Joshua Neal Mccrady

Josh spent his early childhood in Springfield, IL, but moved to Clayton, MO at age six with his mother, where he attended grade school. His first two years of high school were spent with his father, where he attended Pattonville High School, but he graduated from Clayton High School in 1993. A year after graduation, Josh moved to San Antonio, Texas, where his mother relocated, and Texas became a place to call home. This new home provided him with a perfect environment to study and develop his passion for the culinary arts.

As a child, Josh had many hobbies, which included baseball, soccer and basketball, where is father was always the "King of the Hill", but when dad saw his title threatened, he was "forced" to end the game due to an ankle injury. He also loved to go on fishing trips with his father, Uncle Dave McCrady and Grandpa McCrady, and mastered the art of standing perfectly still when, to his dismay, the hook caught his pants instead of a fish. Though Josh loved fishing, he preferred to do this on land, as a deep sea fishing trip with his mother in Hawaii resulted in an uneasy stomach and a gruesome sunburn on only half of his face. The other half was glued to the deck rail! Josh quickly recovered his good humor, and this event did not deter him from traveling with his mother everywhere as her "little buddy", which included frequent outings to the lake and his first trip to the Indy 500 time trials. Josh also spent many summer days enjoying popsicles at his grandparents, playing baseball on the farm and having fun with his cousins. Later he was blessed to be a big brother to a new little sister, Katie.

As Josh grew up, his love of sports shifted from playing to rooting for his favorite teams, which included the Missouri based Cardinals, Blues and Rams, along with Duke and the San Antonio Spurs. Josh and his father formed a strong bond over their passion for the Cardinals and would text each other from game start to finish as if they were sitting side by side.

In Texas, Josh was able to maintain his love for cooking while working in the food industry. This gave him the skills he needed to create delicious seasoning and sauce combinations. He would never hesitate to cook a nice meal when he would visit his mother or father. They had no problem being the guinea pigs, as his food always managed to result in a happy audience, especially when he cooked his Ahi tuna. Josh's ability to clean as he cooked did not hurt things either!

He is survived by his parents, Nadine Sievers McCrady and Keith McCrady; stepmother, Connie McCrady; grandparents, Carmen and Edwin Sonny Sievers and Rose and Charles McCrady; half sister, Katie McCrady and her son Caiden Jackson; aunt, Denise, her children: Jeremy, Justin, Jenny with husband Jason Overby and their children Adam and Matthew, uncle Kevin Sievers, his wife Mary and their children Nick and Colin, uncle David McCrady and his children: Tara, Ashley and Steven, and Rebekah McCoy his beloved partner.

From the baby who slept for 16 hours straight to the man who loved his family and friends dearly, we will cherish the memories of his kind heart and infectious laugh.

The memorial service will be held at 3:00 pm, Saturday, July 16, 2011 in Staunton, Illinois at the Zion Lutheran Church, 311 S. Elm Street.

All are invited immediately following the services for supper at the Lutheran school gymnasium across the street.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org.