In Memory of John Gallagher

My friend, mentor, and chosen family, John Gallagher, passed on earlier this week.

The shock of this sudden loss is hitting me in waves—ranging from intense grief to numb disbelief. John has been one of the biggest influences in my life, and it’s hard to imagine the world without his physical presence.

I met John 20 years ago and was immediately starstruck. At the time, I knew him as “John from Wilderness Awareness School,” where he had worked on many things, including the Kamana Naturalist Training Program, which was a big part of my life for a while.

But I really got to know John when I moved in with him and his family. I was living in Seattle at the time, and John casually mentioned they were renting out a room in their basement about 45 minutes outside the city. I was excited to be surrounded by more weeds than concrete, and I immediately said yes.

Back then, I was a plant student—and John and Kimberly,  his wife, were real herbalists. They had just started LearningHerbs and were making small batches of their herbal kits. Before long, I started doing small projects for John, and that snowballed into my whole herbal life being under the LearningHerbs umbrella.

John was inspired. Ideas would bubble up from him daily. We often had work meetings where we’d jot down so many ideas, we’d laugh and say we’d be busy for decades. But he wasn’t just a dreamer—he was driven, and he knew how to bring things to life. I watched him, Kimberly, and, eventually, the whole LearningHerbs team turn vision after vision into reality.

John was deeply dedicated to making herbalism accessible to others. I remember the day he called to tell me about an idea for a membership site—which would eventually become HerbMentor. He was so excited, and it was infectious. At the time, I wasn’t sure I could afford a membership, but John offered it to me for free. I fell in love with HerbMentor from the start. I spent countless hours in those forums, learning from others and answering questions. In many ways that is what shaped me as an herbalist. 

I still can’t believe this is how John’s story ends. It feels senseless. It feels preventable. As Kimberly shared, he lost his battle with insomnia, anxiety, and depression. I think there was a series of tragedies here, mainly his conditions being mismanaged by our broken health care system. 

One thing I know for certain is that John would never have knowingly ended his life. Please know that he was dealing with intense insomnia, massive stress, and sudden withdrawal from prescribed medications. His mind must have been so altered... I am enraged that the medical system failed him.

But I also know this isn’t how John’s story ends. He’s left behind a beautiful legacy. How many thousands of herbalists got their start with the herbal remedy kit, WildCraft!, or HerbFairies? How many thousands more have nurtured their love of herbs through HerbMentor and LearningHerbs courses? I honestly can’t begin to count. Kimberly will continue the work they began together, and those ripples will continue to widen.

It was my honor to grow up with John. I thought we’d grow old together, laughing about all the wild schemes we dreamed up—and did—over the years. He was a constant in my life. He knew me better than most. I can’t imagine life without him. 

Already I’ve received countless messages from friends and people who were touched by John’s life. Thank you for thinking of me. Thank you for sharing your stories. Please understand I’m unable to respond and unable to answer questions you may have right now. I have my own process to wade through.

John was a father, husband, brother, uncle, and son. Please hold his family in your hearts and prayers. His sudden loss is a deep wound.

And more than anything, please remember the beautiful legacy of John’s life and all he gave to our herbal community.

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Healand co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and has taught thousands of students through her online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.