Birthdate: February 8, 1937 URS: September 10, 2025
Hadi Paul Reinhertz was born to Julian and Katherine Reinhertz at Mt Zion Hospital in San Francisco, CA on February 8, 1937. His older sister Kathie died in 2021 and is survived by her grandson Luman Egress.
Hadi attended the University California at Berkley and received his Master’s Degree from San Francisco State College. He began a thirty-five year career as an Elementary school teacher and completed his work as a principal. Here is a quote from one of the parents of ‘Bobbie”,
“ I didn’t know whether you would be a good influence on him. It turned out that the self-confidence he achieved under your influence, is one of his greatest attributes; and you were one of the most important mentors in his life.”
In the sixties, Hadi married Jeanne Frost and they had a daughter Tannis, who he raised as a single parent. In the late seventies, he and his domestic partner, Alice Murphy had a son, Noah Murphy-Reinhertz.
In 1968, Hadi began his study of Tai Chi Chuan which became a life-long practice. During his years in Vallejo, California, Hadi developed a large Tai Chi community which met daily in a local park. After the death of his daughter by cancer, he moved to Portland, to be near his son, Noah, and granddaughter, Nico. Paul continued to teach Tai Chi with his Vallejo students, via zoom weekday mornings. He also taught Tai Chi at the Center for Positive Aging in the Hollywood district of Portland.
In the eighties, Hadi was initiated into the Inayyati Order by Shams Kairys, this became a path of true learning and continual service for him. His immediate interest was in becoming a Cherag and he led Universal Worship Service in a store front at the corner of Baker and Grove Street in San Francisco. Joe Miller offer his blessings at the opening ceremony.
Hadi, Amida Cary, and Sharifa Krongold served together as Regional Directors for California. Additionally, Hadi was Camp Manager for a number of camps led by Pir Vilayat. Hadi started a Chisti Center in San Francisco and that group continued with him until He became the Administrator at the Abode in 2000. During that time, Pir Zia moved to the Abode and began sharing weekly teachings with the community. After Hadi returned to California, he was called upon to serve on the Board of Directors of the Abode. During the pandemic, Hadi became part of the “tech ” team of the Hurkalaya Center, and helped with many zoom presentations until August 2025 when he entered hospice at home, as his cancer was no longer treatable.
Hadi and his wife Shakina met as friends studying Tai Chi Chuan in Lafayette Square, San Francisco. During their thirty-five year journey together, they were both initiated as retreat guides by Azizia Scott. They co-led monthly Universal Worship Services in Berkeley and were Center leaders in Vallejo. At the Abode and in California, they taught the Mevlevi whirling, led semas and zikirs. In 2013, they traveled to Konya, Turkey and were both initiated by Jelaluddin Loras, son of Suleyman Dede, as Postneshins in the Mevlevi Order of America.
Over the years Hadi began to write musings about his life and self-published through Amazon: “Time Ago”, “Time Now” and “Sound of the Bird’s Wing, one person’s journey to the Sufi path”.
Hadi was a friend, a guide, a father, a grandfather, and beloved husband. His presence is missed by many.