Of the many pupils who gathered around G. I. Gurdjieff, Christopher Fremantle was among those who continued to work for a lifetime. Tall, patrician, and soft spoken, he personified the gentleman and was able by his efforts and perhaps also by his nature to embody the ideas he transmitted.

He left a distinct mark in turn on his own pupils.

They listened to what he said, of course. Yet often it was just by watching him, trying to tune themselves to him that they understood, at least for the moment, the seriousness of what he was trying to impart. Occasionally they shared in his joyfulness, which was apparent always, just below the surface.

He was born December 17, 1906; the youngest of five children. According to his wife, Anne, Christopher's parents were devout Episcopalians. They held family prayers every morning in which servants and guests participated. Daily Bible readings for the children were supervised by his mother.

A formative influence was his housemaster at Eton who told the boys, "be nicer," instead of scolding them. After receiving a degree from Oxford, Fremantle studied at the Royal College of Art and became a painter.

Christopher's eldest brother was killed in World War I. His lifetime pacifism stemmed from an awareness of his parents'...