Street Roots is sad to report that one of our vendors, Nathan Roper, passed away this week. Nathan passed away at a Portland hospital after having a heart attack on the streets. He was 52 years old.
Nathan was a longtime street artist and poet who lived on the streets and had a very hard life. He sold the newspaper for the past two years at several locations, but mostly at NW 21st and Lovejoy in the Northwest.
In a recent Street Roots vendor profile, Roper said, “I always had an artist’s soul.”
“Nathan was a gifted artist, a talented writer and a friend to many,” says Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel. “A kind and gentle soul, Nathan’s ability to overcome adversity in life while keeping a positive attitude was inspiring, and certainly will be remembered by me for years to come. He was an incredible member of the Street Roots family and he will be sorely missed by all of us.”
Read Nathan’s Vendor Profile here.