No one should have to write such a thing. To every parent who has ever lost a child, my aching heart goes out to you.

For reasons of wise stewardship given the cost of newspaper obituary listings, Nancy and I have opted to publish this notice via my blog and the various social media connections to which it is linked:

Joshua James Heffelfinger, known to many affectionately as “Thee Heff,” age 35, of Orlando, Florida, passed away unexpectedly at home Saturday, January 18, 2014. Born January 28, 1978, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, he grew up and lived most of his life in the Central Florida area. His first spoken word, “ball,” turned into a love for sports, including baseball, football, basketball, and bowling. Early on he got hooked on everything Star Wars and never lost his enthusiasm for anything related to the film saga. He graduated from University High School and earned an A.A. Degree from Valencia Community College. A career in the restaurant business started at Disney’s Rainforest Cafe and then progressed to over ten years of serving at Emeril’s Orlando. He successfully completed two of four levels of sommelier certification to enhance his knowledge of wines and increase his and others’ dining pleasure. He was rich in friendships, many of which he cultivated by frequenting Sportstown Billiards. Known for his charm and wit, his favorite quotation was, “A wise man speaks when he has something to say; a stupid man speaks because he has to say something.” He is survived by Curt and Nancy Heffelfinger, his parents, and Joel Heffelfinger, his brother and best friend, along with many other members of the extended family as well as a host of dear friends and acquaintances. A memorial service for Josh is scheduled at Orlando Grace Church, 872 Maitland Ave., Altamonte Springs, Florida, at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 1, 2014. A light lunch will be served in the fellowship hall after the service. “The Joshua Place” playground for children fund has been established in his memory by Orlando Grace Church for construction on the church property. Tax deductible gifts can be made to the church in his name and sent to the church office or brought to the church on the day of the service. For more information call 407.660.1984.

Our deepest, sincere, and heartfelt thanks for the outpouring of support in the way of tears, cards, gifts, meals, calls, texts, emails, posts, and especially prayers. We feel rich beyond our wildest dreams in terms of that which, humanly speaking, matters most – the love and care of others.