Joshua James Nobuo Uema, 33, went “to heaven to camp out with Jesus” on September 9, 2019, in Los Angeles, CA. Although here for only a relatively short time, he truly enjoyed his family, friends, life, music, painting, drawing, hiking, camping, and his faithful companion whom he took everywhere, Teddy, his service dog, and Josh left a lasting impression with most everyone he met.
Back on May 1, 1986, in Phoenix, AZ, God, in His sovereignty, blessed Jami and George Uema with Josh, their second child and younger brother to Elizabeth “Beth” Moore.
Welcoming Josh to heaven were his grandparents, James (after whom he received his middle name) and Shirley (Hillen) Zandron, along with so many other relatives and friends. Carrying on his memories here in this world are his other grandparents, Robert and Tokiko Uema; his parents, George and Jami Uema; and his older sister, Beth, and her husband, Craig Moore, with their five children, Ava, Brody, Kendall, Kaia and Macie, who truly loved him as their favorite (actually, only) uncle; Jami’s four sisters and their families, Kathy Gallion (Bob; Meg and James Ball), Sandy Sadowski (Sarah, Sam, Joey, and Emmy Grooms; Angie, George, Teddy and Taio Panagiotopoulos; Becca, Andy, Max, Cal, Evie and Lewis Voeltner; and Matt Sadowski), Gena Melang (Randy; Christine, Zach, and Addy Bivins; Courtney, David, and Asher Losey), and Kim Schank (Craig; Allie, Tom, and Atlas Garcia; Rachele Schank; and James and Ellie Schank), and George’s brother, Elbert “Al” Uema (Sue). He was loved by all for being able to treat and speak to the youngest like adults and getting our oldest members to act like kids. Even if someone got upset, it wasn’t for long, because it was something Josh did to everyone in love.
Josh exhibited a real passion for life, travel, and people. He is remembered, even by those who met him for the first time, for his ability to connect with them, being real, crazy funny and fun, and his generosity. Countless people have said he was quick to offer a warm, engaging smile that would brighten their day. He was a charismatic character, unique and always pursued being his own person. Even in school, he would always be comfortable being himself and not having to conform to others. Whatever he chose to do, he researched and did well. As a kid, in his first baseball game he scored a grand slam, he sparred a Fairtex world champion to test and earn his muay-thai shorts, he loved music and had the God-given gift to teach himself the piano, guitar, and drums, and he had a creative talent for drawing, painting, photography, and writing poems and screenplays. His most recent passion was hiking and camping into the remote California mountains because he loved the natural beauty and peace.
He was adventurous and bold moving alone to LA to pursue a career in acting and modeling after successfully starring in an indie drama film that won first place in its category in the NY International Film Festival. He quickly realized that he would need to swim in the big pond to know if he could make it. There he successfully did modeling and commercial work, was supported in working for his friend selling billboards, met new dear friends, and lived a life that many envied. It also gave him the opportunity to travel many parts of the globe and see people and cultures to enrich his life and appreciation for this country.
He was blessed to have a large family and so many friends who truly loved him. We were blessed by him and are blessed and grateful by the outpouring of prayers and concern from those who knew him, and even from those who didn’t. Thank you all for being family and friends of Josh in his life, and for praying and thinking about him in his passing.
We are truly blessed, and we thank God for giving Josh to us and being with us for the past 33 years and 4+ months; and we thank God for the forgiveness of our sins, providing salvation for us and him through Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and receiving Josh into heaven so we can one day be with him again.
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
Josh’s final worldly resting place will be Valley of the Sun Cemetery, Chandler, AZ.
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