in the operation of the San Francisco Zen Center for a number of years.
Chadwick wrote Thank You and OK! An American Zen Failure in Japan and Crooked Cucumber, a biography of Suzuki. He had two children and later lived in Bali.
David Chadwick (February 9, 1945 – February 23, 2026) was an American writer and Buddhist priest. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he moved to California in 1966 to study Zen as a student of Shunryu Suzuki. Chadwick was ordained as a priest in 1971, shortly before Suzuki’s death. He assisted in the operation of the San Francisco Zen Center for a number of years.