Honoring Joshua Encarnacion: Wantagh school sports complex planned in memory of boy who died of cancer

From the wrestling mat to the lacrosse field, Joshua Encarnacion's loved ones say he was always there to lend a hand to his fellow teammates.

"He was the type of kid that, if another kid didn’t know how to play a sport, he would show them," his father, Christian Encarnacion, recalled. "In wrestling, he wouldn’t take advantage of a kid that was new. He would show them."

The Wantagh native, described as a charismatic leader who picked up sports skills easily, lost a 14-month battle with a rare and aggressive form of pediatric cancer in September 2023 — just two weeks before what would have been his 12th birthday.

His parents first noticed something was wrong in July 2022, when they found a lump on his left pinkie finger. When the swelling didn’t subside over several days, they sought medical attention. Doctors performed tests and determined that Joshua had alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Despite undergoing multiple treatments, including chemotherapy, and dealing with chronic fatigue, his family and friends said Joshua always kept a smile on his face and never complained before succumbing to the disease more than a year and a half ago.

"It didn't matter if it was raining, his effort, his personality, everything stayed at the highest level it possibly could," said Francis Devlin, Joshua's former lacrosse coach. "There's very few kids that I've been around that are similar to him."

Memorial for Joshua

Now, Joshua's family and friends are looking to honor his memory with a multisport complex at Mandalay Elementary School — the last school he attended in person.

Organizers said they have raised more than $500,000, with about $150,000 more needed, to build two basketball courts and a youth-sized, U11 regulation turf field for soccer and lacrosse at the school to replace an outdated field and court.

Family friends Michael Byrne and Markella Zervos, who helped organize the fundraising and plans, said the idea was born after a conversation with Joshua’s father, where he expressed the desire to memorialize his son.

"We embraced it with open arms," Byrne said.

Organizers recently held a fundraiser at Mulcahy's Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh, which was attended by more than 400 people. Byrne said they have also received grants and donations from community members, local businesses and organizations.

One of the organizations pushing the cause forward is the John Theissen Children's Foundation, a Wantagh-based nonprofit that helps sick and underprivileged children. Founder John Theissen said he was part of Joshua's celebration of life, which was attended by hundreds.

"My foundation always steps in and tries to do the best for these families," said Theissen, who has helped the family raise funds for the complex.

Wantagh schools Superintendent John McNamara said the district has filed paperwork with the state Education Department for permitting for the project. The next step is to go out to bid for construction of the project, to be named the Joshua Encarnacion Memorial Sports Court and Multi Sport Turf Field.

If all goes as planned, organizers said they could break ground by this summer.

"The community just felt so strongly about doing something nice for this family and they took the ball and ran with it," McNamara said. "Fingers crossed everything comes to fruition this summer."

For Joshua's parents, they expect the moment will be bittersweet. They said it will be difficult not seeing their son next to his peers.

"It's still a shock, and we have amazing people behind us, but I’m sure it’s going to be emotional," said Joshua's mother, Jeannette Encarnacion. "To see this through, its going to be emotional."