The loss of Patriot Joshua Rowe

The internet and social media has made the world a much smaller and more intimate place. People from everywhere who would have never had the chance to meet, cyber "meet" and become friends. Many of you are dear to me, even though we've never met face to face. We know each other's stories, joys and struggles, family situations; sometimes we find ourselves closer to people in far off places than we are to blood family and next-door neighbors.

One of my friends, known only from this blog and facebook, died suddenly on December 2. He commented on some silly post I made on December 1, then was gone from the world the next day.
In two years of cyber-friendship, I came to know several truths about Joshua Rowe.

1. He had a huge heart.
2. He loved his family, his kids, and was deeply devoted to his wife, Rhonda.
3. He was a hard worker, reliable, and took pride in what he did.
4. He was a Patriot.

We had just been talking about their youngest daughter, recently diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. He was worried about her being teased, not being accepted. He wasn't worried about what she "couldn't" do; he was worried about her being happy. That's the kind of father he was.

Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral and miscellaneous expenses. I know things are tight, especially this close to Christmas, but if you have something to spare, anything would help. And as always, and mostly, please pray for his wife and their four kids.
She's devastated, and the road ahead is going to be rough.

https://www.gofundme.com/32abumg