Remember that one time when we killed like 20,000 spiders as we were cleaning out the Riverside garage?  Man, that was such a freaky experience. 

Or how about that time when you popped out your knee out while climbing a tree at church. I totally thought you were joking…. until it heard it pop back in…. ouch... 

Or how about that time when grandma yelled at us for making a bonfire in the back yard. Man, I really miss those late night conversations with you. Thanks for always being an open ear and being so willing to listen to my heavy thoughts. 

Btw, you never really did confirm what the heck are zeff kids… or if that was really you in that UCSD Khmer Romance video….

Josh, there are so many random, fun, strange, weird memories with you. I am so sad thinking about the realities of today. Your presence will be so dearly missed. I can’t believe that I won’t get to play Payphone by Maroon 5 in the car with you no matter what the year it is. Or hear you jamming out in your guitar shirtless in the living room. Or get those random 30 seconds  FaceTime calls out of the blue. Josh, I am really going to miss you. Damn, I am really going to miss you. You had such spirit of kindness and light. And your laughter, it was so genuine. Damn Josh, I can’t believe you’re gone. Josh, honestly, I am mad at God too. Did He really have to take you home so soon? There was so much more work to be done. Josh, you have a family who dearly loved you down here. You have nieces and nephews who adore you.  There was so much more for you to do here, so much more life that you needed to live. Dammit Josh, I question God’s will sometimes… but i know… i know that if you were here, you would tell me not to worry. Honestly, you probably say some weird joke, making light of your own death and laugh it off….

And I probably would’ve laughed. Josh, I am laughing and crying. Thinking about the man God created you to be. The joy that you brought to so many around. The laughter that you and I shared. Damn Josh, I am really going to miss you and your goofy, weird presence. 

I know, I know you’re probably looking down now hurting that we are hurting. I know you would want us all to be happy, smiling, rejoicing that you are with our God. But you’re dearly missed down here you know that right Josh? You’re dearly missed down here...

Josh, may you dance so damn wildly in heaven with Jesus and the angels. May you jump up and down and shaking your booty like you have always down here. I know you’re in a better place, a place which we will dance together again. But right now, we miss you. And you being gone is such a shock. Hell, tears are blurring my vision as I write this. I am partly smiling and partly crying. Josh, may you find happiness. Your soul is where it should be and your memories are all we have left. thank you for your friendship and life. thank you for the kindness you've shown me through the years. thank you for making feel like family in times when I didn’t have any. Thank you for being a brother in more ways than you know. thank you giving me a place in your life. it was such a honor. 

Let's do this one last time Josh: 

“I'm at a payphone trying to call home All of my change I spent on you Where have the times gone? Baby it's all wrong Where are the plans we made for two? If happy ever after did exist I would still be holding you like this And all those fairytales are full of it One more stupid love song I'll be sick I'm at a payphone” 

Farewell Joshua Rothanak Chan. 

I love you.

Kenny Ung  

 

-This photo is from the day after Christmas party in 2015. What better picture to have with him? It was always a warm feeling having him around.

It is beautiful to see how much the Chan's love one another through the hardships an beautiful times. It's a privilege to know each one of them, and to see the love they have for each other. I know there will be a big hole left with Josh's absence, but we will all try and fill it with stories of Josh, and live like he would have.

Because Josh radiated joy. He exemplified life and lived his true and best self everyday. Josh taught me to live simply and wrestle with things that were difficult to comprehend. It would be refreshing telling him a story, because his perspective would be unlike any I'd heard. His mind uncanny. His out-of-the-box humor. His sacrificial mode of living. I had the opportunity of seeing him interact with the closest people to him- his family. I saw his deep love for each member. I saw the way he'd play with the kids, the way he stepped up to help, the way he brought a sense of the Lord's presence to every situation. He was grounded in faith. And now He is eternally in the Lord's presence. 

So, Josh. Thank you for being my friend. For always making sure Liz and I were safe in our home. For bringing us donuts and tons of soda for our mini parties we'd love to host. Thanks for fixing my car when it broke down on me in Redlands. For staying up all night in the cold so I can drive it back the next day. Thanks for helping cook with me and Ruth when we went camping in Joshua Tree. Thanks for being a person I can trust. For the sheds book you got me for my 25th birthday. For accidentally adding me to the family email where I got to see how incredibly big your heart was. 

-Mel

He was a extremely caring individual who deserved everything life had to offer. 

I'm so thankful that I was blessed to have him gracefully come into my life. 

I remember he was so concerned about me hurting my wrist on my ride that he brought me 'Tiger Jaw Pain Relieving Ointment' it was the sweetest gesture I swear to you. 

Josh was a beautiful person. I will never forget about him. I feel like he's watching down on me like how the Sun Baby watches over the Teletubies, just gotta add a mustache to the Sun Baby. Man I love you Josh and you'll be missed by everyone. You've impacted my life in ways I didn't know were possible. 

Land of My Dreams by Anna Domino will ALWAYS be our song. Thank you for sharing your diverse music taste with me and allowing me to create bittersweet memories with you. 

This heartache will remain but that's alright because I have all the good times to remember and be thankful for. You're a legendary man Josh Chan. 

- April Martinez 

Love you,

Murielll

-Jonathan Moreno

I am going to miss having you as our roomie. I am going to miss going out to the living room and finding an empty bag of chips followed by crumbs on the couch. I am going to miss throwing your clothes in the dryer for you. I am going to miss how you always greeted me hello when you came home. And how you always snapped your fingers all the way to your room. I am truly going to miss your presence. I am sad that you are no longer here with us. But I am happy that one day in heaven we will be roomies again. 

Being able to live with you this past year has truly been a blessing. Because through all your trials and tribulations this year, like you said yourself, you found JOY in the JOurneY. And I hope to find that same joy when life gets tough just as you have. Thank you for reminding Tim and I that the joy we find in God is so much greater than the happiness that we can find on our own. 

I am glad to know that you now have the best roomie in whole wide world and that is our heavenly Dad. Love you so much, Josh. 

P.S. Thanks for choosing Korean BBQ as our last meal. You da best. 

I can honestly say I don’t ever recall seeing you without a smile on your face. At this very moment, I’m imagining you with your ever so cool mustache and your awesome sense of style. I have always admired your willingness to be different and unique. I like how you and I had the on going joke with one another when I would call you “Robert” and you would call me “John” LOL. It makes me laugh every time I think about it. Even now that you’re gone, I smile thinking about how blessed we all are to have had you in our lives.  The Bible tells us the God is the one who determines where we would live and move and have our being. I am so blessed that God allowed me to have known you for the relatively short time that I did. My family and I are keeping your family in our thought and prayers through this very difficult time. Although we all know in our hearts that death is a part of life, nothing can ever prepare us for the actual moment when someone close is taken. This is evidence to me that death was not supposed to be normal. It was not God’s original design for us. The reality is that we all live in a sinful world. Romans 6:23 tells us “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Your passing is bitter sweet because you are no longer with us, but you are now in the presence of the Almighty God. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This, however, is the reason I rejoice in my heart. You found the one and only way through whom eternal life is given, the real "Fountain of Youth". You, Josh, knew Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and because of that, I know you are probably participating in a worship service in Heaven right now. Singing your heart out as I’ve seen you do many times. As believers in Jesus Christ we know that when a life is taken, only Jesus Christ is able to restore that life. You are restored and renewed now in your heavenly dwelling. How extremely lucky you are to see the King of Glory face to face. I look forward to the day when we meet again because I know we will. When it’s my turn, meet me at the gates of heaven with your huge smile and your awesome mustache. On that day you can call me “John” again and I will call you “Robert.” Say Hi to Jesus for us all. You will be dearly missed. 

TK

Just heard of your passing and a part of me doesn't want to believe this. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that this happened to you and your family. I can't even imagine what they must be going through, to lose a beloved son, brother, cousin, a heart of gold. 

You always carried yourself with a sense of style and energy that always made me glad I was hanging out or working with you. You always brought out that smile, that sense of community and brotherly love when you were around. We met in college in CSA and I remember going to the meetings, socials and just talking to you. For culture show, we would make the props for the stage and I remember us spending hours and days just making sure things were going right and according to plan. During one of our breaks, I remembered a snack you made to share which was basically Tostinos pizza rolls with whipped cream on top. It was an odd combo but good. It was creative. 

You were such a hard worker. The night before the show, you stayed up with me until morning just trying to finish. Your commitment to your club and work ethic just showed me that you were a person who cared and someone we could depend on. That was Josh. 

You also had that long, luscious hair I liked. I thought that was so cool. You didn't know but you gave me some strength and inspiration to grow out my hair, something I evidently now know is a difficult process. You rode that cool bike around campus and never failed to stop and have a chat with me. It was always brotherly love. 

Well, Mr. Cool & Positivity, I'm glad that I've met you and you were a part of my life. Though it has been years since, I have always remembered you that way and will continue to. I'll try not to get sad when I think of you but instead, celebrate your life and the love you showed me and everyone around you. 

Rest in peace brother. 

Pete

Hey Josh, I figured it might be better to write to you rather than about you. I'm pretty sure heaven has social media so hopefully you'll get around to reading all these. You might not have noticed but I really did look up to you. You were smart, athletic, and popular, plus all the lady's liked you haha. Who didn't want to be you. I remember when we used to hang out at your house with Tim and I tried to jam out with you guys on the guitar. I learned a couple notes here and there, but I could never really play or sing like you. Remember the last time I saw you? It was at the park in chino hills, we boarded around and I showed my car to you. Must of been a good 3 years since then. I kinda wish I hung out with your family more, or at least try some of the donuts you make. I also regret not asking about your mustache, what's the maintenance on it? And how long did it take to grow out? Life goes by too fast, people get old, they come and go. I regret quite a bit in my lifetime, but the moments I shared with you and your family will never be forgotten. I don't know if you remember my uncle Andy, but if you see him up there tell him I said hi. Tell me about your mustache when I see you again. Rest In Peace. Heaven has gained a gloriously mustached Asian man. 

-Anthony Nguyen aka Tap Some Bong

I worked with him on a couple of construction projects.  Josh always seems easy going and relaxed, but I’ve seen him work hard.  When we were demolishing a room floor in L.A., he was pretty crazy.  It was supposed to be an hour long job to demolish a room floor but he wanted to rip out the whole floor in 10 minutes.  He went all out; poured out all his energy into scrapping the floor. Dust was flying all over the room and sweat dripping from his chin.  I left the dusty room, but he just kept going at it.  A few minutes later, he came out and said, “I got all the big pieces out.”  I smiled and replied, “Cool, I’ll take care of the small pieces.”  Josh would do the strenuous part of the job and I’d do the light part.  We were a great team.  

Another memory of Josh that I won’t forget is Josh thinking hard.  I believe it was December 24^th, 2016. Christmas Eve. We were still working at the LA house.  He was working that day but he was thinking hard about something.  He kept looking up and curling his mustache.  During lunch, he ate without talking but continuously looked up as he stroked his mustache.  After a while, he finally said, “I’m really bummed out.  I got to make a present for my family, something that’s hand made.  I don’t have any idea what to do.  Our family is meeting at 6PM today and I really want to have something special….”  By 5:30PM, we came up with the idea of a picture frame using the oak floor.  All he had to do was cut four pieces of the oak floor and nail it together.  With a little help from me, he was able to make the frame in 30 minutes.  After the frame was done, he was really happy. He truly touches everyone with his endless love. He gave me a big hug, said “Merry Christmas Gu Al!  I got to go…”, then jumped on his bike and rode away.

I’m gonna miss him.  It’s really sad that he’s gone, but his memory will live on. Keep it wild. God bless you, Josh.  

Love,
Gu Al

Love, your cousins 

Alonna And Tai Sayh