Joshua Justin Canterbury, 52, of Kansas City Missouri passed away Saturday, August 23, 2025. A Celebration of Life will be held at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, September 4, 2025 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, 1600 N 291 Hwy, Liberty, Missouri. The family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. until service time at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to Answering the Call or Great Plains SPCA.
Josh was born on July 23, 1973, in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Daryl and Pamela (Jennings) Canterbury. He retired from the Independence Police Department on May 17, 2021, after 25 years of dedicated service.
He loved boating, traveling, and the ocean. Always tinkering, always joking, Josh had a good sense of humor that will be deeply missed. Above all, he lived for his girls and grandbabies, who were the joy of his life.
Josh is survived by his loving wife, Heather Canterbury of the home; two daughters: Maddie Emerich (Roy) of Grandview, MO and Serenity Hogan of the home; two grandchildren Harper and Colter; mother, Pam Schorn (Tom) of Platte City, MO; sister, Cydney Gurgens (Craig) of Platte City, MO; two nephews, Nathan and Cooper; niece, Emily; mother and father in law, Debbie and Mark Morris; brother in law, Chad Whitley (Sam); many extended family members, friends, and his brothers and sisters in blue with the Independence Police Department. He was preceded in death by his father, Daryl.
Royer’s New Salem Funeral Home ~ Independence, MO (816) 796-8600
Mary Jo and Rick Kuhl
29 Aug 2025God rest his soul. The neighborhood will miss you.
Donald Arn
29 Aug 2025Nancy and I are so sorry to hear of your loss of Josh. We will keep you in our prayers and thoughts,
Don and Nancy Arn
Carrie Abbate
2 Sep 2025Sending my sincere condolences to Heather and Family! He will be missed around the neighborhood.
Kristi sharp
3 Sep 2025Our deepest sympathies go out to Heather and the whole family. Josh’s service in the police department and dedication to the neighborhood as our HOA president and care of the grounds are to be commended. Everyone knew they could count on Josh and Heather to handle things professionally. When walking the dogs in the morning, I would often see Josh with his dog, and he was always friendly and understanding about the dogs.
With caring thoughts,
Mark and Kristi Sharp
Julie Rupp
6 Sep 2025We send our very deepest sympathies and condolences to Heather and the entire family. We will miss seeing Josh on his neighborhood walks, out mowing, and will definitely miss the neighborhood chats we had. May the Lord give you strength, peace and comfort. Our prayers are with you all.
Sincerely,
Matt and Julie Rupp