Joshua B. Vach
OCEAN CITY — On Wednesday, May 15, 2019, Joshua B. Vach, loving husband and restaurateur, passed away at age 53.
Joshua B. Vach
Josh was born Oct. 21, 1965 to Richard and Mary Carroll Vach. He graduated from Worcester Preparatory School in 1983 and UNC-Wilmington in 1987. On Oct. 3, 2009, he married Cindy Parcell on the sand of Wrightsville Beach.
Josh grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where his love for the ocean and surfing started at a young age. He was proud of the two restaurants his parents built and owned, The Quarterdeck and Wild Goose Chase in Ocean City, Maryland. He moved to Southern California after college to enjoy his love of surfing and continued to work in the restaurant industry. Surfing trips to the Baja Coast, and enjoying fish tacos on the side of the road with his surfing buddies were the inspiration for him to establish his first restaurant. In 1993, Josh opened K38 Baja Grill on Oleander Drive with the support of his father. His passion and vision to create a genuine “surf vibe” atmosphere and to serve the fish tacos he loved was truly an original concept that Wilmington instantly embraced. The success of his first location led to what is now known as the family of Live Eat Surf restaurants with a total of eight locations.
His hands-on approach in the restaurants, hard work and relentless drive to be the best each and every day enabled him to give back to the community and help many animals in need over the years. He created Cinco de Bow Wow, an annual fundraising event, to support local animal shelters and Canines for Service. Josh was a member of the UNCW Surf Club that led him to establish the UNCW Tower 7 Surf Scholarship in 2008. It has grown into the Tower 7/WBLivesurf Scholarship. Josh supported the surf community in many other ways such as feeding the volunteers and participants in the annual Surfers Healing event on Wrightsville Beach.
Josh always preferred not to be in the spotlight for his generosity and community involvement. However, many organizations over the years wanted to recognize him for his good deeds. To name a few, Josh was the UNCW Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 2015 and was inducted into Wrightsville Beach Museum’s 2014 Waterman Hall of Fame for his contribution to beach culture.
Josh was preceded in death by his parents, Richard Joseph Vach and Mary Carroll Vach; his sisters, Mary Elizabeth Vach, Carroll Vach England; and by his beloved dog, Wyatt. Josh is survived by his wife, Cindy, and their treasured dog, Gunner; his sister Martha Vach Redding; his brothers Richard Joseph (Jr.) and Thomas Carville Vach; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
There will be two Celebrations of Life. One in Wilmington and the other in Ocean City. Details will be announced at a later date in each community.
Contributions in his memory can be made to Ocean City Surf Club, P.O. Box 4752, Ocean City, Md. 21843
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Sara Jane Poskus
OCEAN CITY — Sara Jane Poskus (Cook), age 87, passed away at her daughter’s home in Georgia on Aug. 11, 2018.
Sara Jane Poskus
From her birth in Charlottesville, Va. on July 14, 1931, to her passing in August, Sara nourished those around her with love, humor and wittiness. She was born at the University Hospital in Virginia to Nellie Hayle Woodson and Irving Hawthorne Cook. Her family moved to Washington, D.C. when she was five years old. She moved to Maryland in 1959 and eventually to Ocean City in 1994. She married the life of her life, Vincent Vito Poskus (Bill), on June 22, 1955.
She is predeceased by her husband Bill and her first daughter, Dense Ann Drittler. Sara is survived by her children, Cynthia Nelligan, Dale Poskus, Cyndi Chieppa and Laura Lee Poskus; grandchildren, Sean and Shannon Blanchard, Brendan Blancard, Ashley Drittler, Dale Poskus Jr., Sara Nelligan, Krystle Thompson and Malcolm Smith; and great grandchildren, Carter, Cameron, Crew, Coby, Nora and James Blanchard.
She was a member of the Fraternal of Eagles since 1971 and a member of the American Legion. She worked at a telephone company for over 10 years, then went on to run a day care out of her home. Sara Jane started working at the Ocean City Convention Center upon moving to Ocean City and worked there for over 20 years. She loved crocheting, gardening, bowling and her friends and family dearly.
Donations can be made to the American Cancer Society in honor of Sara Jane Poskus. Her family and friends will carry her memory in their gardens and in their hearts.
A memorial service will be held on May 31 at 9 a.m. at the Arlington National Cemetery. A celebration of life will be held on May 31 at 5 p.m. at the Ocean City Convention Center.