Josh (Joshua) Kevin Dirks Jan. 7, 1982 – Nov. 4, 2021

      Josh (Joshua) Kevin Dirks finished his ultimate race when he entered into heaven on Thursday Nov. 4, 2021. Josh spent 43 days in the ICU at KU Med Center, fighting each day to come home to his wife and his children. Josh never quit. He never gave up. Throughout this battle he demonstrated to his children what the spirit of a champion truly is.

      Josh was born on Jan. 7, 1982, in St. Joseph, Mo. He moved to Shawnee, Kan. in 1987, where he attended the Shawnee Mission School District. He graduated from Shawnee Mission North High School in 2000, where he was a scholar athlete in both football and track. Upon graduation, he was selected as a member of the class of 2000 Football Shrine Bowl. He attended Pittsburg State University where he was a two-time MIAA Conference Football Champion, playing offensive guard for the Gorillas. He was also a two-time All MIAA Conference Thrower for the Gorilla Track and Field Program. He received both Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Pitt State HPER Department, focused on Physical Education and Coaching.

      While at Pitt State, Josh met and married Tiff, the love of his life. They were a perfect pair, never finding the need to be around anyone but each other. They were married on June 26, 2004, thus beginning the fairytale relationship everyone dreams of having. They were best friends and soul mates. Their personalities matched perfectly, and they were never happier than when they were together. Over the past 17 years, they have added four children to their family, each bringing more love and energy to their lives. Josh loved being a husband and a father. Their crew traveled all around the country, singing in the car, sleeping in tents, making sure their children knew how loved they were. Josh and Tiff developed an obsession for Disney World. Anyone that knew them came to expect that every school vacation would be met with another trip to the Magic Kingdom. Each trip brought joy to Josh as he watched the smiles on the faces of his most prized possessions. Josh believed spending time as a family was the most important adventure of his lifetime. If you talked to Josh very long, you would inevitably hear about his wife and kids. He was so very proud of all of them. The love that he had for his family was unmatched. They were his whole world.

      Josh had a passion for coaching football. He loved the game and loved to challenge his players to be their very best. He served in a variety of coaching roles over the years, amongst his favorites were his years spent as Head coach for the Jasper Eagles. He received Coach of the Year honors and a District Championship title in 2009. Those boys were truly special to Josh. His coaching stints also included Washburn University, The Olathe War Owls, The Pink Flamingos, and, most recently, Olathe North High School. He loved being an Eagle and truly loved the Olathe community. The position at North revived his passion for coaching. He worked at Mill Creek High School, offering him a position in a setting that allowed for smaller group settings and a unique opportunity to impact students lives. He was so excited to go to work at Mill Creek each day.

      Upon passing, we learned that Josh had decided to give the best gift of all – life. Josh’s heart was donated to a very deserving individual. He had completed his race and enabled someone else to continue on in theirs.

      Josh is survived by his wife - Tiffany; four children – Ella, Belle, Beau, and Ivy Jo; parents – Kevin and Michele Dirks; brother – Jon (Amanda) Dirks; mother-in-law – Shelia Mossman; sisters-in-law – Amber (Greg) Mills and Torey Burnett; several niece, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Josh left this life way too soon. He will forever be missed and loved by those who knew him best.

      We are forever grateful to the Doctors and Nurses at KU Med for the relentless care they provided to Josh. They never gave up. Special thanks to Evangel Church, Holy Cross Lutheran, Olathe School District, KU Med, Midwest Transplant and Amos Funeral Home.

      Memorial contributions can be made to the Josh Dirks Memorial Fund via GOFUNDME in support of Tiffany and the children as well as medical bills and expenses. https://www.gofundme.com/f/josh-dirks-memorial-fund

      Josh’s Celebration of Life was held Nov. 14, 2021 at the Shawnee Civic Center.
Visitation was preceding at 3 to 4:30 p.m.