I was passing through Ohio on I-75 yesterday and thought about Josh and wondered how my old college friend was doing. I was devasated when a Google search led me to an obituary. Josh was an amazing person. I don't know if anyone is reading these six months later, but I want to honor Josh and our friendship with a few words.
Josh and I were good friends in college at American University in the 1990's. We were in several criminal justice classes together. Josh was pre-law and I was studying journalism. Both of us really enjoyed our courses on the death penalty and law enforcement. We had long conversations about the course work. 
We took a class field trip to the DC jail and thought it was fascinating. Josh went a step further and contacted someone at the Lorton Prison in Virginia and asked if we could visit. I cannot believe it today, but they let us visit! Josh and I drove to the prison and Josh brought a carton of cigarettes to pass out. He had done his homework on how to make fast friends with the inmates. It was surreal to be in an open room with Josh, me, a very elderly prison chaplain and more than a dozen men doing hard time, all just milling about. This was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I'm sure they don't let college students do this today. LOL.
Josh and I also met up often on the weekends at Quigley's, a favorite American U spot to grab a beer and dance. We took long walks around campus. I have so many memories of our fun times. 
In the years past college, we lost touch except for the occasional email. I've read all these notes from co-workers and family. I too will always remember Josh's dry sense of humor, his smile, and his enthusiasm for life. My prayers are with Josh's family and loved ones. Josh will be missed.

I’m so sorry about Josh’s passing. I worked with him for many years. He was a crucial person to our department who always handled problems with humor and integrity. He is very missed. —Erin McFadden

I am so sorry to have heard of Josh's passing. I worked with him for several years, he was a great person. Please know that his kindness and humor will be missed.

Josh was a dear friend and colleague.  We’ve had so many fun times in our friend group from playing trivia to pulling pranks.  We will miss him so much.

My sincere condolences to the Penn family. Josh was more than a colleague. He was a good friend to us all. Even though we were technically in different teams, he was always part of us. LN won’t be the same. Our thoughts to you and his closest.

Sending condolences to Josh's family at this time. I met Josh at LN in 2000 and knew him my entire career and nearly half my life.  He was kind of like a brother I never had, and I will miss his quick wit, his warmth, his huge laugh, and his eye roll and sigh with a "What have you done now?" when I would call him with a tech problem that the help desk couldn't solve.  He was unfailingly patient, generous with his time, and I loved hanging out on the phone with him.  

I hope to see him on the other side, and in the meantime I hope that all the great memories of Josh comfort his family and friends.  

Love, Jill.

I am so deeply saddened to hear of Josh's passing. As his colleague for over 20 years, his expertise was legendary, but his real gift was to never make you feel like a burden despite all the hours he might need to spend on your problem.  His good humour, professionalism and kindness will be missed. Receive his soul O Holy Ones, May Christ who called Josh take him home.

I always referred to Josh as “my Josh.” I met him 25 years ago when he gave me my desktop computer to use in my home-based position at Lexis. And even though I moved groups in the organization and had many computers… he always remained my Josh. He was so busy… (a problem he had because he was the best) but ALWAYS got back with me promptly. I loved our little chats… about work, life etc… He was so bright, funny, cheerful, professional and not too techie for my lawyer brain. To say he was an asset to Lexis is an understatement. RIP, my friend and colleague. I am going to miss my Josh… I already do.

I first met Josh almost 26 years ago at LexisNexis, and I quickly learned he was the person to know and get on his good side! Which fortunately, I did! He was a good friend, colleague, and awesome IT guy. I remember when he moved into IT full-time, and we were told we really weren't supposed to keep asking him questions, but we all did anyway. So many times he helped me out, spent hours on the phone trying to figure out the problems, and made sure that everything was working. I will always be grateful for his wit and humor, and he will be greatly missed.

We are so sorry to hear of Josh's untimely death. He was always such a wonderful fun- loving young man. We have many fond memories of him growing up in our UA  neighborhood. 
We will miss him!
Peg and Dick McCray

I knew Josh through my sister, Carrie, and our entire family was heartbroken to learn of his passing.
I have such fond memories of tagging along with Josh and Carrie to the Broadmoor Hotel, Silver Pond Restaurant, and many other places around Colorado Springs in the 2000s. Josh even gifted Carrie a Jack Russell Terrier named Frances, who brought everyone such joy and happiness for 17 wonderful years.
Over the years, Josh and his father offered unwavering support and guidance during some of our most difficult times—first through my own cancer diagnosis, and more recently, my father’s. Their compassion and kindness meant the world to us.
We will forever be grateful to the Penn family and share in this enormous loss.
Rest easy, Josh. You will always be remembered.
—Amy Mendez and Family

Josh & his beautiful Mom ❤️ Cousin Cathy

I will always remember my first day working at LexisNexis almost 25 years ago. My cubicle was two cubicles away from Josh Penn’s cubicle in a row of cubicles. He helped me to get set up. I can still see and hear Josh telling me that where the restrooms were located was something that everyone should tell you when you start a new job, but nobody ever does. He then walked me to the nearest restroom to show me where the restroom was located. That act told me a lot about Josh. 

When I went home based I would not have been able to do my job without Josh. Whenever I reported a technical problem at work, I always hoped that Josh would be the one who phoned me back to deal with the problem. He always was very patient with me and never expressed exasperation with my ignorance. Believe me. I gave Josh good reason to get exasperated with me. But he always was positive and stayed with the job until he got it done. 

Josh was a very caring person and a nice guy. He always was of good humor and did everything that he could to help other people. I remember that he had a fondness for Jack Russell Terriers. I don’t believe that there is anyone at LexisNexis who has a bad word to say about Josh. Josh will be missed. With his unique set of skills he carved out a role for himself in the company that never will be replaced.

I hope that Josh’s family and friends can get some comfort from knowing how admired, respected, and appreciated by his colleagues Josh was.

Josh was my first cousin and I am so devastated. I will miss him forever.  It is never easy to lose a loved one when it’s sudden and unexpected. He was fiercely loyal to those he was close to and loved.  We are glad he is now at peace.   He had a wonderful dry sense of humor and was so smart, he would keep you in stitches laughing.  And yes, he was always available for a computer question. 😊. Family was everything to him and he always made an effort to come to every event and holiday party. Until we meet again Josh, I hope you will be looking down us with loving protection.❤️ 
I just love reading everyone’s memories of Josh.  

Cousin Cathy

A sage in his craft and a prince among men.  A helpful, patient, professional in all his business encounters with Lexis colleagues reaching out to Josh for his advice and counsel. The kind of man that leaves a positive and lasting memory of a kind soul that we can all learn from. Best wishes to family, friends and all who cared about Josh.

Peter C. Miller

Words keep escaping me as I have been struggling with disbelief at the news. Josh was my go-to person at LN for laptop issues, and just general conversations. We had so many wonderful conversations about our pets, and favorite wines.  He had a great sense of humor, and was patient, kind and most importantly, non-judgemental when I made a mistake trying to load new software.  He just did his magic and made it all work while we chatted about this and that.   
My  thoughts and prayers are with his family, and may he rest in eternal peace.

Josh was gifted with intelligence, insight, and a heart to help others, and he shared those gifts so generously. Whatever technical issue I had, or anybody had, he was on it, and he would spend whatever time it took to resolve it. I have no idea how he found the time to do this, but he did, and with a wonderful sense of humor and interesting conversation. He always made me smile. I miss him already.

My deepest sympathies and prayers of condolence to Josh's loved ones.

My deepest condolences to Josh's family. I was greatly saddened when I heard the news of his passing.  I had the pleasure of knowing Josh at LexisNexis for 20+ years, including as his manager for a few years. It was always a joy to talk with him.  He was upbeat, funny, and patient. He was a lifesaver if anyone experienced a technical problem.  I will miss him, both professionally and personally.

I've known Josh over the years at Lexis. When we returned to the office on a full time basis a few years back,  Josh was extremely helpful getting us set up in our work room.   

He would help with any issue great or small with his kind demeanor and sense of humor. 

His office was next door to the work room and I was able to spend time chatting with Josh, having a laugh, or just a quick wave hello.  

He will be missed.  God bless, Josh. 

Wishing peace to his family.

Josh was a great friend.  For the past few years his office was next to a room that is used to work on content for my old department.  We had many great conversations and many more laughs.  He was a great guy and was always willing to take time from his work to help me and anyone who needed his assistance.  I will truly miss his friendship.  Sending love and comfort to his family and many friends.

I had the pleasure of working with Josh at LexisNexis. He was tremendously helpful with new laptop rollouts and other issues, and he will be greatly missed. My heart and thoughts are with all of the family, friends, and other loved ones that he has left behind.

My condolences to Josh's family! I know his loss will leave an empty place in all of your hearts.
I knew Josh for over 20 years and like so many others spent hours on the phone with him as he worked with me on some issue I had with my computer. As another colleague pointed out, if you had a problem the first thing you thought of was "call Josh!"  But Josh was so much more than our "tech guru." He was a good friend and someone everyone wanted to see and get together with when we would descend on Colorado Springs or Dayton for group meetings or training. He was much sought after for lunches, drinks, dinner and always made for great company. 
Rest peacefully Josh - we will all miss you!

I am so sorry for your loss.  Josh was truly the nicest, most down-to-earth guy.  Great sense of humor, always there to help solve our computer issues. He was one of the first co-workers I met when I started 20 years ago in the Colorado Springs building.  He would stop by with morning coffee as the tasklists were loading to say hello to our new group of legal editors.  So knowledgeable.  Even in the little things- he knew the secret entrance to the building rooftop for a spectacular view of the AFA flyover.  He is missed.

I knew Josh through work and always admired him for being so good at what he did—our entire operation at Lexis depended on him to keep us going, and he did it with great patience and good humor. 
When we went home-based and there were questions about tech support he joked that if we had computer problems he'd dash out to our house in a company minivan with lights and a siren.  
Later when a more formalized tech support process was established the challenge became to bypass it and go directly to him. Just get me Josh! 
He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with you all at this time.

Dear Penn family, my deepest condolences for your loss. After having known Josh only online for a few years, I was finally able to meet and have lunch with him in person in Ohio a while back. I remember talking about sports and family. It made me all the more fond of him when our communication went back to email and phone calls. He was smart, and yet for all his knowledge, down to earth, relatable, witty, and generous in spirit. He had a way of making you think you and your issue was the most important thing at the time. I thought about him as I changed my computer password today, and will do so every time, because his advice to never let it expire still sticks with me more than 20 years later.

I knew Josh in the most limited way, as a virtual co-worker who I never met face-to-face. Butt he still made a huge impression on me.

 Josh was the friendliest, calmest, and most reliable person as he assisted with the myriad technical problems that us LexisNexis legal editors encountered--all the way back to when we worked on CRT monitors with dial-up connections. 

No matter how annoyed I became with various technical emergencies, Josh had the gift of making me laugh about them. As frustrating as technical problems can be, I actually looked forward to being able to interact with Josh in resolving them. That's saying something. 

During chit-chat, we discovered that I live in Josh's hometown, Upper Arlington, Ohio, and that Josh graduated from the same high school as my daughter (the old high school. which has since been torn down). That made Josh even more relatable to me. I especially appreciated that small, shared connection because, in the daily slog of working in our virtual world, one can sometimes feel all alone. 

Josh mastered the art of "being of use." He could be described just as the poet Marge Percy said:

"I want to be with people who submerge in the task, 

who go into the fields to harvest and work in a row and pass the bags along, 

who are not parlor generals and field deserters 

but move in a common rhythm when the food must come in or the fire be put out." 

I was unaware that Josh was battling health issues, and his passing comes as a real shock to me. I cried when I heard about it and hope to attend his memorial service to honor his life of "being of use."

Josh has been the kind of coworker who made life a little lighter and brighter, always easing the technical frustrations of work and making the process more manageable and even enjoyable. He was an able and trusted expert and friend through the years. My deepest condolences to the Penn family.

Although your time with us was cut short, your spirit will  continue to shine. My fondest memory of you was on a family trip to Los Olivos where we shared a lot of laughs and sampled some delicious wine. Your passing leaves an unfillable void in the Penn family, but your memory will never fade. ❤️🙏🏼

Josh's family and friends, you are in our thoughts here at LexisNexis. Josh's impact can be seen in the many recollections shared by his colleagues. My last "help me, Josh, with my laptop" email conversation was late at night on July 3rd. We joked that I should be cautious to avoid shocking myself on the fraying power cord. Josh provided a graphic image to emphasize the potential results should I not take caution. That was exactly like him -- professional but so good humored. One of kind! God's blessings for Josh.

It is with profound sadness that I learned recently that Josh Penn has passed. I had the distinct privilege of working with Josh for many years at Lexis-Nexis in Colorado Springs and can say without reservation that he was one of the people who was admired by everyone and was key to every success we achieved. Time and again, I relied on Josh to assist me with technical problems, and he was always willing to help and always found the solution I needed to be a productive employee. Life is a journey that is enriched by the people we meet and I am a better person because I had the privilege of working with and knowing Josh Penn.

Josh will be missed.  He used his talents with everything technical to bless those of us who struggle with everything technical.  He will be missed not just because he had so many gifts but because of who he was.  I pray that the family find strength and peace in knowing that Josh was an example of professionalism, fun, kindness, helpfulness, and knowledge.  May the Lord bless all who love him to be comforted during the processing of losing him to this earth with the hope of seeing him again.

I got to know Josh in person (!!) when I was at the Dayton campus for in-class Yellow Belt training. That was perhaps in 2011 or 2012. There were many cups of coffee (and many laughs) in that little cafeteria.  Josh's technical skills were legendary, but I will remember his kindness and wonderful sense of humor, his wit, and his generosity of spirit most of all.  My heart breaks for his family and friends. 

Adrienne Deckman

Josh was a great guy to work with. I only met him in person once or twice, but he was always patient and helpful when I came to him with technical goofs. We will sorely miss him.

My heart ♥️ is so sad to hear about your passing. You were such a great coworker and always fixed any technical issues I had with a smile after you would roll your eyes at me of what did you do now.  You were on my mind; last week so I looked you up on social media to see how you were doing. Maybe that was Gods way of letting you know I was thinking of you. Rest in peace old friend and try not to cause any trouble up there.

I echo the feeling of so many of our colleagues in remembering Josh as a consummate professional who did his utmost to support us. For many of us, he was our first touchpoint at the company--working his magic to get new hires set up with laptops in tight timeframes. He was also insightful and a bit cheeky when he had a point to make!  He cared genuinely about the user experience. He cared about us. We will miss you, Josh.

Josh was always very helpful at work and will be greatly missed.  I appreciated his efforts in providing new computers promptly with detailed instructions for transferring data and getting everything set up.  His kindness shone through in even the smallest interactions.

I was one of Josh's coworkers at LexisNexis, and over the years--and many problematic computers!--I've spent a lot of time with him on the phone. He was smart and funny and very patient as he helped me fix whatever the problem was. Our calls would often last for hours at a time, and even though we'd never met in person, it felt like I was passing time with an old friend--he had a wonderful demeanor about him, and brought a lot of calm and good cheer to situations that could have been very stressful. I'm so sorry for your loss, and I'm very sad that we won't be able to chat again.

I am so heartbroken to hear of Josh's passing. Josh has probably helped me with my last 3 or 4 laptop setups.  Since I was in the Dayton area, many times I would take my problem (or my old laptop) directly to him and Josh would kindly work on it with me, make sure I would never lose anything from one laptop to another, etc. Since being homebased in 2020, I haven't seen Josh a lot over the years, but whenever I needed him or had a random question I would ping him and he would always be there. I will forever miss his kindness, his wit and expertise.

Sending prayers of condolence for all of Josh's family and friends. May God bless you all during this  very difficult time.
Elizabeth Powers

I want to extend my condolences to Josh's family and hope that in time you will find peace. Josh was such a positive and kind person to work with, and he will be so missed.

Josh was one of those people whom, even though we had never met in person, made you feel as though we had known each other for ages. He had a singular ability to relate to people and bring calm to what was usually a trying time. I always enjoyed his sense of humor and our chats were never surface level but wandered off to all aspects of life, work and everything in between. I am deeply affected by this news, and can only imagine the loss felt by family and friends. Know that Josh enriched the lives of so many and we are all with you as you work through this difficult time. The world could use more people like Josh.

When I started at LexisNexis, Josh was a case law summaries writer but was also frequently called on to help colleagues with technical issues. Josh was both a lawyer and technology expert, a rare combination, and he was selfless in giving his time to colleagues experiencing technology issues. I can attest to his calm problem-solving skills and his ability to make me laugh during stressful situations. Josh cared about the people he worked with, and I will miss him. My sincere condolences to Josh's family.

I've been a homebased employee in Indianapolis for almost 20 years. I have had many a long conversation with Josh troubleshooting issues related to my laptop. I had the privilege of meeting him in person the time my computer summarily "died" one March morning.  I told him on the phone, "I'm coming to Dayton. Will there be a computer there for me." He made sure not only a new computer was getting set up for me but worked with his team to get me back up and running by that afternoon. That visit was particularly memorable for me as the Dayton offices closed due to COVID a day or two later. He was a true gentleman and will be missed.

Josh was always kind, positive, helpful, and understanding. We turned to him so often for assistance and, without fail, he responded with patience, insight, expertise, and a genuine willingness to help. He brought warmth and kindness to every interaction, and his absence will be deeply felt. Please accept my heartfelt condolences - he will be greatly missed.

I am so very sorry for your loss. We at Lexis adored Josh, he was always so knowledgeable while being so kind and just plain hilarious. He will be so incredibly missed.

Josh left us too soon and leaves big shoes to fill.

We will all miss Josh, as he was always cheerful and capable and there when you needed him to be. My sincere condolences to his family.

Josh was singularly able, utterly competent, and unfailingly attentive. I struggle to think of another person whose capabilities I have admired more in my three-plus decades at LN. When I really needed help, he was the person I called—and he always answered. Much more than that, Josh was my friend. We shared a great many laughs and questions and concerns about a great many topics. Josh was as insightful as he was hilarious. He will be missed more than I can convey.

Josh was a wizard at problem solving. He also brought me to tears of laughter with his quick wit. I'll be sending prayers of peace and comfort for the family.

I was a co-worker of Josh at LexisNexis. Although we worked in different locations and never met in person, I was impressed with his professionalism and kindness any time we interacted. I am terribly sorry for your loss of such a gentleman and wish you strength in this difficult time.

Heartfelt sympathy to Josh's family on this heartbreaking loss.  Josh was THE problem solver with laptop issues at work and helped me many times.  He always understood what was going on when I reached out for help and always got the issue fixed, explaining what was happening and what he was doing.  He had a great sense of humor too and would joke with me about issues my laptop had.  I knew him in Colorado Springs years ago and exchanged many emails over the years.  He will be sorely missed.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.
God Bless,
Jen Horn

Josh was an amazing person to work with and I, along with my co-workers, depended on him and his exceptional IT skills.  Though Josh was a Buckeye, and my blood runs Blue, we always had friendly banter throughout the year regarding college football.  It will be those conversations I will reminisce about most in thinking fondly of Josh.  May his memory be eternal.

Josh had a remarkable ability to make me feel like we were old friends, though we never met in person or had a video call.  He was genuinely kindhearted and good-natured.  His willingness to help knew no bounds, and his calm demeanor, combined with his exceptional IT skills, often worked "miracles."   He will be missed by many.

My deepest sympathy to the family.  I remember Josh as a marvelous person who kept everyone afloat at work for Lexis.  I recall many fun and insightful conversations while he troubleshot my laptop.  He had a great sense of humor and never failed to help or ease the panic when computers didn't work.  If he couldn't fix a laptop, which was rare, he made sure you got a new one.  What a great person!  He will be missed.

My sincerest condolences to the Penn Family. I met Josh 26 years ago when we shared a cubicle at work. I instantly noticed the kindness and leadership that he displayed at work. He always kept my computer 🖥️ clean and running the latest software.

He was a good friend to many of his coworkers. I remember one employee got frustrated with his computer and threw it out the window 🪟. Josh calmly and professionally handed the situation by getting the employee a new, working computer without hesitation. 

His kind and calm disposition, along with his expertise as a system engineer, will be sorely missed by all.

Sincerely,
-Kathryn Dove, JD

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

David "Joshua" Penn

9 mars 1971 – 4 juillet 2025

Schoedinger Northwest

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