Rest in heaven my guy, from highschool friends to adults! Brother from another mother! ☝🏾 luv  Bro!

My prayers are with his loving family. This  was just one pic I took of Josh with a few  family members   Josh was truly one of a kind, incredibly smart, kind, artistic, athletic, spiritual and talented in so many ways, not to mention a bit competitive which he turned into one of his many strengths.  He visited us (his father and my family) a few times in NY when his mom and brother thought he needed a change in environment and it was evident right away that he was raised to be respectful, considerate and grateful.  I don’t think he asked for anything from us, yet he gave freely of himself and helped us all in different ways. I have a lot of memories but one memory that meant so much to me and probably few are aware of was when Josh drove me home from a family vacation in Vermont wearing a mask for 3 hours  because I was so ill with COVID that I couldn’t breathe with a mask on. I appreciated him so much. 
Josh was easy to be around as he never spoke a harsh word or verbalized a complaint while living with us even  though we knew he hated the cold in NY, and even when he was here during a  hot summer he refused to have an  air conditioner in his room.  I am praying for peace and comfort for Josh’s family and that Josh be at peace now with his heavenly father.

I’ve known Josh for over 30 years. I grew up with him at the Boys Club in Phenix City. Me and him always got along great. He had my back and I had his. One memory I will never forget was at the boys club. My brother and I were in the gym and all I heard was Josh screaming hollering for help and running into the gym from upstairs. There was an older guy running after him, trying to beat him up. Josh got to where my brother and I were at and got behind us. The older guy pretty much stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw my brother and I. From that day, Josh knew I had his back. Of course when we got older, Josh reminded me of that day. He told me he would have my back, no matter what. To this day, I’ve always considered Josh a true friend and if it came to it, could count on him to be there if I ever needed him. 
He will truly be missed, but never forgotten. RIP Hughey. Love ya brother.

RIP….Praying for your family to be comforted  dear classmates!!!!!

My condolences to the family. I met Josh during his brief stay in upstate New York with his dad. He had a lot on his mind at that time, and you could tell he was a fish out of water in the freezing cold, dark NY winter, with an Alabama accent and no other family or friends around. 

Despite how much he had going on, he spent lots of time in the gym training me (for free, I might add). I was struggling with back pain from waitressing and really wanted to find a way to mitigate it by gaining some muscle. You could immediately tell he felt most like himself in his role as a personal trainer. He really came to life in the gym, even though he was so far from home. He was very generous with his time and knowledge. I never felt judged by him, only encouraged and pushed. I tell people all the time those 6 or so weeks (right before the start of the pandemic, so I remember it very clearly) I was in the best shape of my life. Haven’t quite figured out how to get back there, his regimen was like nothing I’ve seen since. 

I think that winter was a tough one for josh, and he had no obligation to go out of his way to train me but he did. I think that’s a testament to how comfortable he was being in a position that might help someone. He would have been a great high school or college coach. 

I hope he is at peace and his family finds comfort and joy in his memory

I just want to start this off by saying my father was a great man who always tried and rarely gave up on his goals when he decided it was something he wanted, he wanted to wear designer, so he worked every day with no breaks until he built himself a company and could finally stop just looking at it in the mall. He wanted to make music, so he was in the studio every week making new songs and beats. He wanted to gain muscle and help others build their muscle and mind, so he was in the gym every day not just working, but helping. It’s easy to say how much you missed my dad when he passes away, but never thought to shoot him a quick message when he got knocked down and didn’t know if he could get back on his feet. To the people that reached out to him when he lost the house, the gym, and most importantly his mind, were the real friends. “If people only show up for you at your funeral, they never really showed up for you while you were alive.”  I feel that we should all live by this quote and think back on moments in our life where we could have just showed up. My dad was my favorite person even when I couldn’t see him or thought I hated him, I could never hate my dad, there’s too much love. I will forever live in memory of my father and the experiences I had with him. LLJH

Josh was like a brother to me. So thankful for the time we had together. I have so many good memories of us working together at kinetix and going golfing. Sending love and prayers to his family. 🙏❤️ 

John Cole

Doesn’t seem real. I’m currently residing in South Bend, IN. I’ve been here for work since 2024 and haven’t been home since. To go on social media and see the sharing of your death is always the worst. I don’t like to see this type of news on Facebook. I wish people had more respect. 

Josh, bro you always been that guy. You lived a life 3 times most don’t get once. Always smiling. Just enjoying life and living it up. Good friend and classmate. The is one hits home because we spent so many years growing up in school together and playing sports. 

My heart goes to your family and kids, Josh. Always a stand up guy. One love bro. Class of 2002 forever

OBITUARY

Joshua Blake Hughey

6 October, 1983 – 26 March, 2026

Striffler-Hamby Mortuary - Phenix City

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