Josh Hamm

Joshua James Hamm, born on June 3, 1989 in Mesa, Arizona, passed peacefully from this life at home with family on April 22, 2025 after a brave battle with cancer.

Josh was the oldest son and fourth child of Steven C. and Karen A. (Padelford) Hamm. A redhead growing up in the orange groves of the Hamm Family Citrus farm, Josh was on the hunt for adventure from day one, whether it was riding his tricycle to his grandparents’ house (in his diaper!) or finding a litter of coyote pups and trapping them in a culvert. When Josh was six the family moved to the Arkansas Ozarks, where Josh’s love of the outdoors and questionable judgment continued in capers like walking across frozen ponds, bringing home snakes, turtles, and other “treasures,” and exploring every nook and cranny of the ranch with the family dogs. His childhood uniform was cowboy boots, a belt with a big buckle, and a cowboy hat that took him more than a few years to grow into.    

Throughout elementary and middle school Josh traded in his cowboy uniform for a catcher’s mitt and pads, throwing ball after ball on long summer evenings until it was too dark to see. In high school he discovered what would become a lifelong love of lifting weights, applying his characteristic determination and self-discipline to long hours in the gym and developing an encyclopedic knowledge of bodybuilding techniques. 

Josh graduated with honors from College of the Ozarks, majoring in international business and traveling to eastern Europe to study abroad. He put his love of perfecting his physique to good use by joining the cheerleading squad during his freshman year, putting down the weights for a while to lift his teammates instead. As a student at Hard Work U, he earned his tuition working in the construction department as a painter and manning the front desk at the gym. In his free time he loved to spend weekends at the Buffalo river, hiking, camping, and canoeing, or shooting targets at the ranch with friends. He loved good food, a blazing campfire, and could cook an excellent steak. His quick wit and incisive jokes had a way of sneaking humor in when you least expected it, often lightening the mood with a well-timed wisecrack. 

After college Josh attended the Phoenix Police Academy, where he again graduated with flying colors and won an award for the best sharpshooter in his class. Deciding that police work wasn’t for him, Josh pivoted to a career in insurance that more closely resembled his earlier interest in international business, giving him the opportunity to experience life in many different parts of the country including Indiana, Texas, Florida, and North Dakota. He frequently dealt with people on their worst day in a professional and courteous manner, earning him the respect of coworkers who often became good friends.  

A beloved son, brother, uncle and friend, his passing leaves a profound void among those who knew and loved him.  Josh is survived by his dog Finley; his parents, Steve and Karen Hamm; his sisters Lindsay (John Roger) Bell, Elizabeth (Jeff) Herold, and Allison (Michael); and his two younger brothers, Justin and Andrew.

'A memorial service will be held at the Rockin Z Ranch on June 14th.  Friends and family are welcome, please contact family for details.

Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of the Hills https://giving.myamplify.io//app/giving/hosp501175

 or the College of the Ozarks Alumni Scholarship Fund https://www.cofo.edu/AlumniScholarship

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