On Friday, Aug. 23, the UW-W campus community received the grim news that fellow Warhawk, Joseph Lemerond, had passed away on the morning of Monday, Aug. 19 due to a seizure disorder. Lemerond was 23-years-old, and enjoyed being a student at UW-Whitewater.

“I keep hearing people say that they always felt like the most important person when they talked to him,” his mother Shirley said. “That’s how he made you feel. That was Joseph.”

Lemerond is remembered by his mother, Shirley, his father, Greg, and sister, Jackie, as well as many of his friends he made throughout the years.

“To describe the type of person Joseph was-it takes more than a word, more than a sentence,” said Nathan Birch, a close friend of Lemerond. “He was the most selfless person you could meet. He had a passion for people and for making people feel comfortable.”

Lemerond valued being a kind and genuine person, according to his family.

“He really was the most decent human being I have ever met in my life,” his father said. “He was my best friend. He still is my best friend, nobody can replace him. He just brought this light to any situation, he was such a decent person. I can’t even describe it.”

Lemerond made every day count, and made sure that everyone around him felt as good as he did.

“I believe his short time here on Earth was never once wasted.  Between making sure friends were okay, to taking care of strangers he would never see again. Joe put others first,” Birch said. “He taught a lot of his friends how to live and laugh and love, in the most selfless and passionate ways possible.”

One of the things Lemerond’s family says they loved about him was his sense of humor and his ability to brighten up anyone’s day, which was showcased during his senior year of high school.

“He was just so funny,” Shirley said. “He had the greatest sense of humor about him, and he could make people laugh. His senior year, when they give out awards to students, Joseph received ‘Most Likely to Cheer You Up.’ I can’t even tell you how many times he had us laughing so hard at the things he would say.”

Growing up in Germantown, Wisconsin, Lemerond played high school football, and proudly wore the number 21. The community has taken many strides in remembering and honoring their fallen member.