On Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016, God welcomed his son, Joshua Gilligan Rose, into his kingdom.

Joshua was 21 and was a life resident of the Wyoming Valley and resided in Luzerne with his mother, MaryRose (Gilligan) Pope, and his stepfather, Brian Pope, prior to his passing. Mr. Rose was the son of Donny Rose and stepmother, Denise Rose, of Exeter.

As "Josh" found his way through his short life, he attended Wyoming Area Senior High School and had been employed by Milano Restaurant and Mr. Kleen car wash.

His kind soul and loyalty to family and friends will be as memorable as his trademark grin. As an uncle and "Big Brother" to six siblings, he enjoyed hip-hop music, Pittsburgh Steelers football and making his own art and music (JJ Roller/No Name Pod). He was a life member of the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and had great pride in his Irish heritage.

With a personality bigger than life, he would brighten any room he walked into. His understanding compassion and concern for those he loved will be deeply missed. His family and friends will always mourn the loss of such a funny, energetic and free-spirited man but will also remember the joy and laughter he brought to our lives. Until we see you again.

Josh was preceded in death by his grandfather, Harry Rose Sr.

Josh is survived by his son, Gregory, 2 years old, Kingston; siblings, Kayla, Wyoming; Ashley, Edwardsville; Johnathan and Jocelyn, Hunlock Creek; Kiera, Luzerne; and Aleara, Moosic; grandparents, Paula Rose, Exeter; John and Karen Gilligan, Exeter; Ellen Gilroy, West Pittston; Albina (Beanie) and Michael Pope, Luzerne; dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins; and a niece.

A service will be held at 8 p.m. Friday at Howell-Lussi Funeral Home, 509 Wyoming Ave., West Pittston. The Rev. Carol Coleman of the Luzerne United Methodist Church will be officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5 p.m. until the time of service at 8 p.m. Interment will be held at the convenience of the family.

A fund has been set up at the UFCW for donations for his son, Gregory. Checks may be made payable to the Joshua Rose Fund and can be mailed to UFCW Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 4258, Wyoming, PA 18644.
*************************************************************************************
A fleet of motorcycles roared their engines at dusk Saturday in Kirby Park as a sort of 21-gun salute for Joshua Rose, who was strangled to death last month.

Dozens of friends and family members gathered under a pavilion in the park for a candlelight vigil paying tribute to Rose, a 21-year-old lifelong Wyoming Valley resident. Rose was suffering from a possible heroin overdose on Aug. 25 when state police said three people drove him from a home in Lackawanna County to Susquehanna County instead of to a hospital and strangled him along the way.

Ashley Williams, one of six of Rose’s siblings, acknowledges that her brother had made mistakes, but she said he is a great person at heart and was her best friend.

“He’s been there for me for 20 years. No matter how many times we would beat each other up, he was always there in the end,” she said. “And to have my best friend taken away is having a piece of me taken away.”

Williams lost her brother, but Rose’s 2-year-old son Gregory lost a father. Ellen Gilroy, Rose’s grandmother, said his son brought out the best in the first-time father.





“When he was with his kid, that’s when you saw the real him,” she said.

A fund has been set up at the UFCW Federal Credit Union for donations for Rose’s son. Checks may be made payable to the Joshua Rose Fund and can be mailed to UFCW Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 4258, Wyoming, PA 18644.

Rose comes from a large Irish Catholic family. He resided in Luzerne with his mother, Mary Rose Pope, and his stepfather, Brian Pope, prior to his passing, his obituary says. Rose was the son of Donny Rose and stepmother, Denise Rose, of Exeter.

He attended Wyoming Area Senior High School and had been employed by Milano Restaurant and Mr. Kleen car wash.

As an uncle and older brother to six siblings, he enjoyed hip-hop music, Pittsburgh Steelers football and making his own art and music.

Authorities are still investigating Rose’s death. Police have arrested three people, but their charges remain aggravated assault.

After one of them strangled Rose with a pair of jumper cables, police said the group dumped the body in a remote area of Hop Bottom.

Preston Layfield, 19, of Scranton, and Tyler Mirabelli, 22, of Clarks Summit, were arrested Monday.

State police at Frackville took Amanda Wayda, 20, of Shickshinny, into custody shortly after midnight Tuesday morning.

The three face charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy but the counts may be amended based on a coroner’s findings. The case is under investigation as a suspicious death, not a homicide. Susquehanna County Coroner Anthony Conarton said results of an autopsy for Rose are pending the conclusion of toxicology tests. Historically, such tests could take several weeks.

Police said Wayda told them that Rose and Layfield were at her boyfriend’s Scranton home when Rose went to take a nap. When she went to check on him, she thought he was overdosing and called Mirabelli to take them to the hospital a few blocks away.

Instead, Mirabelli drove on Interstate 81 north toward Susquehanna County with Rose in the passenger seat and Layfield sitting behind him, Wayda told police.

Wayda told police they dumped Rose’s body over an embankment near railroad tracks.

Police said Layfield admitted to being involved in Rose’s death, police said. He told police Wayda first placed a plastic bag over the victim’s head before handing him the jumper cables and encouraging the strangling. He told police he strangled Rose for four minutes.

Police discovered jumper cables in Mirabelli’s truck Aug. 28.

All three are housed in Lackawanna County Prison awaiting further court proceedings. Magisterial District Judge John P. Pesota set the trio’s bail at $700,000. Their preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Wednesday.