The Hartford Seminary community was devastated to learn on Thursday of the passing of Joshua Wayne Eargle, 23, a student in the Master of Arts in Religious Studies program.

“Joshua was a beloved student at the Seminary. I experienced this first hand in our Dialogue in a World of Difference class, where he was appreciated by all and dear to me as his professor,” President Joel N. Lohr said. “His quiet but warm demeanor, coupled with his intellectual curiosity and smiles from the heart, made him special. I’m deeply saddened by this news. I pray that God brings comfort to his family and friends.”

Joshua, second from right in the family photo above, lived on campus and befriended students in a variety of Seminary programs. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Presbyterian College with a degree in religion, and quickly applied to a Hartford Seminary master’s program. He loved the Seminary’s interfaith community and made a point of attending programs that had an interfaith focus.

Services for Joshua will be held on Tuesday, July 23, in South Carolina. His obituary can be found at this link.