Aiden Tai Gossage

Aiden Tai Gossage (16 years old) was born on September 24, 2004, in Harbor City, California, United States. He grew up in Long Beach, California where he attended Carver Elementary School, Stanford Middle School, and Millikan High School. At the time of his passing, he was in his senior year at Millikan High School. On September 4—while walking home from a friend's house—he was killed by a driver who did not stop for him. He is survived by his mother (Lily), his father (Greg), and his younger brother (Luke). He rests at Forest Lawn, Cypress, California.


Aiden was a happy young man who cared deeply about his family and friends. To Aiden, a stranger was simply a friend who he has yet to meet. He was benevolent and good-hearted, generous with his time, gave freely of his possessions. He had a way of connecting emotionally with those who were in pain; his deep sense of compassion and awareness of suffering enabled him to lift a person out of despair. He smiled everywhere he went, never letting an opportunity pass to make his family and friends laugh. He possessed a unique energy that lifted others up, an authentic happiness and optimism about living one's best life. He was physically strong and enjoyed the art of body-building. He was disciplined and committed to improving his own fitness and health, enthusiastically recruiting many friends to join him in leading a healthier life-style.


As a young practicing Buddhist, Aiden took great interest in the power and beauty of Buddhist thought. Intellectually curious, he enjoyed philosophical discussions about human nature, spending his remaining months reading the Lotus Sutra (one of the most ancient and venerated Buddhist scriptures). The Lotus Sutra text was found in his backpack on the night that he left our physical world. Aiden's family misses him very much. They are keeping his memory alive through a memorial Instagram account (Aiden_Tai_Gossage). They encourage friends and others who know him to share photos, videos, and stories of Aiden so that he can live forever in their memories and hearts.