Roan Kaufman

1968 - 2021

Kaufman, Dr. Roan Louis, ED. D.

MADISON - Dr. Roan Louis Kaufman, ED. D. – Author, Friend, Teacher – age 53, died peacefully in his home with his wife next to him. Roan was born on April 13, 1968, in Clovis, Calif., the son of Jack Kaufman and Dorothy Helman.

Roan dedicated his life to helping others grow and heal. He was deeply committed to calling out injustice and building community through music and writing. This was first cultivated in his teens when he and friends created the fanzine, Mangled Efforts, and the band, Juvenile Truth. As a young man, he went on to publish several books and lead seminars on dating under the pen name, Ron Louis.

In earning his doctorate degree, he turned to indigenous elders and to the ayahuasca brew to understand and honor the ancient ways of healing and seeing the connectedness of all things. He dedicated himself to research, writing and teaching about the potential of ayahuasca as a social change agent. In more recent years he and his wife, Martha, founded the Ayavolve Institute for psychedelic integration and led multi-day healing retreats. He was the cherished leader of a spiritual community he fondly referred to as his Rebel Family. Roan was a lover of "disorienting dilemmas," and he was skilled at creating them as a vehicle for personal growth and change. He continued to use music to move pain and trauma in the many lives he touched until his last days. Roan made a significant impact in many lives through this work as evidenced by the fires, sweat lodges and prayer groups that held vigil for him in Peru, Mexico, and all over the United States during the final days of his life. For all his accomplishments and impact on others, Roan remained humble: he loved walks with his wife or close friends. He was dedicated to supporting his wife, children, siblings and nieces and nephew and deeply regretted leaving everyone so soon.

Roan is survived by his wife, Martha McCamy; stepchildren, Zack Staples and Matthew Staples; sister, Erica Heisman; nieces, Sophia Heisman-Gibbons and Eva Heisman-Gibbons; sister, Jillian Heisman; and nephew, Asher Heisman. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Dorothy.

Roan will rejoin the Great Mother Earth at Forest Hill Cemetery in a private burial. A celebration of Roan's life will be held on April 10, 2022. The family is compiling a collection of stories on the ways Roan impacted our lives. Please send them to mccamymartha@gmail.com. Donations in Dr. Roan Kaufman's name can be made to the social justice organizations of your choice. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Fitchburg

Funeral & Cremation Care

2950 Chapel Valley Road

(608) 442-5002