Obituary of Joshua Paul Mobus

On April 8, 2020, Joshua Paul Mobus, 67, died from a sudden cardiac arrest shortly after recovering from severe pneumonia. Joshua had been living for many years in Holly Hill, Florida. He was born at Camp Kilmer in New Jersey and grew up in Plainfield and Warren, graduating from Watchung Hills High School, where he was active in the school band, the marching band, and the chorus, as well as GAA athletics. After attending Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Joshua became a Licensed Practical Nurse at Overlook Hospital. While serving as an LPN, Joshua required knee surgery for injuries sustained in a car accident and developed an opioid addiction to the painkillers prescribed for him. Joshua bravely and successfully faced his addiction, entering rehabilitation followed by years of participation in AA. In January, 2020, Joshua celebrated 40 years of sobriety. As part of his recovery, Joshua left the healthcare industry, and he and his partner relocated to Florida. Joshua was again tested. Having been born, and living for 35 years, biologically female, Joshua entered the long and challenging process of realizing his true self and transitioning from female to male. Life as a transgender person took courage and commitment, and Joshua met this challenge and lived his life authentically. After growing up attending The Congregational Church in Plainfield and Trinity United Church in Warren, Joshua chose to become Catholic and attended St. Mary’s Church-Stony Hill in Watchung, until moving to Florida where he attended St Paul’s Basilica in Daytona Beach and became a deacon and minister of Holy Communion. Joshua was a member and soloist of a choir that toured five cities in Italy and performed a solo for Pope John Paul II. Joshua loved animals and shared his home with various dogs and two parrots. His dogs predeceased him. Amazon Jungle in Ormond Beach has kindly found new homes for the parrots. Joshua had a particular love of Great Danes and adopted four older rescue Danes and helped them through their end-of-life stage. Joshua’s local Dane community held a Moon Howl in remembrance, a ceremony very fitting for him, and one which he would have viewed as an honor. Joshua is remembered by his brother Chod, with whom he was in frequent contact, “Joshua was a gentle person who was a constant in my life. He could not have been a better brother. I shall miss him greatly.” Joshua is predeceased by his parents, Charles Bromwell Mobus, Sr. and Linda Baker Mobus, and survived by his brother, Charles Bromwell Mobus, Jr., Charles’s wife Mary Louise Malanoski, and their two sons, Edward Jansen Mobus and Andrew Joseph Mobus. Joshua is also survived by his ex-partner, Jan Del Russi, who has stood by Joshua for the past 40 years, through good times and bad, as much after they separated as before, as well as his caring and supportive NW, and other good friends. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, a memorial service will be deferred to an appropriate future time. Joshua’s ashes will be interred in the Edward Mobus family plot at Hillside Cemetery, in Scotch Plains, alongside his parents. In lieu of flowers, donations would be welcomed by the Mid Atlantic Great Dane Rescue – New Jersey Chapter (www.magdrl-nj.com). Higgins Home for Funerals, Inc, in Warren, has handled arrangements large and small to support the family during this sad time.