Obituary of Joshua Harris Matta

JOSHUA HARRIS MATTA Joshua Harris Matta passed through this life on the morning of Sunday, September 10th. Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our Son, Brother, Grandson, Nephew, Uncle, Cousin and Friend. Josh was born to Joe and Theo Matta and raised in Goshen, NY. He was 35 years old. Known to many as an amazing person with many sides, always loving, helpful and supportive to everyone he knew. A skateboarder. From the moment he bought his first board, he roamed the streets of Goshen, Middletown, Brooklyn, Long Island and beyond, always searching for that next best rail, bank or set of stairs for the perfect skate. Night and day, all day, every day. Josh was an artist and from an early age he knew exactly where he wanted to go with his incredible talent, never stopping to look back. Taking trains in the city as a teenager to be in the very heart of where he could best hone his craft of graffiti. His true passion and accomplishments as a graffiti artist came to life in NYC moving on to Philadelphia, DC, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Oakland, Paris and throughout Europe. Josh's creativity went well beyond graffiti. He was a diverse and prolific artist. His work was recognized and respected throughout the world. Josh graduated from Goshen High School and the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in Graphic Design. He became an owner of Paradise Plus, a shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn producing photograph publications and offering various international brands of aerosol paint, clothing, skate art and photography publications. Joshua is survived by his parents, his sister Becky Matta Candela with her husband Jack Candela and their 4 sons, his grandmothers, Betty Harris of Goshen, NY and Marie Matta of Rhinebeck, NY, many aunts, uncles, his very loving and grieving cousins and many friends. Mental Illness is an obscure and solitary disease, society's dark secret. It is a reality for one in five of us. Joshua battled his affliction every day and night of his life. Please help end the stigma. Support the struggle by kindly sending a contribution to the Mental Health Association of Orange County or to the National Alliance of Mental Illness. Please join us in celebrating Josh's life; hear the tales, share a laugh, a tear and a hug. Saturday, September 16th between 2 and 6 pm at the Hall of Fame of The Trotters located at 240 Main Street in Goshen, NY. Saturday, October 7 starting at l pm at the new Middletown Skate Park located at the corner of James and Union St. in Middletown. Arrangements under the care of the Donovan Funeral Home, Inc., Goshen. To leave a condolence visit www.donovanfunerals.com