You should know who Baba Ram Dass is.

His original name was Richard Alpert, and he was an associate of Timothy Leary. His psychedelic and spiritual journey took him to India, where he learned from the guru Neem Karoli Baba, and then eventually returned to the US where he was a key figure in the countercultural and new age movements. He wrote the book Be Here Now, which is a very short and digestible introduction to the path of enlightenment.

Most of all, he was an exceedingly gentle and unique man whose presence on this earth is missed by many.