Joseph D. "Joe" Roush

Joseph D. “Joe” Roush, 85, of Cheshire, Ohio, passed away at home on August 16, 2026 surrounded by the love of his family and friends, following a long and courageous journey with cancer.

Joe was born in Cheshire, Ohio, the son of the late Hortie and Doris Roush. He graduated from Kyger Creek High School and was a retired electrician and a 60-year member of IBEW Local 683 in Columbus, Ohio.

Following his retirement, Joe served as a Cheshire Township trustee for 14 years, until his health forced him to retire. He took great pride in his work, enjoyed serving alongside his fellow trustees and was honored to serve the people of the township. Joe also served as a trustee of Gravel Hill Cemetery and attended Fellowship of Faith in Rio Grande, Ohio.

Joe’s greatest passions were his family, fishing, hunting and camping. His favorite places to be were Lake Cumberland, the woods or sitting around a campfire with his camping buddies, telling stories. Joe was a kind, strong-willed and hardworking man who was always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. Even throughout his illness, he never lost his sense of humor and continued to keep everyone on their toes.

Joe loved his family deeply and will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Carole; his daughters, Amy (Bruce) Shriver of Conway, South Carolina, and Kelly Jo Roush (Allen) Icenhower of Jackson, Ohio; his grandchildren, Courtney Shriver (Marcus), with Ezra Huell, Kassie Jo Shriver (Chris), Carly (Ethan) Steger, Jared Icenhower and Grace Icenhower; great-grandchildren, Chandler Rhodes, Sophia Jo Graves, Atlas Graves and Lainey Steger.

Joe is also survived by his sister, Carolyn Erickson of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin; his sisters-in-law, Nancy (Mike) Vance of Sunbury, Ohio, Janet Russell of Columbus, Ohio, and Mary (Fred) Deel of Vinton, Ohio; his brothers-in-law, Barton (Rebecca) Stump, David Stump of Cheshire, Ohio, and Tom (Bonnie) Stump of Cheshire, Ohio; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. He is also survived by his close friends, Willie and Ruth Curfman.

In addition to his parents, Joe was preceded in death by his brother, Howard (Naomi) Roush; his brothers-in-law, Vernon Russell and Thomas Erickson; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Rita and Arnold Stump; and a special aunt, Helen Spears Trout.

The funeral service for Joe will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at Willis Funeral Home with Pastor Jamie Sisson officiating. Friends may call prior to the service Saturday from 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Allen Icenhower, Ethan Steger, Jared Icenhower, Fred Deel, Jason Dailey, Chris Graves, Kyle Deel, Bruce Shriver, and Jeremy Markin. Honorary pallbearers will be Tom Stump and Willie Curfman.

The family would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to Tom Stump and Jeremy Markin for all their help and support, especially during the final three years of Joe’s life. The family would also like to thank Holzer Hospice for the exceptional care and compassion shown to Joe and his loved ones.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Holzer Hospice or the Holzer Cancer Center.