Obit – Mr. Josh Dillard
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12 KJV). Two days before he moved to heaven, Joshua Lee Dillard, age 36, of the Buffalo community, was reflecting on his heavenly home and shared this scripture as his final Facebook post.
Always a source of encouragement, an eternal witness for Jesus Christ, and owner of the most infectious smile, Josh leaves behind his beautiful wife of thirteen (13) years, Hope (Givens) Dillard, whom he married on July 4, 2009, the sweetest and most adoring boys, Tucker Alan Dillard (12) and Sawyer Kindred Dillard (9), and foster children, Cameron Mundy and Victoria Mundy. Surviving in addition to his wife and boys are: his parents, Gary and Brenda Dillard, his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Ricky and Vickie Givens, his step-grandmother, Mary Dillard, his brothers, Joey (Maggie) Dillard and Marlon (Donna) Dillard, sister, Lisa (Terry) Tarpley, his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Scott and Robin Moore, and nieces and nephews, Makenna (Austin) Moore, Isaac (Allison Heady) Moore, Alexis Dillard, Caroline Dillard, and Cason Dillard, and a whole host of aunts and uncles, family, and friends. His furry friends will miss him too, but most especially his Phoebe Honey, who spent every day buried next to Josh in his favorite recliner.
Josh was preceded in death by his grandparents, Georgie and Sue Smith of the Pleasant Shade Community, Charles Dillard of Carthage and Billie Sircy of Lebanon.
In January 2014, Josh was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He spent just shy of nine (9) years fighting this monster, enduring countless chemotherapy and radiation treatments, two (2) stem cell transplants, surgeries, and more medical procedures than could be counted. While Josh has remained cancer free the last two years, his treatments left him with complex medical conditions that were ultimately healed by his Creator on Sunday morning, October 9, 2022.
An unassuming hero to so many, Josh spent his spare time enjoying his family, coaching his boys’ sports teams, planning special treats and gifts for Hope, teaching Sunday School, and crafting the best (and worst) dad jokes ever told. Josh was also an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting and fishing, which he most especially loved doing with his boys. He was a talented wood craftsman and creating special gifts for those he cherished most was his passion. His most treasured piece was the large dining room table he built for their home.
He never missed an opportunity to lift others up. On his worst days, he would ask about yours and give of himself unselfishly to lift others needs before his own. If you asked him how he was, he always responded with, “I’m good.” His indelible smile will forever be remembered with fondness and cherished by every person with whom it was shared.
After his Smith County High School graduation in 2005, Josh began his career with Bonnell Aluminum where he worked for many years and made lasting friendships. After his diagnosis, he began working on his Associate’s Degree from Volunteer State, which he completed amid cancer treatments. Josh was currently enrolled with Western Governor’s University and had hoped to complete his Bachelor’s Degree in 2023.
In the Fall of 2019, Josh was hired by Wilson Bank & Trust as a Loan Servicing Specialist and in the Summer of 2022, he was transferred to the Smith Co. branch office where he opened new accounts and was cross-training branch-wide. Embracing this new role and his beloved co-workers was so easy for him, but what he loved most was attending the WBT Men’s Bible study on Tuesday mornings. Even when treatments and illness kept him away, he would join and participate by phone or FaceTime.
Josh had a voice bigger than the sky and sang beautifully alongside his dearest friends, Jordan Dixon and Bryan Bratcher and the entire Kempville Chapel choir. God allowed Josh to continue worshiping through song until his passing and his singing voice remained miraculously unaffected, never missing a single note.
Services will be held on Thursday afternoon at 3:00 pm at Kempville Chapel Old Time Methodist Church, 196 Kempville Hwy., Pleasant Shade, TN 37145. Bro. Bryan Bratcher will conduct the service and his sister-in-law and biggest fan, Robin Moore, will give the eulogy. The family will receive friends at the church on Wednesday from 1:00 pm until 8:00 pm and again on Thursday from 11:00 am until service time at 3:00 pm.
Active Pallbearers are Jordan Dixon, Cayce Givens, Cody Givens, Justin Kemp, Isaac Moore, Scott Moore, Dave Silcox, and Josh Smith.
Honorary Pallbearers include: Kempville Chapel Church, Choir, and Teen Sunday School Class, the employees of Wilson Bank & Trust, the Wilson Bank & Trust Tuesday Men’s Bible Study Group, the employees of Bonnell Aluminum, Stefan Bayer, the international donor and selfless human being who gave Josh the gift of his stem cells which added years to Josh’s life, the incredible Dr. David Morgan and the Stem Cell Transplant and Photopheresis Team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Smith County EMS, and the Air Evac Life Team.
Everyone is encouraged to wear your favorite crazy socks, which Josh collected and was often gifted by his family and friends. Please take time to tap your neighbor and reveal your socks, as Josh loved to show his off.
There is so much more that should be said, but Josh would say this is enough. In the end, what he did was make this world a better place and we are all better off because he was a part of it.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorials to the Josh Dillard Family Memorial Fund. You can do this at the visitation or by clicking the donate button under his picture.
