John Midgely, 1948-1925

“John left this earth knowing that his was a lucky, lucky life. We were lucky to have him in ours.”—Barb

Our dear friend, brother, and former colleague, John Midgely, 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: (photo of letter)

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.

Insert video clip

“I was always moved by the tender heart John had for Gangaji and satsang. Whenever he spoke of how much it all meant to him, his eyes would fill with tears. A true lover of truth.”—Shanti

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.

“John is/and was so true to this teaching that brought us all together. Steady and true.”—Manju

Years later, after a move toMedford, OR—just a few miles down the road from the GF—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.

“It was his final role as a volunteer, managing the Prison Program, that gave him such quiet joy. Attending to the requests and letters from prisoners across the US added a lovely legacy to his life.”—Barb

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. (insert pun)

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 with his caretakers.

Here is what he wrote in November 2021.

I have found home
In the most unexpected place
Filled with “strangers”,
Old and Infirm
As am I

Yet
When  I  look with an open heart
I discover
There are no strangers here
Only me

If home is where the heart is
Then I truly am
Always home

There were many twists and turns to his health over the following years, which he bore with incredible openness and true surrender. Here is one of his last posts on the forum from March of 2025. It says it all:

Here
Still Here
Always Here
Seen or Unseen
Heard or not Heard
Doing or not Doing
Always Here
My Future Unknown
Wait and See

Meanwhile
My life is filled with
Love Gratitude Peace and Humor
That I gently try to share with those around me
Blessed blessed life
That this blessed fool experienced
Only through the power of
Amazing Grace

John passed away in the early hours of August 16, 2025. In the wake of his death, friends and collegues shared their tributes of John and we are happy to honor his life of service with the global community.

A few more quotes from friends:

“In the end,

   freer than a bird. . .

     here, he kept his heart

        and wings open.

            Sail on, John ❣️” —Coyote

“When I visited him while he was dying, all I could feel from his essence was Peace. His face and skin looked younger than I’ve ever seen him.

While his body was breaking down and disintegrating, there was an aura around him of Peace. He was receiving excellent care from the hospice care team. With pictures of Gangaji, Papaji and Ramana in the room, I could feel his love for this lineage and sangha. Om Shanti Shanti 🙏”—Sean

“John had an amazing capacity to surrender to whatever limitation came next. He and I were in frequent contact through texting and FaceTime during his last years. Throughout that time, he went from giving up his car, moving to assisted living, many hospitalizations, a broken neck, a broken back, a broken hip, moving to a nursing home, and many infections. Throughout it all I was amazed to see his gracious surrender to the next crisis. He was and is truly an inspiration to me. And I miss him.”—Atmara

“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