The Joshua Druke Foundation
The Joshua Druke Foundation exists to support and build upon the things most important in Josh’s life. Having the privilege of knowing Josh, we will carry on his legacy and communicate the difference he made for others.
Josh was firmly grounded in his family, faith and community. He was born in March 1985 to Ed and Terri Druke in a small town in Vermont. Josh and his younger brother Ryan enjoyed the many benefits of time spent with multiple generations of family; they grew up together playing sports, sugaring, plowing snow, cutting hay, feeding animals, walking the woods, and putting up firewood. His parents made specific career decisions to support and prioritize their family. Ed started working at a local lumber yard in 1986 soon after Josh was born so he could go home for lunch and pick up the boys from school a few years later. They put family first in so many areas of life and that strong family environment set the direction for the way Josh lived.
Sports were a big part of Josh’s life during middle and high school. His competitive heart was a fire that made him successful both on and off the court. Combining talent and passion is a powerful force! Basketball was his favorite sport–something he played and enjoyed throughout his life and passed along to his kids. He was a 1,000 point scorer in three years, and he worked hard with his team to get to the state championship game in 2003. He was nominated for the McDonald’s All American basketball team and traveled to Ohio to be with the best players in the country. Throughout all of his competitive spirit, he still maintained a simple enjoyment of the game and would often be in the driveway shooting hoops with his family and friends.
Josh’s parents had the opportunity to become owners in the local lumber yard after Ed spent 20+ years working on staff. Their goal was to maintain a unique hometown business, create local jobs to keep families strong and see their sons grow up in a family business along with future generations after them. From a very young age, Josh and Ryan were able to experience business, livelihood, community and family entwined.
After Josh went through college and moved back toward home, his involvement in the family business steadily increased, and he poured many efforts into its growth and success. Over 16 years he became an expert in his field and was a young leader in his industry. He kept his focus on people, inspired his co-workers and made lasting relationships with local builders and businesses. The family business continued to grow as Josh and Ryan worked alongside their parents. The values and character Josh showed at work were an extension and reflection of the family time and sports activities he knew growing up.
Josh was also involved in multiple business development and workforce development organizations in Vermont and New Hampshire. He served on the board of directors for economic development organizations and lumber industry associations. He was a supporter and mentor at a local technical career center school for students interested in building science trades. Josh was always looking for ways to keep local communities strong and create new sustainable growth. He was an advocate and a strategic thinker. He had an ability to connect with people of all different backgrounds by finding common ground and making everyone feel heard.
Josh and Jamie were married in 2009 and a whole new family came to life. Two larger families were merged together and Josh was welcomed by Jamie’s parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents. As they built a house and had their first daughter Everly, the driving force behind Josh’s priorities came into focus. He worked hard to provide for his wife and daughter, continuing to develop the family business to see it succeed for the future. Eloise (Lucie) was born and their family grew to four. Family ties offered an opportunity for them to move to a nearby town and live next door to Jamie’s parents. Josh was able to work with his parents each day and live next to Jamie’s parents; both families were integral to the story of Josh’s life. Josh spent many of his evenings and weekends with Jamie’s family and was beloved by her parents and siblings. Oliver was born in 2019 and the Druke family was five strong.
Josh’s involvement and presence as a husband and a father is one of the most beautiful and moving things we can describe. He was a true servant leader of his home who sacrificed his time, energy, and comfort to love and care for Jamie and the kids. Patience and tenderness were strong character traits of his. Most evenings he was snuggling with or reading to at least one of the kids on the couch. The last weekend of his life, Josh was working outside when Lucie came out in a princess dress and asked him to dance. She didn’t have to ask twice. He stopped what he was doing and they danced in the driveway. The last photo that Jamie took of Josh was of him dancing with his daughter, which speaks so perfectly to who he was.
As a young father, Josh was able to spend a lot of time on community activities woven together with family and friends. Josh coached his town’s soccer team and made sure the family business paid for the league’s t-shirts. Seeing the community kids running around with the family business logo on brightly colored shirts brought a smile to a lot of faces. It was another simple way that family, business and community were brought together and made stronger. Josh’s children played basketball and soccer, starting to make the next generation of friendships.
Josh died suddenly on October 28, 2021 in a farm equipment accident at his house. He was 36 years old. The trauma, pain and tragedy of his passing has reverberated through every person and community he impacted. His family, church and business will never be the same, and we will always remember his incredible presence. As someone who reached many people with the way he lived, his death has left a deep and unrelenting sense of tragedy. We could never fully capture the resonance of Josh’s life or the sense of loss experienced in his death.
We had the privilege of watching him quietly and consistently invest himself in his family, his faith and his local community. These were the things that animated his heart, inspired his mind and were worthy of his time. These were the things that Josh believed were important. It was his multitude of small choices and little actions that brought a fullness to life for so many other people.
The Joshua Druke Foundation exists to support and build upon family, faith and community. Our vision is to create a unique and lasting space where individuals and organizations can gather and grow stronger together. Along the way, we will directly support those individuals and organizations that carry on Josh’s legacy, reflect the priorities of his life and inspire others to do the same.
Thank you for your support of The Joshua Druke Foundation–we are so grateful! More significantly, thank you for being inspired by Josh’s life as you follow his example of small choices and little actions that make a difference in the world around you… in your family, in your faith journey and in your local community.
The mission of the Joshua Druke Foundation is to support individuals and organizations who reflect the priorities seen in Josh’s life. The vision of the foundation is to create a community space dedicated to Josh’s memory where many different individuals and organizations can gather and grow. Josh consistently invested his time and efforts in his family, his faith, and the wellbeing of his local communities. Distributions from the foundation will be focused on supporting family centered activities, youth sports, local community development and discipleship to Jesus Christ. By supporting others directly and working to create a gathering space, we will carry on Josh’s legacy and communicate the impact of his life.
Fund Administrators
- Steve Wolf
- Jamie Druke
Donations
CharitySmith accepts donations in two ways:
Joshua Druke Foundation
CharitySmith Nonprofit Foundation
13100 Filly Lane
Truckee, CA 96161
Use credit card by clicking the link below.
The above Memorial Fund is established as a division of Charitysmith Nonprofit Foundation (EIN 87-0636433). All donations are tax deductible in accordance with federal tax law. Receipts for tax purposes are sent via US Mail within two weeks of donation. Please consider asking if your employer participates in a gift-matching program. If so, your donation may be matched by your employer.
For questions regarding your donation or this memorial fund please contact CharitySmith.