Gage Reno Beemish

The world became a brighter place when Gage Reno Beemish arrived on August 21, 1993. His childhood was spent in Madras, Oregon where he nurtured his love of nature, people, risk taking, and saying “yes” to almost everything. He came alive when outdoors or engaged in physical pursuits. Drumming, rock climbing, snowboarding, and cooking were particular favorites. On one particularly long road trip, Gage confiscated the lid of a metal garbage can to use as a hand drum in the car. This describes him well. Gage was nurtured by a mother, a community of school and Quaker Friends throughout the Northwest, and a chosen family to whom he was inextricably knit. His mind and heart were too deep, beautiful, & intricate to be held within a classroom. He learned through experiences, relationships, & exploration. He was a beloved counselor at summer camp and was known for reading to his campers before bed, including high schoolers, to whom he read Sufi poetry. He served as an intern for youth and young adult programs and eventually made his way to Palestine where he knit his heart to the Palestinian people, learned Arabic quickly, did recess duty at a school, and was profoundly shaped. In the crucible of community, Gage developed into the advocate and ally that defines his being. In Philadelphia, Gage served for two years with the Quaker Voluntary Service program. There, he built and maintained a deep web of connections that offered him opportunities to become a dedicated activist and organizer, as well as provide education on how to weather proof homes, affording grants to families who needed them in some of the most underserved parts of the city. In his free time, he accompanied undocumented children home from school to keep them safe. In the most recent past, Gage worked in the food service industry in Portland. His coworkers and customers knew how special he was. It was a dream of his to someday become a therapist. His clients and colleagues would have been so fortunate. Gage was beloved by everyone he met. He walked boldly toward difficult situations and invited conversations that would be thorny but important. His guiding forces were radical equity, the resistance of racism, capitalism, hierarchy, and the status quo, and pushing boundaries in all the best and most important ways. He was unafraid of making people uncomfortable for the sake of growth. Gage loved deeply and well. He said, “I love you. How are you doing?” and wanted to hear the full-on answers….sometimes more than we wanted to share them. He remembered who was, and who was not, a hugger. Consent mattered deeply to him. He showed up, he stepped in, he was fully present. Gage was an avid reader, deep thinker, and active listener (especially when taking social action), an insatiable Rubic’s Cuber, and a climber of all things who lived in a body that was driven to move. There was no slack line, hill/mountain, yo-yo, rope swing, or tricky surface that he didn’t tackle. He loved gaming and playing with friends, both online and in embodied settings. He had a knack for being the understated, but ever-beating, heart of every party. Gage is survived by his loving mother, Michelle Carlgren, a chosen family that he’s central to, and friends around the globe who have been forever changed by his being. May his memory be a revolution. His loving family is planning a gathering in his honor for August 7th - more details to follow.

Gage Reno Beemish

August 21, 1993 - June 28, 2022