Joshua Dale Shifflett, Sr. 39, passed away on April 24, 2026. He had a good heart. I don’t even know a better way to say it than that. He was the kind of person who would give the shirt off his back without thinking twice. Not everyone saw that side of him, but it was real. It was always there. He loved music in a way that was just part of him. Metallica was one of his favorites, but he listened to everything. He was always writing songs and creating music, like there was something always moving through him. He loved video games too—Call of Duty and Zelda especially—and would get lost for hours in the games he loved. He was also into coding, and even creating his own video games.
When he loved someone or something, he loved deeply and fully. He was playful by nature, always joking and trying to bring a little lightness into whatever room he was in. He had a way of connecting with people that felt real. And if you knew him, you remember it. You remember his humor, his presence… and how he made you feel. He went through a lot in his life, and by his side for many years was his partner in life, Gina Gillespie. More than most people ever really saw. But underneath all of that he was still Josh—a man who loved deeply, cared deeply, and showed up in the ways he knew how.
He was preceded in death by his uncle, Jake Zuchowski; his aunt, Kristy Barnes; and his grandmother, Judy Burroughs. He is survived by his family including his parents, Richard and Nicole Shifflett, of Moyock, NC; his son, Joshua Shifflett, Jr.; his brother, Jeromy Shifflett and wife Karleen; and his brother, Shane Shifflett and partner, Megan Davis; his nieces, Alexis Shifflett and Brooklyn Shifflett; his nephew, Sebastian Shifflett; his cousin, Kayla Zuchowski; his uncles, David Zuchowski and Mick Shifflett; along with many cousins.
The family will receive friends on Friday, May 1, 2026 from 10am to 10:50am at Altmeyer Funeral Home, 929 S. Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, VA 23322. The service to celebrate his life will follow at 11:00 am in the chapel of the funeral home with Rev. Richard Castleberry officiating. Interment will follow at Moyock Memorial Cemetery, 230 Caratoke Hwy, Moyock, NC 27958. Please leave a message for his family and sign the online guestbook at www.altmeyerfh.com.
And for those of us who knew him, it still feels like he should walk back into the room. He will be missed more than words can fully say.
