Robert Thurman: key obituary facts
Is Robert Thurman dead? Yes. Robert Thurman died on June 16, 2026, at age 84.
Cause of death: Robert Thurman's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Robert Thurman known for?
He was known as American Buddhist writer and academic.
More about Robert Thurman
Born: 3 August 1941.
Place of birth: New York City.
Place of death: Woodstock.
Gender: male.
Occupation: Author, university teacher, translator, exhibition curator, curator, Buddhologist.
Nationality: United States.
Education: Harvard University, Phillips Exeter Academy.
Employer: Columbia University, Amherst College.
Awards: Light of Truth Award, Padma Shri in literature and education.
Father: Beverly Reid Thurman Jr.
Mother: Elizabeth Dean Farrar.
Spouse: Nena von Schlebrügge, Marie-Christophe de Menil.
Children: Uma Thurman, Taya Thurman.
Also known as: Robert Alexander Farrar Thurman, Robert A.F. Thurman.
Robert Thurman, an American Buddhist writer and academic, died on June 16, 2026, at age 84.
Born Robert Alexander Farrar Thurman in New York City on August 3, 1941, he became a leading scholar of Tibetan Buddhism and wrote, edited and translated numerous books on the subject. He taught at Columbia University, where he held the Je Tsongkhapa Professorship of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies and was the first person to occupy an endowed chair in Buddhist Studies in the West, before retiring in 2019.
Thurman also taught at Amherst College and was recognized with honors including the Light of Truth Award and India’s Padma Shri in literature and education. He was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University, and was the father of actress Uma Thurman and Taya Thurman.