Joshua Joseph Balara

TRUCKSVILLE — Joshua Joseph Balara of Trucksville passed away on Thursday, March 16, 2023, after his courageous battle with cancer, at his home surrounded by family and friends.

Born in Wilkes-Barre, Joshua is the son of Gregory and Evelyne Balara, and the brother of Brendan and Rebecca Balara.

Josh attended the Dallas School District before being recruited to attend Dartmouth College, an Ivy League school in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he studied engineering and environmental studies, and was a player on their football team.

Josh played football for many years, starting his career with the Kingston Township Raiders. He was an accomplished offensive lineman throughout his time as a student in the Dallas School District. Throughout his career, Josh earned many accolades, including all-state offensive guard, 2019 Citizen's Voice All-Star, 2019 Times Leader Wyoming Valley Conference (WVC) All-Stars First Team Offense, 2019 NPF All-Stars WVC 4A First Team Offense, 2019 Class 4A PA Writers All-State Football Team (Offense), and 2019 Class 4A All Eastern PA Football.com Team Offense. Josh was an instrumental part of the team that won the 2019 District II Championship and became the 2019 PA state runner-up.

Throughout Josh's time at Dartmouth College, he was an offensive lineman on the football team, and a part of the 2021 Ivy League Championship Team. He was also a member of the Gamma Delta Chi Fraternity, among his many close friends and teammates.

Josh was intelligent, strong, passionate, funny, and most importantly, kind. Throughout his life, he spent many hours building complex Lego sets. He was a restaurant and food connoisseur, and an expert road trip planner. He loved music and listened to songs of all generations. He enjoyed movies from the Star Wars, Marvel, and Harry Potter sagas. He was an inspiring person who made his friends and family incredibly proud every single day of his life.

Josh was preceded in death by his grandparents: Victor and Theresa Habib.

Surviving in addition to his parents and siblings, are grandparents: Frank J. and Betsy Balara; his aunts and uncles: Victor and Deanna Habib; Marilyn and Jerry Haste; Alice and Kurt Bordner; Thomas Habib and partner Misa Osada; JoAnn and Jim Schrimmel; Denise Balara; Frank Balara and partner Jennifer Dent; and Brian and Megan Balara; and his cousins: Matthew, Kristen, Kelly, Amber, Katie, Rachel, Christopher, JT, Olivia, Violet, and Zachary.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, March 22, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Therese's Church, 64 Davis St., Shavertown. Interment will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery, Hanover Township. Friends may call Tuesday, March 21, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Harold C. Snowdon Funeral Home, Inc., 140 N. Main St., Shavertown. All are asked to go directly to church on day of service.

A fund is being made for memorial donations in support of a yearly scholarship for one Dallas High School football player who exemplifies the qualities and character of Josh, to help continue to keep his memory alive.