Joshua E. Oates was born April 17, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio to Mark Oates and Latina Lee. Josh was a 6th grade student at Liberty Elementary School, where he was loved by everyone who know him. He accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized at New Birth Christian Center. Josh was very loving, humble, caring and always willing to help. Josh enjoyed playing baseball and his trombone. Most of all Josh enjoyed being a big brother. He had several friends, Connor, Brylan, and Logan just to name a few. Josh was preceded in death by great grandparents Robert C. Moss Sr., Bertha Johns, Paul (Betty) Oates and Daisy Maxine Hommans; uncle, Tommy L. “Spank” Moss; cousins, Courtney, Jerrica and Deshawn and great uncle, Anthony Williams. Left to cherish his memory, father Mark Oates; mother, Latina Oates; brothers, Justin L. Oates, and Mar A. Oates; grandparents, Mark (Trina) Oates, Daberina Oates, Todd Lee and Connie McDonald; aunts, Angela and Debbie Moss and Kisha Jones; first cousins, Michael Johnson, Mark A Mujbi and Kenya and Jaylen Jones and a host of other uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.
Visitation 11:00 AM and Funeral Service 12:00 PM Friday, April 3, 2020 at East Mt. Olivet, 2940 E. 11th Ave. Interment at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.
My thought and prayers are with your family. I am so sad to hear about your loss. I watched Josh walk his younger brother Justin to kindergarten daily. He always had watchful eye on his little brother. Love & Prayers!
Mrs. Hardin
To The Oates Family
Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I love you all. May God grant you peace comfort and much love to your family.
I’m so very sorry for your loss. May God be with you and your family at this sad time. Remmber you are never along. God is with you.
I just loved seeing Josh’s smile when he was in the cafeteria, classroom, the office or the hallways of Liberty. He was always happy and helpful.
To the Oakes Family, my prayers are with always. May God continue to keep his loving arms around you.
I was Josh’s band teacher this year. He was a very sweet boy. May he rest eternally in the arms of Jesus. I pray for God to bring peace and comfort to your family during this most difficult time.
Josh was one of the sweetest, most tenderhearted kids that I have ever had in my classes. He was always kind and could work with anyone on our math projects and in group work teams. He didn’t take the stage often, but when he did everyone stopped to listen. He was really special. To the family: our hearts are with you as you go through this difficult time. Please know that your Liberty teachers are here and that Josh will not be forgotten.
I am so very sorry about Josh’s death. I work in the office of Liberty Elementary School. Though I didn’t know Josh very well, his politeness and his smile always stood out to me. He will be so missed at Liberty! Holding you close in my thoughts and hoping you are doing ok!
I am so very sorry for your family’s loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time. Josh’s smile brought so much joy to our school, and he will be missed by all. God Bless.
To the Oates family,
Words can not express the sadness I feel at the loss of Josh for your family and for our school community. His kind heart and warm smile will be missed from the classrooms, halls and playground of Liberty where he was loved by so many of our students and staff members. I was always struck by what a wonderful big brother he was to Mark and Justin, often walking them to their classrooms and dropping them off at the door before heading off to class each morning. Please know that I, along with our staff and so many other families from our school community are here to support you during this difficult time. Your family will remain in my daily prayers during this difficult time. Sincerely,
Craig Belair
Principal, Liberty Elementary
I want to extend my deepest sympathy to you for the loss of Josh. He always had a happy smile on his face when he walked through the halls at Liberty Elementary! I hope the many fond memories of Josh help bring you peace and comfort. I’m praying for your family!
Josh was a joy to have as a student. He was sweet, kind, respectful, always willing to help out wherever needed. His warm, beautiful, welcoming smile just made the day brighter. Thinking of and praying for Mark, Justin, and the entire Oates family, with deepest sympathy.
To The Family,
My thoughts are with you during this difficult time. Joshua was in my Den of Ten group. He was always helpful and kind to others. His smile was always a light in the room. I will miss him! I work with Mark in third grade and I am so very sorry for the loss of his brother. Mark, I am thinking about you and I’m here if you need anything.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Dale
I wanted to let you know how very sorry I am. I have been praying for your family each day. When times are difficult for me, these verses are ones I cling to. I hope that they find your family comfort, too. Prayers continued for you all. Mrs. Nicole Moritz, Mark’s 3rd-grade teacher
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
My heart felt Condolence to Mark Jr. and the Oates Family
No words can express the pain that you are going through and my prayer for you is that God will give you strength to face the coming days ahead without your lovely Son Joshua. I am going to miss him so much .
My deepest sympathy
From Barbara grandma Johnson
My Condolences go out to you and Family! Rennie my heart goes out to you my Friend
To the family of Joshua Oates, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this time of sorrow. God bless.
Dear Oates Family,
I want to express my deepest sympathy to your family. Words cannot express the sadness I feel for the loss of such a wonderful person. Josh was truly a special, one-of-a-kind kid. His smile lit up our entire classroom and I will never forget his contagious laugh. I had the pleasure of getting to know Josh as my sixth grade student this year, and he was such a special part of our sixth grade family. I watched his kindness, care, and love for his brothers each morning as the school day started. It was obvious to me what a caring soul and wonderful big brother he was. He greeted me each morning with a smile on his face, and that smile will be missed by so many people at Liberty. Please know my thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time. Sweet Josh will never be forgotten.
Sincerely,
Samantha Corso, 6th grade teacher
Joshua was one of the most tenderhearted students I’ve ever known. Each morning at school, he looked after his youngest brother, making sure Justin ate a good breakfast and made it to class on time. He cared for those around him and always did his part to help (even at 6th grade camp when he and his friends tipped their canoe and had to swim it back to shore, Joshua had a great attitude and made everyone smile). Watching his care and kindness towards his brothers and classmates was a joy to see each day. Know that his school family grieves deeply with you. Mark, Justin, and the entire Oates family are in our prayers.
Sincerely,
Mary Evelyn Smith
To the family of Josh,
I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet, beautiful boy. Josh was the sweetest and kindest young man. I will forever remember his gentle eyes and his kind smile. We are all blessed to have known him. You are all in our thoughts during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Bonnie Young
Liberty Elementary
Josh’s smile ALWAYS ‘lit of the gym’ each morning. He was always the first of a group of students that helped set up for the day and then played for 5-10 minutes. He always said hello with that big smile, and asked how he could help. The biggest smile I ever saw Josh have was when he caught a fish at 6th grade camp. He was disappointed he didn’t catch a fish during ‘official fishing time’ with his group, so Josh, another student, and I went back to the fishing dock during ‘free time’ and Josh caught a HUGE one – with an equally huge smile! Josh will be lighting up Heaven with his smile and I look forward to fishing with him again. Revelation 3:20.
I have no words to adequately express the sadness I feel losing Josh.
Josh had a bright smile, and an equally kind heart. Even though Math was not his favorite subject, he always came to class with a smile and a warm greeting, as he got to work on the lesson of the day. He was a joy to have in class and will be missed by the entire Liberty Elementary school community. I will always have a special place in my heart for Josh and will keep him and the entire Oates family in my thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Sandy Freer
6th gr Math , Liberty Elementary
Josh’s smile ‘lit up the gym’ each morning. He was always the first of a group of students that helped set up for the day and then played for 5-10 minutes. He always said hello with that big smile, and asked how he could help. The biggest smile I ever saw Josh have was when he caught a fish at 6th grade camp. He was disappointed he didn’t catch a fish during the ‘official fishing time’ with his group, so Josh, another student, and I went back to the fishing dock during ‘free time’ and Josh caught a HUGE one – with an equally huge smile! Josh will be lighting up Heaven with his smile and I look forward to fishing with him again. Revelation 3:20.
My thoughts are with all of you during this difficult time. I am so sorry for your loss. I am a sixth grade teacher at Liberty. Josh was in the homeroom across from mine and every morning he would come down the hallway with a big smile on his face and say “Good morning Mrs. Williams.” That made my day! I saw him for science and social studies. He was always so kind to everyone he came into contact with. His smile was infectious. He will be remembered for his kind heart, warm personality, and especially that sweet smile. He will be greatly missed but not forgotten .
With Deepest sympathy,
Kimberly Williams
To the Oates Family,
When school starts, every teacher works hard to remember their student’s names. I didn’t have to work hard to remember Josh’s name. His infectious smile and ornery grin lit up the room and I instantly had a special spot in my heart for him. His laugh could turn your bad day into a good one, his kind words could make you realize there was light at the end of tunnel, and his loving heart always reminded me what family means…….
Josh always had a hard time saying my name, I remember one day, he tried 3 or 4 times. He finally laughed and said, Mrs. Rozanski, can I just call you school mom? And as you can imagine, he laughed the entire time. And from then on, he would say school mom with that big smile and bright eyes of his……… Another memory of Josh that stands out is when the kids begged me to read them Peppa Pig, using an English accent of course. Josh quickly started with that infectious laugh and fell to the floor, laughing and giggling , pure child at heart. Of course the others followed and before I knew it, I had twenty 5th graders laying on the floor, laughing and giggling. Those memories of Josh make me smile. Those memories of Josh remind me how precious he was and how special he was.
Luke, Chapter 1, Verses 78-79- “Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” I pray you all find your way to peace. I know our mighty Lord will wrap his loving arms around all of you and guide you through this difficult time.
My deepest sympathy,
Melissa Rozanski
Josh’s 5th grade teacher
My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time. Josh was an amazing Liberty Leopard spreading joy everywhere he went with that amazing smile. He was a respectful young man who showed compassionate to all of his classmates and especially to his brothers. I remember in the fall of the 19-20 school year when he would not want to leave Justin in his kindergarten room. Josh wanted to stay with him to make sure Justin felt comfortable in a new setting. He will be missed.
My thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time. Josh was a shining example of respect and compassion at Liberty. His smile, laugh, and big heart made such an impact on my classroom and the entire school community. I will miss him greatly. God bless your family, and know that your Liberty family is here for you.
The big smile that Josh had on his face was always a bright point in my day and that memory I will always cherish!!
My condolences to Mark and Tina Oates and the extended family in the untimely loss of Joshua. It is so sad to realize that a young lad with so much promise has had his life cut off so early. I hope that you will be able to draw some degree of comfort from the fact that he is now home with the Lord. May God bless you all.
Dear Oates Family,
You are in my prayers. Josh was such a special, loving, and compassionate boy. He will never be forgotten. May Christ’s light and love surround your family.
Sincerely,
Maddy Agar
My heart goes out to all of you over the loss of Josh. My heart continues to hurt daily and I can only imagine how much you all are struggling. I am sending prayers to your family daily.
I’ve been Josh’s art teacher for all his years at Liberty. It’s a special relationship that is formed over many years of knowing a student, and my relationship with Josh was definitely special. Not only did I get to teach him about art, but I got to see him in the hallways, in the cafeteria, and spent 6th grade camp with him. Josh was never anything but wonderful. He was a friend to all. He was an AMAZING brother to Mark and Justin – always looking out for them and reminding them to mind their manners. He was respectful to me and all his teachers. He was simply a gem.
I had a special class with Josh and his classmate Alan just before winter break in December. I can’t remember why, but the rest of the class was not there, so it was just the three of us. We decided we’d do something fun. They helped me rearrange my room and we listened to music, singing and happy to be almost on break. I had some chocolate covered pretzels that I gave to the boys for helping me and they were thrilled. I remember Josh saying “this is the best day of the whole school year!” I won’t forget his smile and enthusiasm on that day.
Josh will forever hold a special place in my heart – as will Mark and Justin. I pray that the boys will be able to return to Liberty this fall where they feel a sense of home with their friends and teachers. And I pray that in time, God will ease the pain that you as a family are enduring.
Rest in heavenly peace, Josh. I love you and will miss your smile and sweet demeanor.
May God bring comfort and peace to all who knew and loved Joshua.
I am so so very sorry for the loss you are all feeling. I didn’t know Josh personally but he was great friends with my Grandson Logan. I know no one can feel the loss that your family is experiencing right now. Logan is very sad at the loss of such a good friend.
God Bless you all in your time of great loss.
Dear Oates Family,
Josh was the sweetest, most genuine, kind hearted child. His smile was the absolute best, and he was so precious and innocent.
Every day that has passed you’ve been in our thoughts. We will never, ever forget Josh.
May you find comfort and strength in each other and know that we are always here for you.
Dear Oates Family,
You all have been in my thoughts and prayers daily. I am so very sorry for your loss. All of the Oates boys have the most contagious smile to brighten anyone’s day at Liberty Elementary School. You will be missed Josh. May all of your happy memories of Josh help bring some comfort in these times. Mark and family your Liberty family is here for you.
Love,
Sarah Tsung
Third Grade Teacher
Liberty
Josh was one of the sweetest and most kind-hearted students I have ever had. His smile lit up the room every time he walked in and melted my heart. Josh and I were both Troy Polamalu fans and we were both so excited one day to wear our matching jerseys. I will always treasure the photo of us matching. He was also so much fun at 6th-grade camp this past fall. I was so proud of him when he got the courage to hold a crayfish we had found creeking. Josh was loved by everyone and his sweet spirit will be forever missed. To the family- please know that I am praying for you all in this difficult time and your Liberty family will always be here for you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Rakocy
Josh’s 5th Grade Science Teacher
To the family of Josh,
Our thoughts and prayers have been and will continue to be with you all everyday. Connor and I were both shocked and saddened when we heard of his passing. Josh and his little brothers were Connors best friends and neighbors for years now. The boys had grown such a close bond and were nearly inseparable from the time homework was done and they could go out and play until it was time to come in for the night. When the weekend finally hit they were full of sleepovers and nights full of laughter, gaming, playing every sport outside and tik tok video making! Josh was always such a great big brother to Mark and Jojo but he was also an amazing friend. He had such a huge heart!! And that smile, my gosh was it contagious! Josh will always hold a special place in our hearts and we feel forever grateful for being a part of his life and having so many memories to remember him by.
Dear Oates Family,
I wanted to express my deepest condolences to your family. Although I did not personally teach Josh, he was unforgettable to miss in the hallways with his infectious smile. The bond between Josh, Mark and Justin was just remarkable. You could see how much they loved each other and looked out for one another every day. Please know that your Liberty family is always here and is thinking and praying for you during this difficult time.
I am praying you will have all the time you need for healing tears to soften the heartache of losing your beloved Josh. May you find comfort in knowing that is now your guardian angel.
“Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” I pray that God will bestow his choicest blessings on your family.
With heartfelt sympathy,
Stephanie Toczynski
Mark’s Reading Teacher
Liberty Elementary
Josh always a contagious smile when he came in to the lunch room. So helpful with his brothers in the morning. Will miss his smile. Josh’s soul was loving, kind, helpful, fun. Thank you to his family for allowing us at Liberty to be part of his life. I work in the kitchen at liberty it was a pleasure to see his face everyday through the hallways and cafeteria. Prayers with family and friends during this time. GOD BLESS
We are deeply saddened by this and we are so sorry.
Sorry we couldn’t be at the funeral under this crisis right now. We offer our condolences, our love & prayers to you all ❤️
Love, Aunt Tara & Uncle Glenn Proctor
I just heard about this and my heart is so heavy. I am deeply saddened by the lost of this young life under any circumstances, let alone something as tragic as this. One thing I noticed first off was his beautiful, infectious smile, and I will never forget it.
I pray for healing for the family, especially the other two children.
In Jesus’ Name…
Miss Debra
Houston TX
im so sorry that this happened to you, I’m the same age and is really hurt that someone that evil would do that to a such sweet boy….
It’s been almost one year without Joshua. Josh was an amazing person and friend. I miss him so much and cherish the time and memories with him. I went to a school near by but I was always with him and others from liberty. I miss josh everyday and think of his family daily. Rip josh
Where do I start. Josh was the most kind person to be around always would walk his little brothers to class I miss him middle school does not seem the same. It’s been almost two years and there’s not a day that goes by without me think about Josh. My condolences go out the the family. Rest In Peace Josh we love you so much.❤️❤️