--Published in The Alaska Dispatch News, 03/16/16:

Joshua LeRoy Spears, 23 years old, died on March 11, 2016, in his home, suddenly of a pulmonary embolism, in Anchorage, Alaska.

A Memorial service will be held at Joy Christian Center, 4335 Laurel St., Anchorage, AK 99507, on Thursday, March 17, 2016 at 7 p.m.

Joshua was born in Lewiston, Idaho, on Aug. 03, 1992.

He moved to Alaska in 1997 and attended Chinook Elementary, where he was active in the mediators. He was also active in Royal Rangers.

At Mears Middle School and West High School, Josh was active on the wrestling teams, played trumpet in the band and became a member of the National Junior Honor Society. Josh also attended East High School and then moved to Idaho, where he graduated from Lewiston High School. There he was active in the marketing club DECA.

Josh worked at Albertsons after making connections during a DECA takeover, and then moved on to working at Excel Transport and Domino's. Josh returned to Anchorage in 2013, where he attended class at University of Alaska and continued working at Domino's at JBER in a management position.

Josh will be remembered as a gentle, kind and loyal young man. He loved to laugh and spend time with family, especially his sister, Christine. He was a hard worker and a good manager. At work he was known as "The Josh." Josh's hobbies included hunting, fishing, trucks and country music.

We will miss him terribly, but we are comforted in the knowledge that he has gone to be with his Savior.

Josh is survived by his father and stepmother, Jesse and Jessie Spears; his mother and stepfather, Rachael and Nicholas Humphreys; siblings, Christine Spears, Danika Harris, Moriah Scott, Samuel Humphreys and Alyssa Humphreys; grandparents, Elwood and Mary Hopkins, Ron and Dana Myers, Faith Myers and Dorrance Collins; and great-grandmother, Marge Tussing; aunts and uncles, Carolyn Long, Donald Spears and Mike and Ariel Myers; cousins, Summer Blimka, Rocky Blimka, Dyllan Blimka, Ashlee Spears, Eric Myers, Marissa Myers and Jessica Myers; and nieces, Harley Scott and Arabella Harris.