Laura Rose Misaras (1959–2026) was a prominent Oregon-based peer movement leader, public servant, and advocate who dedicated her life to improving conditions and expanding resources for individuals within the mental health system. She passed away on July 15, 2026.
(Photo Credit: The PEER Company, Janie Gullickson)
Key Contributions & Leadership
- PeerGalaxy: Laura was the visionary founder of PeerGalaxy, an online platform and resource directory established to boost resource navigation, systems understanding, consumer engagement, and peer advocacy in Oregon and beyond.
- Systems Advocacy & Public Service: She was actively engaged in state-level advocacy and policy work, contributing her expertise to initiatives such as the Oregon Mental Health Systems Workgroup to address suicide prevention, behavioral health support, and community services.
TRIBUTE BY THE PEER COMPANY (Janie Gullickson)
It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend, mentor, and visionary leader, Laura Rose Misaras.
Laura Rose was more than an advocate—she was a pioneer whose unwavering belief in the power of lived experience transformed countless lives and forever changed the landscape of peer-delivered services in Oregon and beyond. While our hearts are heavy, we take comfort in knowing that her legacy will continue to live on through the people she inspired, the systems she helped build, and the movement she so passionately led.
This Sunday, our community will gather on Zoom to celebrate Laura Rose’s remarkable life and enduring legacy.
Just this year, we were honored to recognize Laura Rose with the 2026 Home Grown Peer Leader Award at Peerpocalypse. Her decades of leadership helped shape Oregon’s Peer Delivered Services landscape through visionary advocacy, strategic policy work, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring lived experience was recognized as essential expertise.
Laura Rose played a foundational role in building Oregon’s Peer Delivered Services system, advancing the Office of Resilience and Recovery, securing sustainable funding for peer respites, and championing public policy grounded in equity and lived experience. Long before telehealth became commonplace, she recognized the power of digital connection, creating PeerGalaxy.com and PeerBlast to connect peer communities around the world through what she lovingly called “galactic connections.”
Her vision created opportunities. Her leadership changed systems. Her compassion built community.
While we grieve this tremendous loss, we are also incredibly grateful for the gift of Laura Rose’s life. Her work will continue through every peer supporter, every advocate, every recovery story, and every person who chooses connection, compassion, and hope.
Please join us this Sunday as we honor Laura Rose’s memory, celebrate her extraordinary legacy, and carry forward the movement she helped build.
Once connected, always connected.
More Information (Tribute by Ann Kasper)
Laura Rose Misaras brought decades of creative and technical expertise in public and private sectors and was an extraordinary mental health advocate in Oregon. She championed telehealth and created PeerGalaxy.com and the PeerBlast calendar where kindness and connection are as abundant as the stars. Laura Rose called it creating “galactic connections.”
Laura Rose was a driving force within the Oregon Peer Delivered Services Coalition, the Oregon Consumer Survivor Coalition (OCSC), the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide and was chair of the State of Oregon Consumer Advisory Council (OCAC).
She promoted the fact that advocacy is a collective journey sustained by her family, her peer community, visionary partners, co-creators and what she called “a lifespan of teachers young and old.” She led with the conviction that “History is made by those who show up” and she reminded all about the truth that “Supporters need support.”
Posted in The Key Update
“On August 5, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT), MindFreedom International (MFI) and I Love You, Lead On will host a special Judi’s Room memorial session to honor and remember beloved Oregon peer movement leader Laura Rose Misaras, who passed away on July 15, 2026,” writes MFI Board President Kristina (KK) Kapp. “Laura Rose was the visionary founder of Peer Galaxy, a brilliant public servant, and a fiercely dedicated advocate who gave her life to improve conditions for children and adults navigating poverty, mental health challenges, and systemic barriers. Recently honored as the Homegrown Peer of the Year, she was never motivated by wealth — only by a profound, relentless desire to serve others. Beyond her immense advocacy work, Laura Rose was the dear wife of Larry Misaras and the devoted mother of Jordan and Star.” KK continues: “I had the honor, privilege, and pure joy to call Laura Rose one of my best friends and my spirit sister. As a fellow survivor, she carried a pure heart of belief, love, and unwavering hope for all of us. Let’s gather as a community to celebrate a beautiful soul who left an indelible mark on our lives and our movement.”
More Information
PeerGalaxy – Oregon’s Peer Support Directory: https://www.peergalaxy.com/