Our dear friend, brother, and former colleague, John Midgley, passed away peacefully in August after a short time in hospice. We celebrate John’s life, his commitment to peace, and all the love and gratitude that passed between us.

John met Gangaji 1n 1996. As a spiritual seeker, he was drawn to attend a retreat in Asheville, NC. There, he experienced a profound awakening that changed the course of his life. Here is part of a letter to Gangaji written during that retreat:

Know that I am totally and unconditionally willing to be free – now – NOW

Know that I am deeply and eternally grateful for the Grace that allows me to make that statement and know that it is true

Can it really be this simple? It must be because it is —

In Love and Gratitude—John

There was a moment that John marked as his awakening, a moment of being seen in the deepest possible sense. You can see it on the video, when Gangaji asks at the beginning of Satsang, “Is John here from Knoxville…?” You see her eyes find him, standing somewhere at the back of the room, and there is a penetrating moment of silence.

After that John set about moving to Boulder to be closer to Gangaji. As a staff member, John brought his skills as a librarian and book retailer to the Gangaji Foundation bookstore.

Years later, after a move to Medford, OR—just a few miles down the road from the GF today—John became a mainstay in the prison program, managing the correspondence program, handling the influx of mail from prisons, updating the prisoner database, and fulfilling hundreds of requests for books. John brought his passionate commitment to truth, sparked so many years ago in North Carolina, to every aspect of the program.

He also brought his sense of fun and camaraderie to the office, joining the staff for weekly Friday pizza and annual Thanksgiving potlucks, and sharing far too many puns and old dad jokes. It was a thing. People would send him their puns, and he would share them liberally with his friends. His deadpan delivery and glee when you groaned were always irresistible. 

When John’s health took a turn for the worse in 2021, after a fall that left him in a neck brace for his remaining years, John moved into assisted living, where he continued to find ways to share the love in his heart (and the humor) with his caretakers.

“John was a joy to collaborate with—always loving, always fun. He supported me in running the bookstore at events, bringing ease and laughter to what could have been just a task. One of his most memorable gestures was sending his “doppelgänger” in his place, playfully surprising me with his love from afar.

It became a sweet standing ritual between us: he’d send it with a note, I’d return it with a note. Back and forth we went, carrying love, light, and laughter across time and distance. John’s generosity of spirit shone through in every exchange—a reminder that connection can be both playful and profound.”—Abby

“John has such a deeply gentle presence. Those memories are inspiring!”—Mark