Douglas Maxfield

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails. That’s what Gage Maxfield is made of. Gage never did shy away from getting his hands dirty or from causing his fair share of mischief.

Memories come to mind of the boy who tricked his youngest sister into whistling to capture local birds. Or the time he soaked Mom by taping down the sink sprayer. Stories have been told of when he tied a bag of cans to the passenger side rear wheel of Mom’s car so when she tried to drive, there came a startling (and oh so satisfying) CRUNCH! Chances are, if you knew him and he liked you enough, he probably got you with one prank or another.

Gage was a boy that “No” never seemed to mean much and a man that “Just wanted to see what would happen”. More often than not, his bold ideas would land both him and his siblings in trouble. Certainly among friends, if there was debate on who the bad influence was, it was probably Gage.

For all the grief this dumbass gave his family, Gage loved twice as hard. He is a very sweet and protective young man. In him were big warm hugs and the innocent (looking) puppy dog eyes that would light up when you entered the room. He made you feel important to him, because you were. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) that did not mean he would heed your warnings or listen to your advice.


Gage would always be a man that had to experience things for himself. If he himself said it was a bad idea, you would have to heed him. No need to inquire as to how he knows; He probably tried it at least twice.

Throughout his life he moved often and kept little. Oftentimes he lived with family and when that became too much he would stay with friends or go his own way. No matter how often or how far he moved, his personal demons would pursue him.

Over the years Gage’s loved ones would grieve for him many times, and every time he would show his strength, dragging himself from rock bottom against seemingly impossible odds. Gager was never afraid to do the work; He just needed to be reminded of what the work was for.

Eventually his journey and recovery brought him to Arizona to start fresh. There he spent years working on himself and making his family Damn Fucking Proud! None of it was easy, sometimes he slipped, but he knew his steps and pulling himself out got easier every time. He made it work and lived with another wonderful family that treated him as their own.Bad luck or maybe karmic debt still followed, but Gage could always laugh at what he survived and conquered.

Only Gage, in the span of a month or two, could go through getting bitten by a venomous snake, getting thrown from his vehicle to ruinously skin his hand, and then as soon as he was healed, end up helmet first on asphalt and sent to the hospital with injuries enough to kill a normal man. Still he persisted, recovered and laughed in the face of it all.

These misadventures brought him back to Utah to family and good friends as well as to the mountains and wildlife he adored. For 4 months and a little more Gage was determined to visit everyone that he missed so much. He inadvertently made amends to all he had ever hurt without even knowing. In all the stories I have heard about his return, it’s agreed that his love for life and simple things was infectious.

Seeing him clean and strong after all he had experienced was a joy to behold for all of us. If he did not get around to seeing you, know that he still loved you and thought of you. It’s just that he had so very little time in Utah and was quite done with vehicles after ‘doing his own stunts’.

Gage Maxfield passed on quickly late April 1st due to complications from his motor-vehicle accident in December, thus making sure a life long prankster got the joy of having the last laugh. His life is celebrated by his Mother and Father, his Stepfather, 4 obnoxious sisters, 4 kind grandparents, as well as many, many others. His story is not yet over, because the lessons he left will always be there: How to laugh at adversity; How to break the rules (and occasionally get away with it); How to do what is hard, even impossible for most. Most importantly he taught us how to love endlessly, with no regard for what is expected, or for what is owed.

Life is short.  Go be a dumbass. ❤