A Spiritual Bond

I first met Tagan years and years ago in Philadelphia. Initially, I met him not in person but rather through the stories of Tanya. Tanya and I were close friends, navigating our twenties together, when she started telling me about this guy in her lab. It was clear from the beginning that Tanya and Tagan had a spiritual bond - from the start it felt like love, and their love for one another continued to deepen as the days, months, and years went on.

When I first met Tagan in person, I was moved by his authenticity and engagement. He asked thoughtful questions and was genuinely curious about Tanya’s friends. The first Facebook message I ever sent to Tanya was on December 18, 2012 and read: “ hey tanya, i just wanted to let you know that i have really enjoyed getting to know Tagan and can't wait to continue to get to know him! xo m.” His genuine care and interest in Tanya’s friends continued, and Tagan was one of the first people that encouraged me to get the covid vaccine (and explained why it was safe) and also convinced me that the nighttime animal my backyard Ring camera kept picking up was an adorable possum (rather than another four legged creature with a long tail and slightly worse reputation….).

I was fortunate and blessed to follow Tagan’s journey - to see him graduate from his PhD program and move out to California, where so many incredible things happened, from Bodhi and Sophia entering the world to completing his post-doc and taking the next step in his career to establishing a home with his little family. Throughout all these years, what has not only been consistent but also grown stronger, has been Tagan’s love and commitment to Tanya and the beautiful family they have created. Any time I FaceTimed with Tanya, Tagan was in the background cooking food or giving Bodhi a haircut or returning from the backyard garden where he was trying to grow vegetables. That is how I will always remember Tagan - as the best friend and proud father to Bodhi and Sophia, the committed and loving partner to Tanya, the brilliant scientist, and the kindest and most genuine person. Xo m

To contribute a page to the memory book, email your words and/or photos to taganmemorybook@gmail.com