Joshua Michael Daywalt

It is with a shattered heart that we announce the death of my son & our brother, Joshua Daywalt whose life was marked by a battle he never chose-one that was relentless, isolating, and devastating. Born on 4/7/89, Joshua was a son, a brother, a father, a nephew, a grandchild and a soul who once carried light and laughter before the weight of severe mental illness dimmed his spirit.
From a young age, Joshua was kind, intelligent, and full of life. He loved animals and was a brilliant artist. He loved to fish. Loved History. He was an amazing baseball player. Once he told his mother that he wanted to be a vegetarian and when she questioned him because he loved chicken nuggets, he stated "No I want to take care of animals". He wanted to be a veterinarian.
As Joshua grew older it became clear something was overtaking him. He suffered from a total of 7 mental illness diagnoses the most difficult being Schizophrenia. This took a strong hold on him, altering his reality and making each day a fight for survival. Despite our endless love and constant desperate attempts to get him the help he so desperately needed, the system that was supposed to protect him failed time and time again. It is a heartbreaking truth that resources for those with severe mental illness remain woefully inadequate, and too many families know the helplessness we have endured.
His mental illnesses stole so much from him-his peace, his potential, and his sweetness. Each day was a fight, not just against the torment in his own mind, but against a world that does not understand and too often looks away. As his family, we tried to save him from the chaos that had become his existence. But the system meant to protect him is broken. The resources were not there. The doors kept closing.
On 2/11/25 I was notified that Joshua's life was stolen from all of us. Joshua was taken from us in a cruel and senseless act of violence. He was shot and left in the river in Philadelphia-a tragic and undeserved end for a man who had already suffered more than any human being should. He was found on 2/7/25. His death is not just our loss, but a reflection of the countless others who are fighting this battle. The injustice of his life, and of his death, should shake us all.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that you honor Joshua by offering kindness to those who struggle as he did. If you pass someone on the street, lost in their own mind, screaming into the void-don't look away. Give them a smile, a moment of dignity, a reminder that they are still seen. Educate yourself on severe mental illness and ADVOCATE for change, so that no other family has to endure this pain, and no other soul is lost to the cracks in a broken system. Be the voice for those that are silenced and ignored.
Joshua was more than his illness, more than his struggles. He was loved, and he mattered. And he always will.
I, as his mother, will forever hold onto that little boy in his popcorn costume, his face lit up with happiness, untouched by the weight of the world one Halloween day. That is my son. That is who he was before mental illness overtook him. And that is who I will always remember.
Joshua is survived by his two children: Anthony (16) and Charlotte (11); by mother: Jennifer (Hill) Daywalt; brother: Jesse Daywalt and wife Leah; sisters: Brandi Daywalt, Nikki Myers, and Amanda Myers; his maternal grandparents: Christina (Mesi) Pennock and James J. Hill; niece and nephew: Jackson and McKenzie Daywalt; as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father: John C. Daywalt; his aunt: Christina Hill; his paternal grandmother: Charlotte Daywalt; and his paternal grandfather.
Rest now, my sweet boy. You are finally free.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Joshua's funeral service on Monday, February 17, 2025, at 11:00 am, at GraceCrossing Community Church, 248 Church Street, Phoenixville. Officiating will be Rev. Dan McDowell. Interment will follow in the Washington Memorial Chapel Churchyard, Valley Forge. Friends will be received from 9:30 - 11:00 am.
Arrangements are being handled by the Campbell - Ennis - Klotzbach Funeral Home, Inc. Condolences may be offered online at www.PhoenixvilleFuneralHome.com.