Joshua James Neder

Joshua James Neder, 41, died on Sept. 8, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. He is survived by his parents, Susan and Charles; his brothers, Adam and Luke; his sisters-in-law, Janet and Stephanie; his nieces, Claire, Mary, and Lilly; his nephew, Leaf; and countless friends in the United States and abroad. Josh was deeply loved and he will be deeply missed. Josh was born on Oct. 29, 1975 in Jacksonville, Fla. He graduated from the McCallie School in 1994 and Louisiana State University in 1999. After college, Josh lived for two years in Roatan, Honduras where he taught English to children and deepened his knowledge and love of Caribbean culture. Josh travelled throughout Central America and Europe, once spending half a year in Prague immersing himself in its history and culture. Josh eventually settled in Nashville, Tenn., where he worked for eight years as an admissions manager for SAE Institute, an audio-engineering school. Josh was a member of St. Augustine's Chapel and a supporter of Thistle Farms, whose mission is to "heal, empower, and employ women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction." Josh loved the Florida Gators and Bob Marley and the Atlanta Hawks and Bob Dylan and Fyodor Dostoevsky and so much else. But his defining trait was his deep love for ordinary people. Josh could connect with almost anyone. He had an unusually large number of close friends. And he was always drawn to the poor, weak, and dispossessed. Josh participated in outreach ministries in Jamaica and Mexico, Chattanooga and Nashville, Kenya and Rwanda. His family and friends will remember him for his kindness and honesty — his humility and total lack of pretense — his sense of humor and playful teasing — his bottomless compassion and concern — his loyalty and transparent affection — and his love of God, which expressed itself in his ability to recognize suffering and to discover good in the most surprising places. A memorial service for Josh will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Rock Creek Fellowship church (2008 Durham Road, Rising Fawn, Ga., 30738). In lieu of flowers, donations in Josh’s memory can be made to Thistle Farms or Compassion International.