Joshua K. Kusek

December 28, 1990 – January 3, 2022 – Joshua “Q” Kevin Kusek, 31, of Rogers CT, lost his life to a sudden illness on January 3, 2022 at Yale New Haven Hospital. Born in Southbridge Mass, Josh is survived by his son Stanley Kusek, and long time companion and mother of Stanley, Courtney Olson of Connecticut. He also leaves behind his mother Michelle Johnson of Maine, brothers Zachary Kusek and Kyle Kusek both of Connecticut, his sister Emily Christian and spouse Brandon Christian, his nieces Kaydence and Peyton, and nephew Braiden of Connecticut, and his maternal grandmother Susan Giguere of Connecticut. He also leaves behind several aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is predeceased by his brother Scott Michael (1990), his father Scott Kevin (2000), and his maternal grandfather Roland “Pep” Giguere (2019), who he sorely missed.
 
Josh spent his early childhood living in Southbridge with his family. From a young age, he was a standout in school. Attending Mary E. Wells Junior High, he discovered his love for all things music. Although the beginning was a little rocky as he literally lost the cowbell he was meant to play in the middle of a school concert, he eventually found his footing. At the age of 13, Josh and his family settled in Connecticut. Attending Tourtellotte Memorial High School Josh truly grew into the man we all knew and loved. To say he was a teacher’s pet is an understatement. His poor siblings who followed behind him in school didn’t stand a chance. From National Honor Society to tutoring and mentoring students – and teachers – to his love for the sweet soothing sound of a tuba and his band teacher Mr. Beilik, he truly did it all. And no one could ever forget the images of him falling at his graduation or majestically sprinting up and down the soccer field as the ball boy in his mustard-colored sweatsuit, both of which always gave everyone a good chuckle. With all he was doing in school, he still found time to begin a volunteer job at Community Fire Company that would soon catapult him into his true life’s passion.
 
At the age of just 17, as a member of Community, Josh also joined East Thompson Volunteer Fire Department. His love for the fire service was evident and he became a vital asset to his department, holding the role of Treasurer, Administrator of Speedway Safety, and even took the lead in reestablishing the department’s kitchen committee for fundraising. Josh’s dedication and commitment to the community went above and beyond, which earned him the Unpaid Professional Award in 2011. He worked his way up the ranks from Lieutenant to Captain and most recently, Assistant Chief. Although firefighting was Josh’s true passion, that passion quickly spread into the EMS field. He became an EMT, a Paramedic, and an EMS instructor as well. Throughout the years he worked for AMR, Webster EMS, and KB Ambulance, where he became Paramedic of the Year in 2015, which led to him becoming the Paramedic Supervisor. While Josh’s professionalism was evident, he never had a problem bringing his milkshake to the yard.
 
Josh was the DJ of KB with the most eclectic taste in music. Like it or not, Josh was always there to serenade anyone with a song. His hobby at KB was nurturing the fleet. He spent almost as much time tinkering with the radio and strobes of the apparatus as he did singing. Almost. No one knew the ins and outs of the fleet like he did. He was known to greet the hospital with a “top o’ the morning” and always offered his support to his coworkers with an “Oh, Muffin.” Even off-duty, you could find Josh at the scene of any emergency and he loved EMS, almost as much as he loved golabkis.
 
Not for nothing, Josh was kind of a big deal. He met several famous people throughout his career, and was even the paramedic on standby at one of Willie Nelson’s concerts. Of all his accomplishments though, being a father was by far his proudest. Words can’t begin to describe the absolute and utter joy Stanley brought to his life. From building Legos together to taking him to Maine, a place that meant so much to Josh, to visiting the firehouse and taking every advantage to show him the ropes – even if Stanley was only concerned about the lights. There are truly no words to even begin to describe the love Josh had for Stanley, and we know the memories Stanley made with his Daddy will stay with him forever. The love the tri-state area showed to Josh could almost compare. Someone who never shied away from being his true self, whether he was sitting in a recliner eating Cheetos while wearing medical gloves or having the widest array of bathroom humor known to mankind, Josh was a man who would literally give you the shirt off his back. Giggity.
 
“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.”
 
Services will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2022 in the event hall at Thompson Speedway from 10 am to 1 pm. In lieu of flowers, friends have set up a place for donations at  https://www.gofundme.com/f/memorial-fund-for-joshua-kusek
 

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