Methuen, Massachusetts, US
U.S. Marine Corps
CPL, Military Police, Camp LeJeune
8/3/2010, Ardmore, US
Joshua Scott Umlauf was born on Feb 12, 1985, at 2:22pm in Bon Secours Hospital in Methuen, Massachusetts. From the time he could carry a stick his dream was to become a Marine. He was always a great kid. He learned to ride his two wheeler at four years of age, was very active and ALL boy. He played soccer for Lower Paxton Township near Harrisburg and the team won a championship his first season. He loved to travel and went to Hawaii with his favorite person, Grandma Pauline. He saw the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona and was entranced with Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. He also traveled on many family vacations to New England, Virginia, Wildwood, the Outer banks of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia and visited NASA operations at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Josh was special in that he was able to make many close friends during his lifetime that he kept for years and years. He also could light up any room as he entered with that big wonderful smile. In 1995, Josh’s family moved to Philadelphia and lived in Ardmore and he attended Haverford Middle School, was a member of Penn Wynne Youth Group, sang tenor in the choir and was confirmed at Penn Wynne Presbyterian Church in 1999.
As a teenager: he and his two best friends Evan and Brian made sure his little sister “Shell’ was always safely off the bus and included in their afternoon snack fest while playing the latest video game. He got his first job in 2001 at Elegante Limousine Company. He worked outside every weekend washing, cleaning and stocking limos until he entered the Marines.
Josh attended Haverford Senior High School and graduated in June 2004. He loved music more and more as he got older and had very eclectic musical tastes. He was very happy the Christmas he received his bass guitar. He loved playing “Magic” the card game and playing basketball. He also loved creative writing and wrote many short stories and poems. He took great joy in beating his buddy Bob at video games. A special day for Josh was when he flew in a Piper Cub plane over the New York Metro area with his Uncle Charles Rickard, who is a pilot.
Joshua left home in August 2004 and was a boot in the US Marine Corps, graduating from Parris Island, South Carolina after training in Oct 2004. As a Marine, just prior to his first tour, (October 2005-April 2006) he scored well above average on testing and was given a higher security clearance. As a result he was transferred from Golf Company into Headquarter & Service Company and was on the Sergeant Major’s security detail team. Josh saw heavy combat while in Fallujah. The first tour he received the Marine Corps Certificate of Commendation for saving his commander’s life and keeping a cool head when things got tough. He was under gunfire 24 hours a day.
His second tour (March 2007-September 2007) was more of a peacekeeping effort and Joshua was very proud of the way Fallujah was becoming a city again. In his first tour no one was living in Fallujah; all the civilians had left the city to the insurgents. The Marines cleaned out the city, so the civilians could return to their homes and start their new lives and businesses again. He mentioned there were schools in session and kids were out playing soccer.
From September 2007 until his discharge, Joshua worked as an MP at Camp Lejeune in Wilmington, NC. Josh had mentioned he liked the MP job, but it was sort of boring, 12 hours on and 12 hours off. During that time he gave out over 100 tickets and he also ranked as a Corporal in the Marines. Joshua returned home August 3, 2008 as an honorably discharged Marine. His family went on a welcome home vacation cruise to Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands.
Once home, Josh had a very tough time finding employment as the economy had tanked, but found a job at the Head Nut in Ardmore. He was also an Associate at Macy’s Suburban Square since February 2010. He attended Delaware County Community College (2009-2010) and enjoyed all the writing classes but (like his mother) really disliked the math classes.
Joshua is survived by his sister “kidkid” Michele, his parents Marjorie and Scott Umlauf, his maternal grandparents Samuel and Joan Scharadin. He was absolutely loved by his paternal grandparents Pauline and Charles Umlauf who predeceased him. Also surviving Joshua are his Aunt Gail and Uncle Russ Martin, his Uncle Jeff and Aunt Karen Umlauf, and his cousins, Kelsey and Zach Umlauf, his Rickard aunts and uncles, Norrine, George, Charles, Abbie, Jean Ann and Helena who all loved him. He was especially fond of Uncle George and Great Aunt Abbie. Josh also had three Scharadin uncles Samuel, Robert and Charles and two Aunts; Susan and Virginia from his mother’s side and too many cousins to name. He was loved by all. His favorite cousin was “J”, Joanie Halloran and his video game buddy Bob. Joshua is also survived by so many wonderful, caring people that they are too numerous to name, but never to be forgotten.