Joshua Matthew Rosenau

Joshua Matthew Rosenau, our beloved son, brother, uncle, cousin and nephew, was born December 11, 1984 in Aurora, Illinois and died February 6, 2026 in Olympia, Washington.

From a very young age, Joshua’s laughter, playfulness and vivacious spirit kept his family on our toes. The younger son of a Presbyterian minister and Special Education teacher, Joshua was a boy scout, lifeguard, accomplished percussionist and graduate of Conestoga High School in Berwyn, PA. From high school, he studied Jazz Performance at Temple University and The New School in New York City, worked as a tree surgeon in Central Jersey the summer months, a sound recording engineer during the winter months, and ultimately graduated with a degree in Journalism from Rutgers University in 2012.

Joshua’s first bylines as an investigative reporter were on the staff of the Times of Trenton (a very different kind of tree cutting operation), later joining the staffs of NJ Advance Media and Strauss News in and around New York City, and briefly edited the New York Times Travel section online. Through his work as a journalist and researcher, Joshua founded the online platform Expectables, Inc. to aggregate and measure accuracy in public records and media releases, particularly around economic, political and environmental news.

In 2016, Joshua was inspired to join Americorps VISTA as a volunteer for environmental justice issues on the Flathead Indian Reservation of Western Montana. A gifted multi-linguist, he immersed himself in the study of Bitterroot Salish language and culture from many elders and teachers in the tribe. Joshua became the Program Coordinator for the Tribal Research and Education in Ecosystem Sciences (TREES) at Salish Kootenai College, promoting indigenous forestry practices on US forestry lands (a third kind of tree cutting) through scholarship, grants, conferences and publications. While at SKC TREES, Joshua earned his Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Montana in 2021. In addition to teaching in the Natural Resources Department, and as Adjunct Professor in both the Sociology and Psychology Departments at SKC, Joshua enjoyed playing tennis, recording jazz music, and spending quality time with his mom’s extended family in Arlee, Montana. Last year, his research article was anthologized in the monograph Sãiçpálî on whitebark pine restoration on the Flathead Reservation and he had recently relocated to Washington State to be closer to his immediate family.

Joshua’s family is heartbroken that his love of music, blazing wit, and open-armed generosity are no longer with us. We thank God for the gift of life—Joshua will always be a gift of life to us.

Joshua is preceded in death by his father, Rev. Dr. Ronald Rosenau. Joshua is survived by his mother, Ida, of Olympia, WA, his brother, Zachary, sister-in-law, Frances, and nephews, Asher and Walden, of Culver City, CA, and aunts, uncles and cousins around the country.

In Joshua's memory, please consider donating to Salish Kootenai College, under the specific designation "Access to Student Scholarships," or as an unrestricted donation.

A memorial service for Joshua will be held at St. John's Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, CA Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.