We Remember

LIEGMANN, Joshua
February 7, 1998 — October 23, 2022
On October 23, 2022, Joshua Eduard Liegmann went to be with our Lord. He left this earth flowing in one of his passions: paragliding in the majesty of nature.
Josh is survived by his father, Iron Liegmann; his mother, Paula Liegmann; his sister, Helena Liegmann; grandmothers Ruth Liegmann and Mary Wasylyk; uncles Roger (Carrie) Liegmann, Mark (Vendela) Wasylyk, and Jason Wasylyk; aunts Rachelle (Kevin) Loopeker and Marilyn Ferland; and precious cousins Daniel, Brandt, Brea (Nathan), Alyssa, Margot, Jonathan (Maike), Sean, Nikolas, Mikhail, Damek, and Zovya. He is predeceased by his grandfathers Ray Liegmann and Eugene Wasylyk. Josh leaves behind many loved friends from UBCO’s engineering program and from BC’s outdoor adventure crowd including the white-water kayaking and paragliding communities.
The family thanks the many first responders involved with Josh’s accident, including those who skillfully recovered his body and those investigating the circumstances with sensitivity and kindness. Josh’s mother is particularly grateful to the Kelowna RCMP member who brought the tragic news with true compassion.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CRIS Adaptive Adventures, which facilitates outdoor adventures for those with barriers such as physical, sensory, or cognitive challenges. Josh was the ultimate includer, and he would certainly grin huge at the thought of more folk doing more cool outdoor activities in more creative ways!
Donations may also be made to Metro Community. Josh was a defender and a protector. He and his dad connected through their shared heart for the vulnerable, often spending time together hanging out with folks experiencing homelessness and associated challenges. “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” This principle resonated with Josh.
A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at 10:00 am, at Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Church, 3714 Gordon Drive, Kelowna. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. If you are unable to attend in person, please join the family online by Livestream at the time of the service (see below). No recording will be public afterwards.
If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences”.
Service
Saturday, November 5, 2022, at 10:00 am
Location
Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Church
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Service Information
Service Details
The service for LIEGMANN, Joshua is scheduled for Saturday, November 5, 2022, at 10:00 am. Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions.
Josh played a huge part in the lives of all the engineering boys and particularly my husband Adam. Josh was a groomsman at our wedding and we have so many good memories with him from our wedding day. He was an amazing man who has done so many great things. There will be a void in his place as he was truly one of a kind. My heartfelt condolences to everyone and I hope Josh is remembered as the great, outgoing and unique guy he was.
My sincere condolences for this tragic loss to your family. Josh was an outstanding young man. I will miss hearing about him conquer everything that came his way. We worked on his SUV one day and that boy knew more then I did, yet accepted my help eagerly. What every parent wants in a son in every way.
Rest easy Joshua. Your mother loved you so much🙏🏻
Our hearts break with you as you gather together to celebrate this fine, young man taken from us too soon! Our thoughts and prayers are with you all!
My son Ryan Samuelson played volleyball with Josh all through high school. Both being setters, they spent a lot of time together during practice. Josh was always smiling and so friendly. He touched so many lives. My heart goes out to his family.
So sad to hear of this tragic news; a great life taken too soon. I met Josh a couple of times last year up on Carrot Bluffs where he was paragliding – we joked that he could beat me to the top (despite his huge pack), but I could beat him down (if the thermals were good). May your spirit soar, Josh.
Words cannot express our deep feelings of empathy for your family. It’s the unthinkable. May those who love you surround you with the support you need at this very emotional time. Sending our love and prayers.
I met josh a few times at the local paragliding sites, but one particular day is memorable for me:
April 22/22. three paragliders (Josh, myself, and Ashish) hiked up to Blue Grouse launch (Kelowna).
There was some light rain so Ashish turned back but Josh and i continued to walk up the road to launch. The conditions were marginal at the launch site so we decided not to fly. For the hike back down, we took a different route down, as he had not been this way before so he was keen to explore.
DurIng our hike that day we had a good chat, and I recall being impressed by his vigor and enthusiasm. He was earnest, polite, and gracious in his manners. It set him apart from his peers, in my opinion.
He was a bright soul who exemplified what great things we can achieve with a true heart and hard work. He had so much potential, and my heart hurts for those he has left behind.
Josh had a way of challenging people out of their comfort zone. Whether it be Polar swims in the lake, boogie boarding down Gallagher’s canyon during spring thaw or hiking 65 km in 13 hours from joe rich to cold stream, he always knew how to encourage success from everyone. I will always remember our adventures fondly!
I remember wanting to quit so badly when we hiked the high rim trail together in August 2020. But we started at 4 AM and by 5 PM we had made it to the end of trail near Coldstream. At this point I could barely walk and we still had to get into Vernon to catch a bus back home. I had struggled the whole way because I packed for a multi-day trip, doubting or ability of finishing the distance in one day, but Josh never doubted and packed nothing but some water, lunch and a light jacket. When we finally finished we hitch hiked into town catching our 3rd ride at the Coldstream 7-Eleven after grabbing dinner. Josh goes up to a random guy while he’s ordering chicken wings and asks if he’s heading into town. He says yes and we hop into his van with him and wife. He promptly says, “We’ll have to drop you off at the hospital if that’s alright, my wife and I are on the way to the hospital to give birth to our child.” (It was a C-section birth) we offered to get out but they insisted that they wanted to help us complete our journey. Josh had a way of pulling people into his adventures and making them feel a part of something special. Josh treated every day as an opportunity for growth, to meet new challenges, learn new things and to uphold just principles.
That was an incredibly moving tribute to Josh. We watched the live stream and are very grateful for that opportunity. Our son Brodie and Josh played little league baseball together and once did an intensive clinic organized by Ron. It was just the two of them. Even at that young age, Josh was intensely focused on developing his baseball skills and embraced the challenge with joy and passion. We’re not surprised he carried that intensity, focus, joy and passion into everything he did. We are deeply saddened for the family’s tragic loss, and while family and friends must feel overwhelming grief and regret that he has left this world, it seems clear from the tribute that Josh left this world with no regrets. So few of us will ever truly be in that position. We would like to thank the family and friends that shared their thoughts and stories of Josh today. It was very touching.
Bruce and I stretch out our thoughts to your family. We’re so sorry for this sudden loss. May there be comfort waiting for you in the winding curves of this hard path. Hugs, Bruce and Kathy
Sending our deepest condolences to Helena, her mother and father. We are so very, very sorry for your loss and know that words are not available to express this sadness and loss. All our love, Wendy and Quinn
We so Appreciate your Family and Memories of 1st Lutheran School years…….Our PRAYERS & STRENGTH IN HIM WHO SAVES US ALL……