Norman Torrey Waag January 20, 1947 – April 16, 2024 Torrey passed over into cosmic bliss at his home in Fairfield, Iowa on the birthday of Lord Rama (Srirama Navami), on a day of thunder and rainbows on the prairies of his native Midwest. An auspicious day. He was surrounded by the love of his wife, dog and dear friends, after an unsuccessful medical effort to keep an infection at bay. Philosopher, poet, scholar, builder, teacher, and lover of life, Torrey’s trajectory on this planet was full of zest, wonder and courage. As a husband he gave his whole heart, as a father, his unique guidance and deep love, as a friend, his steadfast respect and presence.
Torrey grew up in Edina, Minnesota, the eldest son of Norman Bjorn Waag, financial executive, and Audrey Hansen Waag, homemaker. He attended the University of Minnesota, where he earned bachelor degrees in Economics and Finance. Beginning his career on Wall Street as a financial analyst, he traveled to California seeking higher levels of consciousness, learning meditation, neuro-linguistics and hypnosis. He taught himself carpentry and became a contractor, building homes in Minneapolis and on the central coast of California. He was a leader and teacher for many years at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur. There he oversaw the rebuild of the Esalen Baths in 1999, and taught the Enneagram to dozens of loyal students. In the decade prior to his retirement, he was the General Manager at Deetjens’ Historic Big Sur Inn. In his later years, Torrey traveled across Turkey and then to Egypt with the Rosicrucian Order. He became a first degree Initiate between the paws of the Sphinx, and sailed down the Nile. He was an Oblate with the Camaldolese Hermitage in Big Sur, and visited monasteries with the brothers throughout Italy. His last travel dream was to visit the boundary waters in northern Minnesota, where he had camped and canoed as a boy.
Torrey is survived by his wife, Linda Jones; his daughter, Trista Macaulay (Sean) and grandsons Peter and Ian Macaulay of San Anselmo, California; by his sister Kristin Grevich (Dick) of Scottsdale, AZ, and brother Robert Waag (Debi) of Tempe, Arizona, and his nephews, Justin Grevich (Sri), Tyson Waag (Nadya), niece Essa Waag, great nephews Milan and Nikhil, and great niece Zuri. We will miss Torrey always on this earthly plane, and can’t wait to meet with him again.
