Joshua Arthur Queen

It has been said that time heals all wounds. I don't agree. The wounds remain. Time - the mind, protecting its sanity - covers them with some scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone.

~Rose Kennedy

Out of all of Josh's favorite quotes, his family is finding comfort in this special one.

Joshua “Josh” Arthur Queen went to heaven on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at the age of 21 where his family of angels welcomed him with open arms.

Josh was born and raised in Norfolk, VA, to Michael and Glenda Queen. On December 18, 1997 he lit up our family from the moment God gave him to us. He became Megan’s little brother and she was so proud to take on the big sister role. They were always together and affectionately called themselves "Sissy" and "Bubby". It was and will continue to be a sibling relationship that will never be broken and will never be replaced.

Josh followed his Sissy’s footsteps by attending Ghent United Methodist Preschool (2004), Ghent School (2012), and Maury High School (2016). He was also accepted into the Governor’s School for the Arts as a freshman. He was so proud of his Golden Ticket Acceptance, where he expanded his interest in liberal arts. He had the opportunity to be exposed to foreign languages beginning at Ghent School through a high school-elementary school mentoring program with Maury High which introduced him to languages at an early age. He excelled and found something that sparked his interest. Although his first language was English, once he was introduced to Japanese, it was non-stop. We all learned to count in Japanese from Josh. From there he added French to the list, which he spoke and read fluently. He even changed the language on his iPhone from English to French. At report card time, he had A’s in French and B’s/C’s in English! After French, he added Arabic to his language list. He learned to speak it, read it, and write it. He also was working on teaching himself Russian and he taught himself Spanish. He not only learned the languages, he learned about the culture, the history, and the political ideologies. He loved to have discussions about anything with everyone. He truly took with him an abundance of facts about a lot of things to which none of us were exposed. And he always made sure his facts were correct. Even when you thought it was incorrect or just plain made up, your own investigation would prove that Josh was spot on.

Josh was employed at the Hope House Foundation. He thoroughly enjoyed his job and coworkers. It was his way to help those that needed a little help in their life. Not to be judged for anything, but just to help them and listen to them. We know he became close to several of the residents and had a special place in his heart for them and all of his coworkers. His educational background extended from his high school diploma, to attending ODU in 2016. After a successful 3.8 GPA in his first semester, he decided to take time off from school. But he continued his education by achieving his Universal Life Church Ministry Credentials, to certification of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. He had recently been accepted to TCC, Evergreen State College in Olympia and to Arizona State University in Tempe where he was deciding to go back to further his education. He previously attended First Presbyterian Church in Norfolk. His itinerary in life was truly limitless.

Previous to Hope House, he was a lifeguard at Bayside Recreational Center. He was so happy one day after work when he shared with us that a family in town with NATO from France was visiting the pool. The mother was having a hard time communicating with the staff and Josh stepped up and was able to talk with her and answer her questions. As parents, that was just one of many proud moments.

He used his communication talents to address both the Norfolk School Board regarding the ability to allow students to have cell phones in school, and the Virginia Beach City Council regarding the ability to join that City’s recreational center as an employee, and not to be charged the out of district rate while supporting the City in which he worked.

His love for reading was immense, and his favorite author was Walt Whitman. So much in fact, that when he joined the Mid Atlantic Roller Derby Team he chose "Walt Hitman #66" in honor of him. Josh loved irony and it was a great way to intertwine both worlds. He slowed his roll following a fracture of both wrists at the same time, but he frequently talked about rejoining the team. It was an interesting Christmas dinner…we were back to cutting up his food again.

Josh also found a deep passion in learning about other countries and cultures. He loved to travel and loved to share his journeys with everyone. He visited Paris, Spain, Italy and Cuba twice. In Cuba he was sponsored by Orlando and his family where he was their guest of honor since he was from the US and was served sea turtle, which is a delicacy in Cuba. Josh always tried everything once. He and his friends took a tour up the East Coast to New York City, Boston, and Providence and stopping everywhere in between from there to Virginia. He was able to visit New York City during the Equality and World Pride Parade held in June. He was a firm believer in equality for all. Adamant in the principle that people should not be defined by black or white, male or female, classes or categories, but as good souls with a lot to offer the world. He tried to stand up for others when they couldn’t stand up for themselves. Josh was always honest and true to his beliefs. He was wiser than his age in many ways, was a great son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend to all. He always kept you on your toes and laughing hysterically. His stories were long, but always captivating. And we will miss him more than words can describe. We love him immensely.

Left to cherish his memory are his parents, Glenda Lynn McSpadden Queen and Michael Wayne Queen; his sister, Megan Nicole Queen; his adored adopted cat, Carlos; grandmother, Wanda Sue Queen; his Aunt Terrah and Uncle Bill Peterson, Uncle Gene Maffei, Aunt Connie and Uncle Allen Kerbs, Aunt Tammy and Uncle Mike Gray, along with several first and second cousins that will miss him dearly. Among those greeting him in heaven are his Aunt Gail Zimmerman, Uncle Wayne Davis and his grandparents, Ethel Leona McSpadden, Glen Arthur McSpadden, and grandfather, Josh Queen; his great grandparents, Gertrude and Deward McKinney, Ethel and Frank Lucey, Nell and Prince McSpadden, and Edith and Fred Rice.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, October 12, 2019 from 11am - 1pm at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 6329 E Virginia Beach Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23502, followed by a Celebration of Life at 1pm, and burial of ashes in the Woodlawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery. A reception will follow at Woodlawn Funeral Home. Memorial donations in Josh’s name can be made to the Hope House Foundation.